Team Stats
USC
UCSB
Kills
46
26
Errors
9
19
Attempts
95
95
Hitting %
.389
.074
Points
55.0
35.0
Assists
44
25
Aces
2
4
Blocks
7.0
5.0
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned

Photo by: John McGillen
No. 19 USC Gashes Gauchos in 3-0 Sweep
September 08, 2017 | Women's Volleyball, Features
The Women of Troy improved to 6-2 on the season with a sweep of UC Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The 19th-ranked USC women's volleyball team (6-2) claimed a 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-16, 25-20) of tournament host UC Santa Barbara (0-8) in the UCSB Thunderdome Classic at the Thunderdome on Friday, Sept. 8. It was the second consecutive win for the Women of Troy and the team's second straight-set sweep of the season.
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The Trojans hit .389 in the match (46k, 9e, 95att) and were error free in the first two sets. Senior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley had 23 assists and five digs; and sophomore setter Cindy Marina dished out 18 assists with six digs.
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15 different Trojans saw action against the Gauchos. Sophomore outside hitter Khalia Lanier led all players with 10 kills (2e, 22tt, .364) and seven digs. Junior outside hitter Alyse Ford had nine kills (2e, 16att, .438) with 11 digs and one of USC's two service aces. Senior opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie picked up seven kills (3e, 20att) to go with a pair of blocks and senior opposite Niki Withers added seven kills (2e, 13att, .385) with two blocks.
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In the middle, senior Jordan Dunn collected five kills (0e) on six swings for a .833 hitting rate with three blocks. Junior middle blocker Brittany Welsh had two kills and two blocks. Freshman setter/hitter Brooke Botkin put up her first-career assist and earned her first three career kills (3k, 0e, 9att, .333). Sophomore defender Jenna Adams dug up five balls.
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For a depleted UCSB lineup, Kija Rivers led with nine kills (1e, 20att .400) to go with four blocks. Charlie Robinson had eight kills (4e, 23att, .174). Sydney Bast added six kills (5e, 27att) with dive digs. Emilia Petrachi led all players with 15 digs.
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The Women of Troy led the first set from wire to wire and built a seven-point lead at 13-6 when Garrick served and ace and Ford followed with a kill. Ford took a set from Botkin to push USC ahead by 10 at 23-13 before Ford came through with her fourth kill of the frame out of the pipe for the 25-15 Trojan win. The Trojans rolled to a 25-16 win in the second set for a 2-0 lead in the match and led at first by six, at 15-9 on a cut-shot kill by Withers. Botkin and Welsh teamed up to block Rivers for a 10-point USC gap at 22-12. Botkin's kill gave USC a 23-12 lead, the largest of the frame before her third kill of the frame ended things with a Trojan win.
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USC led by four points at several instances in the third, but let its advantage slip away when errors mounted and the Gauchos knotted the scored at 17-all. Botkin and Ford helped break the skid and scored a 19-17 lead for the Trojans. UCSB errors put USC ahead, 22-18, but Abercrombie's tool-shot kill gave the Trojans a 23-20 lead. Back-to-back Gaucho errors ended the match in a 25-20 USC win.
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The Trojans close the UCSB Thunderdome Classic with one more match at 4 p.m. PT on Saturday (Sept. 9) against Yale. For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.
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MATCH NOTES
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The Trojans hit .389 in the match (46k, 9e, 95att) and were error free in the first two sets. Senior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley had 23 assists and five digs; and sophomore setter Cindy Marina dished out 18 assists with six digs.
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15 different Trojans saw action against the Gauchos. Sophomore outside hitter Khalia Lanier led all players with 10 kills (2e, 22tt, .364) and seven digs. Junior outside hitter Alyse Ford had nine kills (2e, 16att, .438) with 11 digs and one of USC's two service aces. Senior opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie picked up seven kills (3e, 20att) to go with a pair of blocks and senior opposite Niki Withers added seven kills (2e, 13att, .385) with two blocks.
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In the middle, senior Jordan Dunn collected five kills (0e) on six swings for a .833 hitting rate with three blocks. Junior middle blocker Brittany Welsh had two kills and two blocks. Freshman setter/hitter Brooke Botkin put up her first-career assist and earned her first three career kills (3k, 0e, 9att, .333). Sophomore defender Jenna Adams dug up five balls.
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For a depleted UCSB lineup, Kija Rivers led with nine kills (1e, 20att .400) to go with four blocks. Charlie Robinson had eight kills (4e, 23att, .174). Sydney Bast added six kills (5e, 27att) with dive digs. Emilia Petrachi led all players with 15 digs.
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The Women of Troy led the first set from wire to wire and built a seven-point lead at 13-6 when Garrick served and ace and Ford followed with a kill. Ford took a set from Botkin to push USC ahead by 10 at 23-13 before Ford came through with her fourth kill of the frame out of the pipe for the 25-15 Trojan win. The Trojans rolled to a 25-16 win in the second set for a 2-0 lead in the match and led at first by six, at 15-9 on a cut-shot kill by Withers. Botkin and Welsh teamed up to block Rivers for a 10-point USC gap at 22-12. Botkin's kill gave USC a 23-12 lead, the largest of the frame before her third kill of the frame ended things with a Trojan win.
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USC led by four points at several instances in the third, but let its advantage slip away when errors mounted and the Gauchos knotted the scored at 17-all. Botkin and Ford helped break the skid and scored a 19-17 lead for the Trojans. UCSB errors put USC ahead, 22-18, but Abercrombie's tool-shot kill gave the Trojans a 23-20 lead. Back-to-back Gaucho errors ended the match in a 25-20 USC win.
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The Trojans close the UCSB Thunderdome Classic with one more match at 4 p.m. PT on Saturday (Sept. 9) against Yale. For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.
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MATCH NOTES
- USC improved to 29-9 in all-time meetings with UC Santa Barbara and moved to 7-3 in the last 10 with a five-match winning streak that dates back to 2000.
- The Trojans claimed their second sweep of the season (3-0 vs. Creighton; Sept. 2); both on the road.
- The Women of Troy went the first two sets without a hitting error (.525).
- USC started a different libero in every set: Victoria Garrick (1st), Nikki Leonard (2nd), Jenna Adams (3rd).
- The Trojans hit better than .350 for the fifth match this season.
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