Saturday, September 30
Los Angeles, CA
1:00 PM
USC
11-3, 3-0Pac-12
3
vs
1
Washington State
12-3, 1-2Pac-12
1
2
3
4
F
Washington State
15
27
12
19
1
USC
25
25
25
25
3
Team Stats
WSU
USC
Kills
36
61
Errors
22
26
Attempts
117
143
Hitting %
.120
.245
Points
47.0
82.0
Assists
33
58
Aces
0
11
Blocks
11.0
10.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
23
Aces
5
Blocks
3
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOPP
/ Women's VolleyballPhoto by: Percy Anderson
No. 20 USC Cuts Down Cougars For Fourth Straight Win
September 30, 2017 | Women's Volleyball, Features
The Women of Troy got a career-best 29.5 points from sophomore outside hitter Khalia Lanier
LOS ANGELES – The No. 20-ranked USC women's volleyball team (11-3, 3-0 Pac-12) posted a four-set victory (25-15, 25-27, 25-12, 25-19) over Washington State (12-3, 1-2) on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Galen Center. The Women of Troy won their fourth straight match and remained unscathed in league play.
The Trojans got a career-best 29.5-point performance from sophomore outside hitter Khalia Lanier. She matched her season best with 23 kills (7e, 52att, .308) and finished with nine digs, three blocks, and a career-high five service aces. Her five aces was the most by a Trojan since All-American Samantha Bricio had at least five in several matches in 2015.
Senior opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie was the Catalyst to the Trojans' dominating third-set victory and finished with 13 kills (5e, 34att, .235) to go with three blocks and three digs. Junior outside hitter Alyse Ford tallied 11 kills (4e, 21att, .333) in three sets of action off the bench. Senior opposite hitter Niki Withers had six kills.
The Trojans hit .245 in the match and finished with 61 kills (26att) on 143 swings. Senior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley totaled 32 assists and 11 digs for her fourth-straight double-double. Sophomore setter Cindy Marina had 20 assists, two digs, and three service aces. In the middle, junior Brittany Welsh put in four kills, three blocks, and had an ace while senior Jordan Dunn added a pair of kills, a pair of digs, and seven blocks (two solo). Junior libero Victoria Garrick put up 11 digs to go with five assists and two service aces.
For the Cougars, McKenna Woodford and Taylor Mims each led the way with 11 kills. Woodford added five digs and two blocks, but racked up six reception errors. Mims had two blocks and three reception errors. Alexis Dirige had 14 digs. The Trojans didn't surrender a single service ace during the match.
The score of the first set was tied for a third time at six-all, but back-to-back aces by Lanier sent the Trojans rolling. The lead reached 10 points at 20-10 when Lanier rose up to block Casey Schoenlein and earned a crosscourt kill on consecutive points. The teams traded points but it wasn't enough for WSU as USC closed out a 25-15 win in the opening frame.
The second set was tied 12 times and the lead changed hands five times, but Washington State grabbed the most important lead at the end to come away with a 27-25 win. The Cougars led by as many as six at 13-7, but the Trojans completely erased that deficit and tied the score at 19-all. The teams went back and forth and USC even took set point at 24-23 and 25-24, but the Cougars scored the final three points on a kill by Jocelyn Urias and with a pair of good defensive stances.
The Trojans left no doubt in the third set as Abercrombie scored three kills in the first four rallies. Ford added six kills with just one error and Lanier rose up for five kills to help USC hit .486 (19k, 2e, 35att) in the frame. It was a mere blink of the eye that USC had a 12-10 lead before a 13-2 run closed out the set on three kills by Lanier, 25-12, for a 2-1 Trojan lead in the match.
Though the fourth set started off as much more of a struggle, the Trojans broke the ninth and final tie of the set with a 6-1 run that included two kills and two aces by Lanier and a kill by Withers. The 17-12 lead put Washington State on the ropes, but the Cougars kept fighting. Back-to-back Trojan blocks pushed USC ahead by five again at 22-17 and a crosscourt kill by Abercrombie gave the Trojans match point at 24-19. Lanier and Welsh teamed up to block Schoenlein for the final point of the 25-19 win to seal the victory.
The Women of Troy remain at Galen Center to host No. 6 Washington at 1 p.m. PT tomorrow (Sunday, Oct. 1). The match will be shown live on Pac-12 Networks nationally and on the Pac-12 Los Angeles and Pac-12 Washington channels. It is also USC's Pink Match, in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The first 500 fans in attendance get a special promotional t-shirt.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.
MATCH NOTES
The Trojans got a career-best 29.5-point performance from sophomore outside hitter Khalia Lanier. She matched her season best with 23 kills (7e, 52att, .308) and finished with nine digs, three blocks, and a career-high five service aces. Her five aces was the most by a Trojan since All-American Samantha Bricio had at least five in several matches in 2015.
Senior opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie was the Catalyst to the Trojans' dominating third-set victory and finished with 13 kills (5e, 34att, .235) to go with three blocks and three digs. Junior outside hitter Alyse Ford tallied 11 kills (4e, 21att, .333) in three sets of action off the bench. Senior opposite hitter Niki Withers had six kills.
The Trojans hit .245 in the match and finished with 61 kills (26att) on 143 swings. Senior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley totaled 32 assists and 11 digs for her fourth-straight double-double. Sophomore setter Cindy Marina had 20 assists, two digs, and three service aces. In the middle, junior Brittany Welsh put in four kills, three blocks, and had an ace while senior Jordan Dunn added a pair of kills, a pair of digs, and seven blocks (two solo). Junior libero Victoria Garrick put up 11 digs to go with five assists and two service aces.
For the Cougars, McKenna Woodford and Taylor Mims each led the way with 11 kills. Woodford added five digs and two blocks, but racked up six reception errors. Mims had two blocks and three reception errors. Alexis Dirige had 14 digs. The Trojans didn't surrender a single service ace during the match.
The score of the first set was tied for a third time at six-all, but back-to-back aces by Lanier sent the Trojans rolling. The lead reached 10 points at 20-10 when Lanier rose up to block Casey Schoenlein and earned a crosscourt kill on consecutive points. The teams traded points but it wasn't enough for WSU as USC closed out a 25-15 win in the opening frame.
The second set was tied 12 times and the lead changed hands five times, but Washington State grabbed the most important lead at the end to come away with a 27-25 win. The Cougars led by as many as six at 13-7, but the Trojans completely erased that deficit and tied the score at 19-all. The teams went back and forth and USC even took set point at 24-23 and 25-24, but the Cougars scored the final three points on a kill by Jocelyn Urias and with a pair of good defensive stances.
The Trojans left no doubt in the third set as Abercrombie scored three kills in the first four rallies. Ford added six kills with just one error and Lanier rose up for five kills to help USC hit .486 (19k, 2e, 35att) in the frame. It was a mere blink of the eye that USC had a 12-10 lead before a 13-2 run closed out the set on three kills by Lanier, 25-12, for a 2-1 Trojan lead in the match.
Though the fourth set started off as much more of a struggle, the Trojans broke the ninth and final tie of the set with a 6-1 run that included two kills and two aces by Lanier and a kill by Withers. The 17-12 lead put Washington State on the ropes, but the Cougars kept fighting. Back-to-back Trojan blocks pushed USC ahead by five again at 22-17 and a crosscourt kill by Abercrombie gave the Trojans match point at 24-19. Lanier and Welsh teamed up to block Schoenlein for the final point of the 25-19 win to seal the victory.
The Women of Troy remain at Galen Center to host No. 6 Washington at 1 p.m. PT tomorrow (Sunday, Oct. 1). The match will be shown live on Pac-12 Networks nationally and on the Pac-12 Los Angeles and Pac-12 Washington channels. It is also USC's Pink Match, in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The first 500 fans in attendance get a special promotional t-shirt.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.
MATCH NOTES
- USC improved to 49-14 all-time against Washington State and avenged the teams' only meeting last season; a 3-2 loss on the Palouse on Nov. 23, 2016.
- The Women of Troy improved to 143-30 all-time at the Galen Center with a 4-0 mark this season.
- The Trojans won their fourth straight match, the team's longest streak this season.
- USC served a season-high 11 service aces in the victory.
- The Trojans matched a season-best 82.0 points (Oregon State, Sept. 24).
- Sophomore OH Khalia Lanier bested her career high by a half point and finished with 29.5. She also matched her season high with 23 kills (including 10 in the second set alone) and set a new career high with five service aces.
- Lanier's five aces is the most by a Trojan since Samantha Bricio had at least five in several matches during the 2015 season.
- Senior S Reni Meyer-Whalley recorded her fourth consecutive double-double with 32 assists and 11 digs. It is her 13th-career double-double outing.
- Sophomore S Cindy Marina had a season-high three service aces.
- Senior MB Jordan Dunn notched a career-best two solo blocks and finished with seven total blocks.
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