University Southern California Trojans
No. 5 USC Hosts Luxe City Center Trojan Invitational
August 31, 2012 | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 30, 2012
USC Notes (PDF) 
Boston College Notes
Northern Iowa Notes (PDF)
Mississippi State Notes (PDF)
THIS WEEK:
LUXE CITY CENTER TROJAN INVITATIONAL
Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
Web Radio: USCTrojans.com All-Access
FRIDAY, AUGUST 31
Match #1: No. 23 Northern Iowa vs. Boston College - 11 a.m.
Match #2: Boston College vs. Mississippi State - 6 p.m.
Match #3: No. 5 USC vs. No. 23 Northern Iowa - 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
Match #4: No. 5 USC vs. Boston College - 10 a.m.
Match #5: Mississippi State vs. No. 23 Northern Iowa - Noon
Match #6: No. 5 USC vs. Mississippi State - 8 p.m.
LOS ANGELES - The fifth-ranked Women of Troy carry a 3-0 record into this weekend's Luxe City Center Trojan Invitational at the Galen Center. USC welcomes No. 23 Northern Iowa (2-1), Boston College (3-1), and Mississippi State (2-1) to sunny Southern California for a round-robin tourney that features six matches in two days.
By tournament's end, the Trojans will have played their seventh match in nine days. After it won the Texas A&M Invitational, USC hosted Jiangsu China in a historic exhibition match on Tuesday (Aug. 28). The match was the first-ever live women's volleyball event to be broadcast on the new Pac-12 Networks.
USC will get to test itself against its first ranked opponent of the year when the 23rd-ranked Panthers take the other side of the court on Friday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m. PT. The Trojans have never faced Boston College or Mississippi State, but hold a 1-0 all-time mark against Northern Iowa. USC claimed a 3-0 sweep over an eighth-ranked Panther squad on Aug. 30, 2003, at home.
The Trojans feature a roster chock full of youth, but junior All-American libero Natalie Hagglund has been a constant source of leadership for the young squad. Senior opposite hitter Katie Fuller has also been a major factor in USC's early success. Troy's biggest early surprise is freshman outside hitter Samantha Bricio who was honored as the Pac-12's Freshman of the Week, this week, for her performance at the Texas A&M Invitational in which she was named the tournament MVP.
