No. 16 USC Women's Volleyball Tops Arizona in Four-Set Home Opener

Friday, September 11

Los Angeles, Calif.

7:00 p.m. PT

USC

3-2,0-0Big Ten

Arizona

2-5,0-0Big 12

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Arizona	21	25	20	23	1
Southern California	25	20	25	25	3

Photo by: Kevin Kim

No. 16 USC Women's Volleyball Tops Arizona in Four-Set Home Opener

September 11, 2026 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Highlights

Five different Women of Troy reached double-digit digs in a victory over the Wildcats

LOS ANGELES – The 16th-ranked USC women's volleyball team (3-2) collected a four-set win (25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23) over Arizona (2-5) in the Trojans' home opener at Galen Center on Friday, Sept. 11.

KEY PLAYERS

RS Jr. OH London Wijay scored 14.5 points earned on 14 kills (3e, 45att, .244) and a block. She also had 10 digs to log her first double-double of the season; the 18th of her career.
So. OPP Abigail Mullen scored the match-clinching kill and finished with 10 kills and 12 digs for her first double-double of the season (ninth career). She also had two blocks and a service ace.
RS Jr. MB Leah Ford hit .571 with a season-high nine kills (1e, 14att) to go with three blocks and two service aces to total 12.5 points and added three digs.
Jr. S Lilli Etter dished out a career-high 47 assists and posted her 22nd-career double-double with a season-high 17 digs. She also turned in a kill, a service ace, and a block.
So. LIB Taylor Deckert upped her season high and led all players with 18 digs to go with five assists and a service ace.
RS Sr. Adonia Faumuina turned in a 12-kill performance and added three digs and a block.
Jr. MB Mia Tvrdy had eight kills, two blocks, and a dig.
Fr. OH Layli Ostovar had a season-high 10 digs to go with a pair of kills and two service aces.
For the Wildcats, Destiny Ndam-Simpson led the way with 13 kills and nine digs. Nine of her kills came in the first set alone. Carlie Cisneros and Kennedy Osunsanmi each had 10 kills. Cisneros logged the double-double with 12 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

USC out-hit Arizona, .229 to .183, and topped the Wildcats in kills (56-44), assists (52-37), digs (74-61), and service aces (7-5). Arizona had the edge at the net with a 9-5 advantage in blocks.
The Trojans pulled away to close out a 25-21 win in the first set despite the Wildcats' .424 hitting percentage. Arizona had 16 kills (2e) on 33 attacks and got nine of those from Ndam-Simpson. USC totaled 14 kills (1e) on 36 attacks to hit .361 and scored three times from the service line. Wijay tallied five of her kills while Faumuina had four and Ford had two in the opening frame. The score was tied for the fourth time at 10-all, but the Trojans went ahead for good on a 3-0 run.
USC hit .133 in the second set as the Wildcats used four blocks and four service aces to secure a 25-20 win to even the match. Wijay had three more kills including a pair during a late comeback bid, but Osunsanmi led Arizona with four kills as part of a .267 hitting effort (11k, 3e, 30att).
Deckert racked up six digs and the Trojans totaled 20 in a scrappy 25-20 third-set win to take a 2-1 lead in the match. USC hit .263 and collected 17 kills (7e) on 38 swings and held the Wildcats to a .118 outing with just eight kills (4e) on 34 attacks. Mullen had four kills including the set clinching point. The Trojans never trailed and led by as many as six points on more than one occasion.
USC totaled three blocks in the fourth as part of an effort to hold Arizona to a .000 hitting percentage. The Trojans put up 25 digs and got 11 from Etter who had a double-double in the frame with 12 assists. USC held a steady lead, never trailed, and was never tied, but the Wildcats threatened down the stretch to close within a point at 24-23 before Mullen capped off the victory with her 10th kill of the night.

UP NEXT

USC hosts No. 23 Colorado (7-0) on Saturday evening (Sept. 12) for a 6 p.m. PT matchup and then concludes the weekend against Oregon State (4-3) on Sunday (Sept. 13) with a 2 p.m. matinee contest. Both matches will be shown live on Big Ten Plus. Admission is free to the Saturday match against the Buffaloes.

MATCH NOTES

USC improved to 74-22 all-time against Arizona and extended its win streak over the Wildcats to 12 straight.
The Trojans moved to 41-10 in home openers and have won four of their last five.
USC goes to 232-64 all-time at Galen Center.
The Women of Troy met the Wildcats for the first time since 2023 when both teams were still members of the Pac-12.

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, X, TikTok, and Instagram