University Southern California Trojans
USC
Uc Irvine*
Trojans Fall To UC Irvine, 3-1
February 12, 2003 | Men's Volleyball
Feb. 12, 2003
IRVINE, Calif. - The second-ranked UC Irvine men's volleyball team had to come back from a game one loss to win the next three and take the match, 3-1 (21-30, 30-21, 30-25, 30-21) over USC Wednesday in Crawford Hall.
In game one, the teams traded points to 8-8 when USC took the lead on a Peter Jordan kill out of the backrow. USC would not relinquish the lead the rest of the match. The Trojans were helped by eight UCI service errors.
Two Russ Marchewka service aces extended the Anteaters lead in game two, 8-4. Two more service aces by Jarret Jensen helped UCI to a 13-7 margin. USC could get no closer than four the rest of the way.
A dramatic game three looked as if USC was going to runaway as UCI committed six straight hitting errors to give USC a 14-6 advantage. The Trojans however returned the favor later in the game with five straight hitting errors of their own to let UCI back into the game, 22-22. After a UCI service error, Monte Tucker pounded a kill and Jimmy Pelzel fired an ace to give the Anteaters a 24-23 lead. USC's Mark Dusharme knotted the score at 24-24 with a kill, before a Monte Tucker kill skimmed the Trojan block to put UCI back ontop 25-24. A kill by Jimmy Pelzel and Russ Marchewka extended the score to 27-24 when Marchewka and Spencer Bemus blocked the next two Trojans hitters to put UCI at match point 29-24. Dusharme added another kill before Ian Gallagher ended the game with a service error.
UCI went ahead 12-8 in game four on two kills by Jimmy Pelzel and a kill by Monte Tucker as the Anteaters never looked back and won the game 30-21 and the match.
Jimmy Pelzel led all players with 18 kills, three service aces and eight digs. Monte Tucker followed with 14 kills. The senior hit .500 for the match (14-3-22). Russ Marchewka added nine kills, while Kyle Weichert came off the bench in game three and ignited the team hitting 1.000 on four kills in four attempts.
For USC, Derek Otte totaled 13 kills, while Marck Dusharme and Ian Gallagher each added 11 kills each. Miles McGann recorded 40 set assists in the loss.
