Sophia Popov Class: Sophomore Hometown: Weingarten, Germany High School: European School Karlsruhe Height: 5-6

THIS SEASON
Sophomore Sophia Popov, a German native, was the top NCAA freshman a year ago and looks to build on her quick American success in her second year with the Trojans.

2010-2011
Popov earned NGCA and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and NGCA All-American and All-Pac-10- first team honors in 2011 and was ranked as high as No. 3 by Golfweek.com in one of the top debuts ever for a Trojan ... She led USC with seven rounds in the 60s, one off the school season-record, and her 72.16 stroke average was seventh-best in school history ... She won three events last year, part of a string of eight straight top 7 finishes, including the Pac-10 title, claimed in a one-hole playoff after a 6-under 210 (69-71-70) performance. Her first title of the year came at the Pac-10/SEC Challenge when she fired a 6-under 207 (72-68-67). She complemented the win with a title at the PING/ASU Invitational with a 5-under 211 (69-71-71) ... Popov's string of top 8 finishes began with a fifth-place finish at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational at 2-under 214 (68-74-72). After her Pac-10/SEC win, she posted a tie for seventh at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at 8-over 221 (74-74-73) and another tie for seventh at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Invitational at 1-under 215 (74-72-69). She then tied for fifth at the Battle at Rancho Bernardo with a 3-over 219 (74-73-72) before the PING/ASU win. At the NCAA West Regionals, she was third at 1-under 215 (69-73-73). She tied for 26th at the NCAA Championships, ending the streak ... Popov had a busy and fruitful off-season, mainly competing throughout Europe. She made the cut at the British Open with a 36-hole 145 (70-75) and finished 67th overall. She was 15th at the International European Ladies Amateur Championship, where she was the defending champion, and helped Germany to third place at the European Ladies Team Championships, going 4-2. She also went 3-1 to lead Team Europe to victory over Great Britain and Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy. She made it to the round of 16 at the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship and qualified for the match-play at the U.S. Women's Amateur.

HIGH SCHOOL
Popov, who attended European School Karlsruhe, is a German national team member who represented Germany at the Junior Solheim Cup in 2009 as well as at the 2009 European Girls' Team Championships. Popov, ranked first among German juniors, won the 2010 International European Ladies Amateur Championship, the 2008 German Championship Girls 16 and under and was second in both the 2008 German Ladies Championship and the German Girls and Boys International Championship. She was fourth at the 2008 Skandia Girls in Sweden and tied for fifth in stroke play at the 2008 Girls British Open Amateur Championship (she was a quarterfinalist in match play) and was 16th there in 2007.