Thursday, November 6
Los Angeles, Calif.
7:00 p.m. PT
USC
vs
Northwestern
Photo by: William Fosnot
No. 17 USC Women's Volleyball Takes On Purple Cats and Dawgs
November 03, 2025 | Women's Volleyball
The Trojans ride a six-match win streak into meetings with Northwestern and Washington this week
LOS ANGELES – No. 17 USC (17-5, 8-4 Big Ten) rides a season-long six-match win streak into the final four weeks of the regular season and begins with a home match against Northwestern (15-9, 5-7) at Galen Center on Thursday (Nov. 6) at 7 p.m. PT. The Trojans then head to the Pacific Northwest to face Washington (10-12, 5-7) on Sunday (Nov. 9) at 2 p.m. in Seattle. Both contests will be shown live on Big Ten Plus. Speaking of streaks, USC has won both times it has faced the Wildcats and is on a five-match win streak in meetings with the Huskies.
THIS WEEK
MATCH #23 • Thursday, Nov. 6 • 7 p.m. PT
No. 17 USC (17-5, 8-4) vs. Northwestern (15-9, 5-7)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 2-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Nov. 21, 2024 • Evanston, Ill.)
STREAK: Won 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 2-0
TV/STREAM: B1G+ (Kasey Kazliner & Makena Arteaga)
OPPONENT WEBSITE:Â Â NUSports.com
MATCH #24 • Sunday, Nov. 9 • 2 p.m. PT
No. 17 USC (17-5, 8-4) at Washington (10-12, 5-7)
Alaska Airlines Arena • Seattle, Wash.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 48-33 (.593)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Oct. 26, 2025 • Galen Center)
STREAK: Won 5 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-5
TV/STREAM: B1G+ (TBD)
OPPONENT WEBSITE:Â Â GoHuskies.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
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FROM THE CAT-ACOMBS: Second-year Northwestern head coach Tim Nollan spent nine years on staff at USC (2003, '08-15) under Hall of Fame head coach Mick Haley. During his time at Troy, the Trojans went to the NCAA national semifinal twice (2010, '11) and advanced to regional championship matches three other times (2012, '13, '15). Second-year Wildcat assistant coach Jeff Liu also has ties to USC with three seasons on the bench as Haley's technical coordinator (2015-17).
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DAWG WALKERS: USC leads Washington 48-33 all-time but has had little luck when it has played the Huskies in Seattle. The Trojans are 19-20 as the road team and are just 5-15 since 2005 when the Huskies won the NCAA championship. After winning eight straight road matches over UW between 1996-2004, USC has won just five times (2011, '18, '19, '23, '24) in 20 matches at Hec Ed. At home, the Trojans are a far more palatable 27-12 against Washington.
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AVCA POLL POSITION: The Trojans open the 2025 season ranked No. 21 in the AVCA coaches' poll—the same position it held to open the 2024 season. Overall, USC has appeared in the coaches' poll 553 times, which ranks sixth all-time. The Women of Troy have held a spot among the poll's top 10 teams 317 times, which ranks eighth all-time, and the Trojans have held the No. 1 ranking 47 times for seventh all-time. Since 1982—the year of the poll's inception—USC has appeared in the final poll 35 of 42 times with 18 finishes in the top 10; 12 in the top five, and twice as the No. 1-ranked team (2002, '03).
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CENTURY CITY: Sixth-year head coach Brad Keller reached 100-career wins with the Trojans' 3-1 victory over Washington on Oct. 26. He is now 102-62 and is the fourth USC head coach ever to collect 100 or more wins in school history. Mick Haley (435), Chuck Erbe (310), and Lisa Love (205) are the others.
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B1G POW WOW: Four different Women of Troy have garnered Big Ten weekly awards this season. Redshirt So. MB Leah Ford was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1—the first weekly award of her career—after she produced career highs of 11 kills and 10 blocks for her first double-double. Reese Messer was chosen as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Sept. 22) for her first-career weekly award and repeated for the honor on Oct. 27. She was then chosen for the Setter of the Week award on Nov. 3. Redshirt So. OH London Wijay earned Big Ten Player of the Week recognition (Oct. 20) and was chosen against on Nov. 3. Fr. LIB Taylor Deckert was chosen as the Freshman of the Week (Oct. 20). Trojans have earned Big Ten weekly awards 11 times. In 2024—USC's first year in the conference—Mia Tuaniga earned Setter of the Week laurels twice while Ally Batenhorst was named the Player of the Week once and Jadyn Livings was chosen for the Freshman of the Week award once.
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ONCE AROUND THE BLOCK: USC's 2.78 blocks per set ranks second in the Big Ten and is 14th nationally. USC posted 16.0 blocks in a win over Loyola Marymount (Aug. 31) and has reached double-digit blocks 12 times. In 2024, USC reached double-digit blocks 20 times in 32 matches including season highs of 19.5 blocks twice: vs. Kansas State (Sept. 6) and vs. Loyola Marymount (Sept. 19).
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THIS WEEK
MATCH #23 • Thursday, Nov. 6 • 7 p.m. PT
No. 17 USC (17-5, 8-4) vs. Northwestern (15-9, 5-7)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 2-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Nov. 21, 2024 • Evanston, Ill.)
STREAK: Won 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 2-0
TV/STREAM: B1G+ (Kasey Kazliner & Makena Arteaga)
OPPONENT WEBSITE:Â Â NUSports.com
MATCH #24 • Sunday, Nov. 9 • 2 p.m. PT
No. 17 USC (17-5, 8-4) at Washington (10-12, 5-7)
Alaska Airlines Arena • Seattle, Wash.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 48-33 (.593)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Oct. 26, 2025 • Galen Center)
STREAK: Won 5 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-5
TV/STREAM: B1G+ (TBD)
OPPONENT WEBSITE:Â Â GoHuskies.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
- USC is led by sixth-year head coach Brad Keller who has the unique experience of having coached both men's and women's programs at both USC and UCLA. Overall, Keller is 102-62 (.622) as the Trojans' head coach.
- The Trojans are ranked No. 17 in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
- USC is 11-2 at Galen Center this season and is 227-62 (.785) all-time.
- The Women of Troy are 43-36 all-time in the Evergreen State and has won just four times in their last 10 matches in Washington (since 2019).
- The Trojans have reached double-digit blocks in 12 matches and rank second in the Big Ten in blocks per set (2.78 bps), 14th nationally.
- OH London Wijay was named the B1G Player of the Week for the second time and S Reese Messer shared Setter of the Week honors for her third weekly award this week (Nov. 3).
- Wijay leads the Trojans in scoring (3.74 pps) and kills (3.35 kps).
- Messer is second in the Big Ten in assists (10.69 aps) and seventh nationally.
- OPP Abigail Mullen ranks second in the Big Ten with 36 service aces.
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FROM THE CAT-ACOMBS: Second-year Northwestern head coach Tim Nollan spent nine years on staff at USC (2003, '08-15) under Hall of Fame head coach Mick Haley. During his time at Troy, the Trojans went to the NCAA national semifinal twice (2010, '11) and advanced to regional championship matches three other times (2012, '13, '15). Second-year Wildcat assistant coach Jeff Liu also has ties to USC with three seasons on the bench as Haley's technical coordinator (2015-17).
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DAWG WALKERS: USC leads Washington 48-33 all-time but has had little luck when it has played the Huskies in Seattle. The Trojans are 19-20 as the road team and are just 5-15 since 2005 when the Huskies won the NCAA championship. After winning eight straight road matches over UW between 1996-2004, USC has won just five times (2011, '18, '19, '23, '24) in 20 matches at Hec Ed. At home, the Trojans are a far more palatable 27-12 against Washington.
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AVCA POLL POSITION: The Trojans open the 2025 season ranked No. 21 in the AVCA coaches' poll—the same position it held to open the 2024 season. Overall, USC has appeared in the coaches' poll 553 times, which ranks sixth all-time. The Women of Troy have held a spot among the poll's top 10 teams 317 times, which ranks eighth all-time, and the Trojans have held the No. 1 ranking 47 times for seventh all-time. Since 1982—the year of the poll's inception—USC has appeared in the final poll 35 of 42 times with 18 finishes in the top 10; 12 in the top five, and twice as the No. 1-ranked team (2002, '03).
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CENTURY CITY: Sixth-year head coach Brad Keller reached 100-career wins with the Trojans' 3-1 victory over Washington on Oct. 26. He is now 102-62 and is the fourth USC head coach ever to collect 100 or more wins in school history. Mick Haley (435), Chuck Erbe (310), and Lisa Love (205) are the others.
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B1G POW WOW: Four different Women of Troy have garnered Big Ten weekly awards this season. Redshirt So. MB Leah Ford was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1—the first weekly award of her career—after she produced career highs of 11 kills and 10 blocks for her first double-double. Reese Messer was chosen as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Sept. 22) for her first-career weekly award and repeated for the honor on Oct. 27. She was then chosen for the Setter of the Week award on Nov. 3. Redshirt So. OH London Wijay earned Big Ten Player of the Week recognition (Oct. 20) and was chosen against on Nov. 3. Fr. LIB Taylor Deckert was chosen as the Freshman of the Week (Oct. 20). Trojans have earned Big Ten weekly awards 11 times. In 2024—USC's first year in the conference—Mia Tuaniga earned Setter of the Week laurels twice while Ally Batenhorst was named the Player of the Week once and Jadyn Livings was chosen for the Freshman of the Week award once.
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ONCE AROUND THE BLOCK: USC's 2.78 blocks per set ranks second in the Big Ten and is 14th nationally. USC posted 16.0 blocks in a win over Loyola Marymount (Aug. 31) and has reached double-digit blocks 12 times. In 2024, USC reached double-digit blocks 20 times in 32 matches including season highs of 19.5 blocks twice: vs. Kansas State (Sept. 6) and vs. Loyola Marymount (Sept. 19).
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Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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