Thursday, March 13
Honolulu, Hawai'i
4:00 p.m. HT | 7:00 p.m. PT
USC
vs
Penn State
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's Volleyball
OPP
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
Photo by: Aaron Wilson
No. 5 USC Men's Volleyball Sets Sail for Outrigger Invitational
March 10, 2025 | Men's Volleyball
The Trojans ride a four-match win streak into contests with No. 19 Penn State, No. 12 Ball State, and No. 3 Hawai'i
LOS ANGELES – The fifth-ranked USC men's volleyball team (13-2) rides a four-match win streak as it heads to the islands to take on a trio of ranked opponents in the Outrigger Invitational this week at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
THIS WEEK
OUTRIGGER INVITATIONAL
SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center • Honolulu, Hawai'i
TV/STREAM: Spectrum Sports/ESPN+ (USC-Hawai'i match only)
MATCH #16 • Thursday, March 13 • 4 p.m. HT/7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (13-2) vs. No. 19 Penn State (5-10)
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 22-12 (.647)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Feb. 1, 2024 • Columbus, Ohio)
STREAK: Won 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-5
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoPSUSports.com
MATCH #17 • Friday, March 14 • 4 p.m. HT/7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (13-2) vs. No. 12 Ball State (13-6)
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 9-2 (.818)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Jan. 19, 2024 • Austin, Texas)
STREAK: Won 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 8-2
OPPONENT WEBSITE: BallStateSports.com
MATCH #18 • Saturday, March 15 • 7 p.m. HT/10 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (13-2) at No. 3 Hawai'i (17-1)
SERIES RECORD: USC trails, 39-45 (.464)
LAST MEETING: L 3-0 (Jan. 13, 2019 • Honolulu, Hawai'i)
STREAK: Lost 4 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 4-6
OPPONENT WEBSITE: HawaiiAthletics.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
LAST TIME OUT: USC went into Provo and knocked off No. 6 BYU in a five-set decision to secure the Trojans' first road win over the Cougars since 1996. Dillon Klein had his second double-double of the season with 16 kills and 11 digs. Jack Deuchar logged a season-high 23 kills and Johnny Dykstra racked up his fifth match in double-digits with 10 digs. Sterling Foley also added 14 kills on .500 hitting to help USC secure the win. In the rematch, Klein had 17 kills and Foley added nine while the Trojans hit .394 and put up 11 blocks to earn their first road sweep of BYU since 1991. The two wins extended USC to a four-match streak and a 4-0 record in league contests.
POLL POSITION: The Trojans were ranked No. 7 in the AVCA Preseason Poll. In 2024, the poll expanded to 20 teams (previously 15). USC is currently ranked No. 5 in the March 10 poll. The Trojans reached the fifth spot in the coach's poll on Feb. 3 to mark their highest position since they also ranked No. 5 in 2022 (April 18). On March 10, USC's spot at No. 5 marked the 200th time the Trojans have been ranked in the AVCA Poll's top five.
POW-WOW: OH Dillon Klein (Defensive) and MB Parker Tomkinson (Offensive) were chosen for MPSF Player of the Week awards on Jan. 27 and repeated for the opposite awards one week later (Feb. 3). Klein has now collected four-career weekly honors; three offensive and one defensive. Tomkinson—a freshman—earned both offensive and defensive weekly honors in short order. USC has swept the weekly awards four times since March 7, 2022.
EYE ON 900: USC reached 900 all-time victories on a three-set sweep of Central State in Wilberforce, Ohio, on Jan. 29. The team's overall record is now 907-628 (.591) since 1970 when John Smith recorded the team's first-ever win.
BIG BLOCK ENERGY: The Trojans' 2.92 blocks per set rank first in both the MPSF and in the NCAA. USC has racked up double-digit blocks in eight of its 15 contests including a season-high 17 at CSUN (Jan. 22). Four Trojan starters rank in the MPSF's top 20 for blocks led by MB Guy Genis who leads the league at 1.19 bps to rank third in the NCAA. MB Parker Tomkinson puts up 1.13 bps for third in the MPSF and seventh in the nation. OH Sterling Foley ranks 17th at 0.73 bps and OH Dillon Klein is 19th at 0.69 bps.
RECORD HIGH: USC's .691 hitting percentage against Dominican (Feb. 8) set a new school record. It also tied the third-highest single-match output by an MPSF team—a mark also equaled by Pepperdine this season. The Trojans have hit north of .300 in 14 matches. Six times, USC has logged a hitting percentage higher than .450. USC's .392 hitting leads the MPSF and is second in the NCAA.
THIS WEEK
OUTRIGGER INVITATIONAL
SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center • Honolulu, Hawai'i
TV/STREAM: Spectrum Sports/ESPN+ (USC-Hawai'i match only)
MATCH #16 • Thursday, March 13 • 4 p.m. HT/7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (13-2) vs. No. 19 Penn State (5-10)
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 22-12 (.647)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Feb. 1, 2024 • Columbus, Ohio)
STREAK: Won 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-5
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoPSUSports.com
MATCH #17 • Friday, March 14 • 4 p.m. HT/7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (13-2) vs. No. 12 Ball State (13-6)
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 9-2 (.818)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Jan. 19, 2024 • Austin, Texas)
STREAK: Won 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 8-2
OPPONENT WEBSITE: BallStateSports.com
MATCH #18 • Saturday, March 15 • 7 p.m. HT/10 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (13-2) at No. 3 Hawai'i (17-1)
SERIES RECORD: USC trails, 39-45 (.464)
LAST MEETING: L 3-0 (Jan. 13, 2019 • Honolulu, Hawai'i)
STREAK: Lost 4 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 4-6
OPPONENT WEBSITE: HawaiiAthletics.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
- USC is led by 10th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard, a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time NCAA champion.
- The Trojans are ranked fifth in the AVCA Coaches Poll. USC reached fifth on Feb. 2, the team's highest ranking since it was also fifth on April 18, 2022.
- USC leads the MPSF in all statistical categories with the exception of service aces and is the NCAA leader in kills (13.74 kps), assists (12.66 aps), and blocks (2.92 bps). USC is second in hitting percentage nationally (.392).
- The Trojans have reached double-digit blocks in eight of their 15 matches.
- It will be a Hawaiian homecoming when redshirt senior OPP Jack Deuchar and redshirt sophomore OH Riley Haine return to their home state of Hawai'i for the Outrigger Invitational. Haine is from Hawai'i Kai and Deuchar is from Honolulu. Both played high school volleyball at Punahou. It is USC's first visit to the islands since 2019.
- Jr. OH Dillon Klein has reached double-digit kills in 11 matches and has had 52 double-digit matches in his career. His 4.16 kills per set lead the MPSF (6th, NCAA) and he is second in points at 4.70 pps (10th, NCAA).
- So. S Caleb Blanchette leads the nation in assists (11.35 aps).
- Fr. LIB Johnny Dykstra leads the MPSF in digs (2.37 dps), 11th in the NCAA.
- Gr. MB Guy Genis leads the MPSF in blocks (1.19 bps, 3rd in the NCAA). Fr. MB Parker Tomkinson is third in the MPSF (7th, NCAA) with 1.13 bps.
LAST TIME OUT: USC went into Provo and knocked off No. 6 BYU in a five-set decision to secure the Trojans' first road win over the Cougars since 1996. Dillon Klein had his second double-double of the season with 16 kills and 11 digs. Jack Deuchar logged a season-high 23 kills and Johnny Dykstra racked up his fifth match in double-digits with 10 digs. Sterling Foley also added 14 kills on .500 hitting to help USC secure the win. In the rematch, Klein had 17 kills and Foley added nine while the Trojans hit .394 and put up 11 blocks to earn their first road sweep of BYU since 1991. The two wins extended USC to a four-match streak and a 4-0 record in league contests.
POLL POSITION: The Trojans were ranked No. 7 in the AVCA Preseason Poll. In 2024, the poll expanded to 20 teams (previously 15). USC is currently ranked No. 5 in the March 10 poll. The Trojans reached the fifth spot in the coach's poll on Feb. 3 to mark their highest position since they also ranked No. 5 in 2022 (April 18). On March 10, USC's spot at No. 5 marked the 200th time the Trojans have been ranked in the AVCA Poll's top five.
POW-WOW: OH Dillon Klein (Defensive) and MB Parker Tomkinson (Offensive) were chosen for MPSF Player of the Week awards on Jan. 27 and repeated for the opposite awards one week later (Feb. 3). Klein has now collected four-career weekly honors; three offensive and one defensive. Tomkinson—a freshman—earned both offensive and defensive weekly honors in short order. USC has swept the weekly awards four times since March 7, 2022.
EYE ON 900: USC reached 900 all-time victories on a three-set sweep of Central State in Wilberforce, Ohio, on Jan. 29. The team's overall record is now 907-628 (.591) since 1970 when John Smith recorded the team's first-ever win.
BIG BLOCK ENERGY: The Trojans' 2.92 blocks per set rank first in both the MPSF and in the NCAA. USC has racked up double-digit blocks in eight of its 15 contests including a season-high 17 at CSUN (Jan. 22). Four Trojan starters rank in the MPSF's top 20 for blocks led by MB Guy Genis who leads the league at 1.19 bps to rank third in the NCAA. MB Parker Tomkinson puts up 1.13 bps for third in the MPSF and seventh in the nation. OH Sterling Foley ranks 17th at 0.73 bps and OH Dillon Klein is 19th at 0.69 bps.
RECORD HIGH: USC's .691 hitting percentage against Dominican (Feb. 8) set a new school record. It also tied the third-highest single-match output by an MPSF team—a mark also equaled by Pepperdine this season. The Trojans have hit north of .300 in 14 matches. Six times, USC has logged a hitting percentage higher than .450. USC's .392 hitting leads the MPSF and is second in the NCAA.
Men's Volleyball - USC 1, Pepperdine 3: Highlights (04/26/25)
Saturday, April 26
Men's Volleyball - USC 3, Stanford 1: Highlights (04/25/25)
Friday, April 25
Men's Volleyball - USC 3, UCLA 0: Highlights (04/19/25)
Saturday, April 19
Men's Volleyball - USC 2, UCLA 3: Highlights (04/17/25)
Thursday, April 17
