University Southern California Trojans
No. 2 Trojans Look to Start New Streak
November 03, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
Follow, Like, Instagram, and Periscope with @USCWomensVolley
BANNER NIGHT: The Women of Troy will honor all-time greats Toni Anderson and Katie Olsovsky, members of USC's 2002 and 2003 NCAA championship teams, between sets two and three of the USC-Colorado match on Friday, November 6. Fans are welcome to join the Trojans for a special alumni reunion dinner at the Galen Center Founders' Club beginning at 6:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are $22 for a full Mexican buffet, $12 for kids (7-12 years old), free for kids under six years old. Payment is accepted at the door and a full-service cash bar will be available. Please RSVP to Shea McBrearty for dinner tickets at smcbrear@usc.edu or by calling (213) 309-8319.
Nov. 3, 2015
Match #25
No. 2 USC (23-1, 11-1) vs. Colorado (14-10, 6-6)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday, Nov. 6 • 8 p.m. PT
Series Record: USC leads, 11-0 (1.000)
Last Meeting: W, 3-2 (Oct. 9, 2015 • Boulder, Colo.)
Current Streak: Won 11
Last 10 Meetings: 10-0
TV: Pac-12 Los Angeles/Pac-12 Mountain (Anne Marie Anderson & Holly McPeak)
Audio: USCTrojans.com (Cooper Perkins & Umberto Gatti)
Opponent Web: CUBuffs.com
Match #26
No. 2 USC (23-1, 11-1) vs. Utah (9-14, 3-9)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
Sunday, Nov. 8 • 11 a.m. PT
Series Record: USC leads, 14-2 (.875)
Last Meeting: W, 3-0 (Oct. 11, 2015 • SLC, Utah)
Current Streak: Won 1
Last 10 Meetings: 9-1
TV: Pac-12 Los Angeles/Pac-12 Mountain (Anne Marie Anderson & Holly McPeak)
Audio: USCTrojans.com (Cooper Perkins & Umberto Gatti)
Opponent Web: UtahUtes.com
LOS ANGELES -- The second-ranked USC women's volleyball team (23-1, 11-1 Pac-12) looks to start a new winning streak when Colorado (14-10, 6-6) and Utah (9-14, 3-9) visit Galen Center this week. In matches that will be carried live by the Pac-12 Networks, the Women of Troy and the Buffaloes will face off at 8 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 6; then the Trojans and Utes will meet in a Sunday matinee at 11 a.m., Nov. 8. Anne Marie Anderson will provide play-by-play and Holly McPeak will be the color analyst on each broadcast.
USC had its 22-match winning streak snapped by a fifth-ranked Washington during a road trip to the Pacific Northwest last week. It was the program's longest streak since the Trojans won 52 consecutive matches between 2002 and 2004 (a school record). Despite the loss, the Women of Troy pulled together to get a hard-fought five-set win over Washington State before leaving the Apple State. USC now has a chance to create a new streak with six of its final eight regular-season matches at Galen Center where the Trojans are 11-0 this season.
Senior OH Samantha Bricio continues her climb in the record books and is now within 64 kills of becoming the program's all-time kills leader. She is already USC's career leader for attacks (4,938), service aces (272), and points (2,267.0). For good measure, Bricio also ranks 10th all-time at USC for digs with 1,196. She leads the country in kills (5.10 kps), service aces (0.71 saps), and points (6.23 pps).
Sophomore OPP Brittany Abercrombie puts down 2.47 kps and freshman OH Alyse Ford scores 2.79 kps. On defense, senior MB Alicia Ogoms leads the Pac-12 in blocks (1.63 bps) and ranks fifth in the NCAA. Junior libero Taylor Whittingham is the league leader for digs at 4.99 dps. The Trojans' hybrid 6-2 offense is run by freshman setter Baylee Johnson (7.18 aps) and junior setter Alice Pizzasegola (5.28 aps).
COLORADO (14-10, 6-6 Pac-12) has won four of its last six matches--a stretch that includes victories over No. 6-ranked Stanford and No. 14 Arizona. The Buffaloes have played four five-set matches against Pac-12 foes and took a No. 1-ranked USC the distance when the teams last met in Boulder on Oct. 9. Colorado is led by senior OH Alexis Austin who ranks fifth in the Pac-12 for kills (4.02 kps) and points (4.58 pps). Sophomore OH Gabby Simpson is second on the team for kills (3.42 kps). Junior libero Cierra Simpson ranks seventh in digs (4.12 dps). Senior setter Nicole Edelman puts up 9.62 assists per set and ranks seventh in the Pac-12. Freshman MB Naghede Abu puts in 1.29 kills per set and is the league's eighth-leading blocker with 1.23 bps. Sophomore MB Anna Pfefferle is good for 1.02 bps and 1.86 kps. USC has never lost to Colorado in 11 all-time meetings and has dropped just two sets to the Buffaloes since they joined the Pac-12 in 2011.
UTAH (9-14, 3-9 Pac-12) snapped a nine-match losing streak with a pair of four-set wins over Oregon and Oregon State this weekend. The Utes' only other Pac-12 victory was a 3-1 win over Colorado to open their league schedule. Sophomore OH Adora Anae is the reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and ranks fourth in the conference for kills (4.26 kps) and points (4.76 pps). She is also second on the team for digs (3.12 dps). Sophomore OH Eliza Katoa (2.61 kps) is second on the team for kills and is followed by sophomore MB Carly Trueman (2.15 kps). Junior libero Tess Sutton leads the team and ranks eighth in the Pac-12 for digs (3.63 dps). The Utes run a two-setter system with senior Kendall Cygan (5.00 aps) and freshman Jessie Jorgensen (5.98 aps). USC owns a 14-2 all-time record against Utah and earned a four-set win over the Utes at the Galen Center last year.
LAST TIME OUT: The Women of Troy had their 22-match winning streak snapped by a fifth-ranked Washington squad (3-0) at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. It was the longest streak since the program won 52 consecutive matches from 2002 to 2004. The Trojans bounced back and won at Washington State before leaving the Apple State, but it wasn't easy as the Cougars forced a third consecutive five-set match at Bohler Gym with USC. The match went down to the wire before the Trojans could close out a 15-13 win in the fifth. Senior OH Samantha Bricio earned back-to-back double-doubles and moved into first place on USC's career ladder for points (2,267.0). Freshman setter Baylee Johnson also produced back-to-back double-doubles.
STRIKING DISTANCE: Senior OH Samantha Bricio has 1,855 career kills and is within striking distance of the all-time program record of 1,918 set by Alex Jupiter (2008-11). She ranks second and is just the second Trojan in school history to cross the 1,800 kill mark. Bricio passed All-American OH Jennifer Kessy (1995-98) on Oct. 25, in a match against Oregon and now needs 64 kills to break the Trojans' all-time record. She currently ranks 16th in Pac-12 history. In a match against Washington State (Nov. 1), Bricio broke Jupiter's school record for points (2,255.0) and now has 2,267.0 points. She is also USC's all-time career leader in attacks (4,938) and service aces (272). Bricio is the Pac-12's career record holder for aces and sits in sixth for career attacks. She would move into 10th place in Pac-12 history for kills if she surpasses Jupiter.
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.
