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Australia's women's water polo team have prevailed by one goal over the Netherlands in an Olympic fixture decided by a penalty shootout.

Substitute goalkeeper Genevieve Longman's late cameo has delivered Australia's women's water polo team a penalty shootout win against the Netherlands.

The Australians triumphed 15-14 on Wednesday to keep hopes of topping their Paris Olympic group alive.

Scores were locked at 7-7 after regulation time at the Paris Aquatic Centre.

And both nations had netted four penalties each when Longman was summoned into action for the first time in the fixture.

Coach Bec Rippon's gamble to replace starting shot-stopper Gabi Palm paid off.

With Australia edging ahead courtesy of having the first shot in the tense shootout, Longman produced a masterful, match-winning save.

The substitute instinctively used her left hand to reach, and block, a powerful shot from the Netherlands' Lola Moolhuijzen.

In regulation time, Australia's Alice Williams and Sienna Green both scored twice while Abby Andrews, Charlize Andrews and captain Zoe Arancini also found the net.

The Australians, after a 7-5 win against China in their Olympic opener, now have banked consecutive wins.

The Dutch (two wins, one loss) remain top of the group on seven points, with Australia moving to five points.

Under water polo regulations, the victor of a match decided by penalty shootouts gets two points instead of the usual three for a regulation-time win.

And the loser of a shootout-decided game get one point, instead of none for a defeat in normal time.