University Southern California Trojans
Top-Ranked Trojans Visit Beavers and Ducks
October 20, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
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Oct. 20, 2015
Match #21
No. 1 USC (20-0, 8-0) at Oregon State (4-14, 2-6)
Gill Coliseum • Corvallis, Ore.
Friday, Oct. 23 • 8 p.m. PT
Series Record: USC leads, 48-9 (.842)
Last Meeting: L, 3-1 (Nov. 21, 2014 • Corvallis, Ore.)
Current Streak: Lost 1
Last 10 Meetings: 9-1
TV: Pac-12 Net. (Kate Scott & Dain Blanton)
Opponent Web: OSUBeavers.com
Match #22
No. 1 USC (20-0, 8-0) at No. 25 Oregon (10-7, 4-4)
Matthew Knight Arena • Eugene, Ore.
Sunday, Oct. 25 • 1 p.m. PT
Series Record: USC leads, 49-11 (.837)
Last Meeting: L, 3-1 (Nov. 23, 2014 • Eugene, Ore.)
Current Streak: Lost 2
Last 10 Meetings: 7-3
TV: Pac-12 Net. (Rich Burk & Al Scates)
Live Stats: Oregon StatBroadcast
Opponent Web: GoDucks.com
LOS ANGELES -- The No. 1-ranked USC women's volleyball team (20-0, 8-0 Pac-12) begins a span of four straight road matches with a trip to Oregon this week. The Women of Troy take on Oregon State (4-14, 2-6) at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore., on Friday (Oct. 23) at 8 p.m. PT and then head to Eugene, Ore., to face No. 25 Oregon (10-7, 4-4) at Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday (Oct. 25) at 1 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks.
The Trojans earned their 20th win of the season without a loss last week. The 20-0 start is the fourth best in program history and is rivaled only by USC's 1976 (24-0), 2003 (35-0), and 1977 (38-0) squads. Each of those teams went on to win national championships. As one of two remaining unbeaten teams (No. 7 Kansas, 18-0), USC retained the top ranking in the AVCA poll for the third straight week (44th week overall in program history) and improved to 90-8 when ranked No. 1. The Trojans' win over the Sun Devils was the 900th NCAA Division I victory for head coach Mick Haley. He is one of just three active head coaches to reach the milestone (Russ Rose, Penn State, 1178 wins; Dave Shoji, Hawaii, 1168 wins).
The Women of Troy are a combined 97-20 against Oregon and Oregon State, but suffered a pair of losses on this same trip last November. It was the first time that USC had dropped both regular-season matches to the Ducks since 1986, and was only the second time that the Beavers had beaten the Trojans in 35 meetings dating back to 1996. Though this is a completely different USC team, this squad has a chance to redeem those losses when the teams take the floor this week. The Trojans are led by senior OH Samantha Bricio, who leads the country in service aces (0.75 saps) and points (6.20 pps), senior MB Alicia Ogoms who ranks fifth in the country in blocks (1.65 bps), and junior libero Taylor Whittingham who is the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and leads the conference in digs (4.90 dps).
OREGON STATE (4-14, 2-6 Pac 12) got its two conference victories over California (3-0) and Utah (3-2) and earned non-conference wins against Idaho and San Diego State. The Beavers dropped back-to-back matches last week in Washington, and are 2-10 since the Sept. 5 win over the Aztecs. Sophomore outside hitter Mary-Kate Marshall leads the team in kills (3.94 kps) and points (4.47 pps) and ranks seventh and eighth in those categories respectively among Pac-12 players. She also leads the team with 15 service aces on the season. Junior outside hitters Katelyn Driscoll (2.43 kps) and Lila Toner (2.06) also provide the Beavers with offense. Freshman libero Kayla Ellis logs 2.65 digs per set while senior middle blocker Haley Clarke leads the team with 1.05 blocks per set. Redshirt freshman setter McKenna Hollingsworth leads the team with 8.42 aps. The Trojans own a dominating 48-9 all-time record against the Beavers, but had an 11-match winning streak snapped in Corvallis, last fall. Overall, USC is 23-6 against Oregon State as the visiting team.
NO. 25 OREGON (10-7, 4-4 Pac 12) won its first five matches of the season, but turned around to drop five of the next seven contests. The Ducks have since won three of the last five and are coming off a four-set victory over Washington State on the road. The other two wins were against Utah, 3-2, and a 3-0 sweep at California. Senior outside hitter Martenne Bettendorf leads the Ducks' offense with 3.54 kills per set. Two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Lindsey Vander Weide is second on the team with 3.32 kps. Sophomore hitter Taylor Agost puts up 2.75 kps and is followed by junior middle blocker Kacey Nady (1.86) who ranks eighth in the conference with a .353 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Maggie Scott is second in the Pac-12 for assists (10.92 aps) and ranks eighth in service aces (0.27 saps) with 17 on the year. Junior libero Amanda Benson is the Pac-12's third-leading defender with 4.41 digs per set. USC owns a commanding 49-11 all-time record against the Ducks and is 23-5 in Eugene, but has dropped three of the last five meetings including a pair of four-set losses in 2014.
LAST TIME OUT: The Women of Troy maintained their unblemished record with a pair of four-set victories over then No. 10 Arizona State and No. 14 Arizona at the Galen Center. Head coach Mick Haley eclipsed the 900-win mark and became just the third active coach to reach that milestone. Senior OH Samantha Bricio produced a pair of double-doubles and scored 29.0 and 25.0 point respectively against the Devils and the Wildcats. She also served seven aces in eight sets of action. Against the Wildcats, five Trojans scored double-digit points including freshman OH Alyse Ford who had career marks with 19 kills and 20.0 points. Freshman setter Baylee Johnson delivered a double-double against Arizona with career highs in assists (43) and digs (13). The Trojans registered 11 blocks against the Wildcats to mark the ninth time in 10 matches that USC has reached double digit blocks; the 10th time in 12 contests.
STRIKING DISTANCE: Senior OH Samantha Bricio has 1,774 career kills and is within striking distance of the all-time program record of 1,918 set by Alex Jupiter (2008-11). She ranks third and is just the third Trojan in school history to cross the 1,700 kill mark. All-American OH Jennifer Kessy (1995-98) is next on the list at No. 2 with 1,799 kills. Bricio needs 26 kills to move into second place and 145 to break the Trojans' all-time mark. She ranks 25th in Pac-12 history.
LET ME TAKE A #SELFIE: Get social with the Women of Troy this season. Fans can follow and interact with the USC women's volleyball team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Periscope by searching for @USCWomensVolley.
900 CLUB: Head coach Mick Haley reached the 900-win mark in NCAA Division I women's volleyball with the team's 3-1 win over Arizona State on Oct. 16. He ranks third in career DI wins (901) among active coaches behind only Penn State's Russ Rose (1,178) and Hawai'i's Dave Shoji (1,168). Haley is in his 32nd season as a Division I coach, but has 39 years of overall coaching experience and is 1,249-312-1 (.800) in all matches including men's and women's at Kellogg Community College.
