University Southern California Trojans
No. 1 Trojans Ready For Desert Battles
November 17, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
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USC Match Notes (PDF) 
| Arizona Match Notes (PDF)
Nov. 17, 2015
Match #29
No. 1 USC (27-1, 15-1) at No. 23 Arizona (17-11, 7-9)
McKale Center • Tucson, Ariz.
Friday, Nov. 20 • 6 p.m. MT
Series Record: USC leads, 61-19 (.763)
Last Meeting: W, 3-1 (Oct. 18, 2015 • Galen Center)
Current Streak: Won 3 • Last 10 Meetings: 9-1
Live Stats: Arizona StatBroadcaster
Web Stream: Pac-12.com/live
Opponent Web: ArizonaWildcats.com
Match #30
No. 1 USC (27-1, 15-1) at No. 24 Arizona State (19-8, 8-8)
Wells Fargo Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
Sunday, Nov. 22 • 1 p.m. MT
Series Record: USC leads, 64-13-1 (.821)
Last Meeting: W, 3-1 (Oct. 16, 2015 • Galen Center)
Current Streak: Won 1 • Last 10 Meetings: 7-3
Live Stats: ASU StatBroadcaster
Audio: USCTrojans.com (Paul Duchesne)
Web Stream: Pac-12.com/live
Opponent Web: TheSunDevils.com
LOS ANGELES -- The top-ranked USC women's volleyball team (27-1, 15-1 Pac-12) heads to the Arizonan desert for pivotal conference matches this week. The Women of Troy draw No. 23 Arizona (17-11, 7-9) first and will face the Wildcats at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on Friday, Nov. 20 (6 p.m. MT). The Trojans then take on No. 24 Arizona State (19-8, 8-8) at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Sunday, Nov. 22 (1 p.m. MT). Both matches will be streamed live and will be viewable for free via links at Pac-12.com/live.
The Trojans carry a five-match winning streak into the final weekend of regular-season road matches and received the No. 1 ranking in the AVCA poll for the fifth time this season (46th all-time). USC is 93-9 when ranked No. 1, but the last time the Women of Troy visited Tucson with the top ranking, the Wildcats upset the Trojans, 3-0, on Oct. 20, 2013.
USC should be well rested following a three-day layoff that was preceded by a span in which the Trojans played four matches in seven days. USC remains on the inside track for the Pac-12 title with just four regular-season matches left. No. 2-ranked Washington is a single match behind with a 14-2 league record.
Last week, senior OH Samantha Bricio became the program's all-time kills leader (1,919). She is already USC's career leader for attacks (5,085), service aces (284), and points (2,347.5). This season, she leads the country in kills (5.07 kps), service aces (0.74 saps), and points (6.23 pps). At the pins, freshman OH Alyse Ford (2.80 kps) and sophomore OPP Brittany Abercrombie (2.47 kps) bolster the Trojans' offensive firepower. Senior MB Alicia Ogoms leads the Pac-12 in blocks (1.56 bps) while junior libero Taylor Whittingham is the Pac-12 leader for digs (4.94 dps).
NO. 23 ARIZONA (17-11, 7-9 Pac-12) has won back-to-back matches just once since it had an eight-match winning streak to open the season. The Wildcats are coming off a split weekend in the mountains where they beat Utah, 3-2, and fell in a 3-0 sweep to Colorado. Arizona is led by junior OH Kalei Mau who is third in the Pac-12 for kills (4.33 kps) and ranks third on the team in digs (2.38 dps). Mau is also third in the league for points (4.66 pps). Despite the fact that the Cats are third in the Pac-12 for digs (16.53 dps), Arizona doesn't have any players in the top 10 for digs. In fact, junior setter Penina Snuka leads the team in digs (3.23 dps) and ranks second in the conference for assists (10.76 aps). Freshman OH Tyler Spriggs (2.58 kps) and senior OPP Nikki Attea (2.46 kps) also provide offense for the Cats. Senior MB Halli Amaro leads the team with 0.97 blocks per set and adds 1.74 kps. The Women of Troy are 61-19 in their 80 previous meetings with Arizona, have won three straight, and are 9-1 against the Wildcats over the last 10. However, the last time USC went into Tucson with the No. 1 ranking (Oct. 20, 2013), the Wildcats stunned the Trojans to take a 3-0 win.
NO. 24 ARIZONA STATE (19-8, 8-8 Pac-12) has won just four times since having its 15-match winning streak snapped following a devastating injury to the program's career kills leader Macey Gardner. The Sun Devils are coming off a split against the mountain schools, which included a 3-2 loss to Colorado and a 3-0 win over Utah. ASU is led by junior OH Cassidy Pickrell (2.73 kps), but she is aided by fellow junior OH BreElle Bailey (2.45 kps) and senior MB Whitney Follette (2.25 kps) on offense. The Sun Devils rank second in the Pac-12 for blocks (2.95 bps) and are third for opponent hitting percentage (.169). Follette is the Pac-12's third-leading blocker at 1.32 blocks per set. Pickrell leads the team with 23 aces (ninth in the Pac-12, 0.25 saps). Senior MB Mercedes Binns adds 1.42 kills per set and leads the team with a .324 hitting percentage. Sophomore libero Halle Harker (3.58 dps) ranks ninth in the Pac-12. Before she went down to an injury, Gardner became ASU's all-time leader in kills (1,882) and will finish her career at 12th in Pac-12 history. USC is 64-13-1 in all-time meetings with ASU and is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings. Two of those losses were dealt to the Trojans in Tempe.
LAST TIME OUT: The Women of Troy won their fifth straight match and extended to 10 consecutive set victories with a pair of 3-0 wins over Oregon and Oregon State. Senior OH Samantha Bricio broke the USC career kills record on her final offering against the Beavers and went into the record books with 1,919 kills and counting. Freshman setter Baylee Johnson earned 21 assists with a career-high 15 digs to log her team-leading 14th double-double of the season in the win over Oregon State. The Trojans hit better than .300 for the fifth straight match and for the 13th time this season. The two wins put an end to a span in which the Trojans played four matches in seven days. USC also maintained its unblemished home record at Galen Center and improved to 15-0 on the year.
KILLED IT: Senior OH Samantha Bricio became USC's school-record holder for career kills on Thursday, Nov. 12, in a match against Oregon State in which she finished with 13 kills. Her final kill of the contest gave her 1,919 as she overtook the former record holder (Alex Jupiter, 2008-11). Bricio now has 1,919 career kills and is also the Trojans' record holder for points (2,347.5), attacks (5,085), and service aces (284). She is the Pac-12 record holder for career aces and currently ranks 10th in Pac-12 history for kills and is fifth in attacks.
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 (908) among active coaches behind only Penn State's Russ Rose and Hawai'i's Dave Shoji. Haley is in his 32nd season as a Division I coach, but has 39 years of overall coaching experience and is 1,256-313-1 (.801) in all matches including men's and women's at Kellogg Community College.
