No. 14 Trojans Come Up Short in Five-Set Loss to No. 23 Cougars

Friday, October 19

Pullman, Wash.

8:00 PM

USC

15-6 (7-3Pac-12)

Washington State

14-5 (5-4Pac-12)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
USC	16	25	23	25	16	2
Washington State	25	21	25	23	18	3

Highlights

Photo by: Jon Kondrath

October 19, 2018 | Women's Volleyball, Features

Box Score Highlights Final Stats Box Score

The USC women’s volleyball team had its three-match winning streak snapped by Washington State

PULLMAN, Wash. – The 14th-ranked USC women's volleyball team (15-6, 7-3 Pac-12) dropped a five-set decision (25-16, 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, 18-16) and had a three-match winning streak snapped by No. 23-ranked Washington State (14-5, 5-4) at Bohler Gymnasium on Friday, Oct. 19. It was the fifth five-set match between the Trojans and the Cougars played in Pullman in the last six meetings.

KEY PLAYERS

Jr. OH Khalia Lanier scored 22.0 points on 19 kills (7e, 61att, .197), two blocks, and two service aces. Lanier also logged 13 digs to post her eighth double-double of the season (33rd of her career).
So. OH Brooke Botkin also had 22.0 points on 17 kills, three service aces, and a pair of solo blocks. Botkin also notched a double-double with 12 digs for her ninth double-double of the season (10th career).
Fr. setter Raquel Lázaro put up 52 assists and had 10 digs for her 10th-career double-double. She also scored on three kills and had two blocks in the match.
Jr. OPP Emily Baptista posted 13 kills and set a new career high with nine blocks.
Jr. MB Jasmine Gross collected 10 kills (4e, 23att) and hit .261 to go with eight blocks (one solo).
Sr. libero Victoria Garrick had 25 digs and served one of USC's eight service aces.
For the Cougars, McKenna Woodford led with 23 kills and added five blocks for 27.0 points. Penny Tusa tallied 14 kills with seven digs. Jocelyn Urias scored the match-winning kill and finished with 13 on the night.

HOW IT HAPPENED

USC started slow in the first set and surrendered a 25-16 result to the Cougars. The same start to the second set appeared to have the Trojans cornered, but USC fought its way out of a 6-1 deficit to claim a 25-21 win and evened the match.
After a back-and-forth through the third frame, the Cougars broke a 19-all tie with a bit 5-0 run to take set point, but USC responded with a 4-0 run of its own. It was too little, too late, as Woodford sealed a 25-23 win for WSU.
The Trojans fell back by five, 6-1, early in the fourth, but clawed their way back into the set and knotted the score once more at 19-all. USC had five aces and four blocks in the fourth to overcome a 10-kill effort and won, 25-23.
USC led by as many as four points on three occasions in the fifth set, but Washington State scored a 4-0 run to claim match point at 14-13. The Trojans had two-match-point rallies of their own before a service error, a WSU service ace, and a Cougar kill on a joust ended a 3-0 run that sealed an 18-16 win for Washington State.

UP NEXT

USC returns to Southern California to begin the back half of the Pac-12 schedule and hosts Stanford on Friday (Oct. 26) and California on Sunday (Oct. 28) at Galen Center.

MATCH NOTES

USC falls to 50-15 all-time against Washington State and to 20-13 as WSU's visitor.
The Trojans had a three-match winning streak snapped.
The Women of Troy were facing their fourth straight ranked opponent in a matter seven days and dropped to 8-5 against ranked foes this season.
USC fell to 39-30 in matches played in the state of Washington.
USC and WSU played a five-set match in Pullman, Wash., for the fifth time in the teams' last six meetings. WSU now owns five-set home victories over USC in 2013, 2016, and 2018. USC won in 2014 and 2015.

For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; and purchase season and single-match tickets at USCTrojans.com/tickets.