Friday, November 16
Tucson, Ariz.
5:00 PM
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at
Arizona
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OH
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MB
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Photo by: Hali Helfgott
No. 14 USC Tackles Wildcats and Devils in Road Tests
November 14, 2018 | Women's Volleyball, Features
The Women of Troy seek to secure the program's 33rd all-time 20-win season this weekend.
LOS ANGELES – No. 14 USC (19-8, 11-5 Pac-12) takes its final regular-season road trip to the Copper State this weekend where it will face No. 24 Arizona (19-9, 8-8) and Arizona State (13-15, 4-12). The Trojans can tighten their stronghold on second place in the Pac-12 standings and register the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2012-13. First-year head coach Brent Crouch can also record his first-career 20-win season on USC's next victory. All-American junior OH Khalia Lanier (Scottsdale, Ariz.) returns to her home state of Arizona but was sidelined for the Trojans' last two contests due to concussion protocols. The Women of Troy hope to put together a complete lineup and gather momentum with only four regular-season matches remaining on the schedule.
MATCH #28
No. 14 USC (19-8, 11-5) at No. 24 Arizona (19-9, 8-8)
Friday, Nov. 16 • 5 p.m. PT
McKale Center • Tucson, Ariz.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 64-22 (.744)
LAST MEETING: W, 3-1 (Oct. 14, 2018 • Galen Center)
CURRENT STREAK: Won 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 6-4
STREAM: Pac-12+ Arizona
OPPONENT WEBSITE: ArizonaWildcats.com
MATCH #29
No. 14 USC (19-8, 11-5) at Arizona State (13-15, 4-12)
Sunday, Nov. 18 • 3:30 p.m. PT
Wells Fargo Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 70-13-1 (.833)
LAST MEETING: W, 3-2 (Oct. 12, 2018 • Galen Center)
CURRENT STREAK: Won 7 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 9-1
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Daron Sutton & Halle Harker)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: TheSunDevils.com
FIRST SERVE
USC IN BRIEF: The Women of Troy are second in the Pac-12 standings with a 11-5 league record. They sit behind only undefeated Stanford (16-0). Despite having eight losses on its record, USC holds the nation's No. 7 RPI ranking thanks to having endured an incredibly difficult non-conference schedule. The Trojans were 8-3 in those matches and earned wins over No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Kentucky. The Trojans fell to then-No. 3 BYU but also claimed victories over No. 13 Creighton and No. 23 San Diego. Under first-year head coach Brent Crouch, USC boasts a formidable offense with All-American OH Khalia Lanier leading the charge (4.34 kps). She is joined on the pins by sophomore standout Brooke Botkin (4.44 kps) and junior transfer Emily Baptista (2.92 kps). Freshman setter Raquel Lázaro has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week four times and is third in the league at 11.43 assists per set. On defense, the Women of Troy turn to senior libero Victoria Garrick (4.83 dps). In the middle, transfer Jasmine Gross ranks second in the Pac-12 with 122 total blocks.
LAST TIME OUT: Without both of its starting outside hitters Khalia Lanier and Brooke Botkin, in addition to defensive specialist Reni Meyer-Whalley due to injuries, USC split home matches with a 3-1 win over No. 19 Washington State and a 3-1 loss to No. 25 Washington. The victory over the Cougars was the Trojans' 10th over a ranked opponent this season and was the 17th match against a ranked foe. In the absence of over 9.0 points per set, junior OPP Emily Baptista moved to the left pin and racked up her third straight double-double. She posted a USC-high 24 kills against the Huskies and reached a new career mark with 18 digs. Freshman Brooklyn Schirmer got her first collegiate start against the Cougars and put up seven kills to go with 13 digs for the Women of Troy.
AVCA POLL POSITION: The Trojans opened 2018 ranked No. 10 after finishing the 2017 campaign in the No. 7 spot. Overall, the Trojans have appeared in the poll 509 times and have held a spot among the poll's top 10 teams 316 times, which ranks seventh all-time. The Trojans have also held the No. 1 ranking 47 times previously, which is sixth all-time.
PAC-12 POW(ER)S: USC players have received Pac-12 Player of the Week honors 75 times (third most among league teams). Since 2011, when the Pac-12 began honoring separate offensive and defensive players of the week and named a freshman of the week, Trojans have earned 19 offensive awards, 10 defensive awards, and taken home 18 freshman honors. In the first week of the 2018 season, sophomore OH Brooke Botkin received her first-career league honor as the Offensive Player of the Week and freshman setter Raquel Lázaro was chosen for Freshman of the Week honors. Lázaro repeated as the Freshman of the Week in week two and received her third FOW honor on Sept. 24; fourth on Oct. 15.
DOUBLE DOWN: Eight Trojans on this year's squad have recorded career double-doubles. Junior OH Khalia Lanier has nine this season and leads all players with 34-career double-doubles. Sophomore OH Brooke Botkin has recorded 10 double-doubles in 2018 and has 11-career double-double matches. Freshman setter Raquel Lázaro logged her first-career double-double with 53 assists and 22 digs against Creighton and has 11 double-doubles to lead the team this year. Junior OPP Emily Baptista was pressed into six-rotation action against Oregon State (Nov. 4) and logged her first double-double as a Trojan. She now has three as a Trojan and 11-career double-doubles.
CROUCHING TIGER: First-year USC head coach Brent Crouch led the Trojans to a win over No. 5-ranked Kentucky in his first match at the helm (Aug. 24). In his previous position as Portland's head coach, he led the Pilots to their first-ever wins over ranked opponents including the very first ever; a victory against San Diego (Nov. 14, 2015). The following year, Crouch helped led UP to its first-ever upset of a top-10 opponent on a 3-2 victory at San Diego (Nov. 10, 2016). He is one victory from registering his first-career 20-win season.
TERMINAL 3: USC is the only Pac-12 squad with two players in the top 10 for kills. So. OH Brooke Botkin (4.44 kps) and Jr. OH Khalia Lanier (4.34 kps) rank third and fourth respectively. USC is also one of only three teams (Stanford, Oregon) with three players in the top 25. Jr. OPP Emily Baptista (2.92 kps) ranks 21st in the Pac-12. Together, the three Women of Troy account for 11.70 kills per set.
20-20 VISION: The Trojans can reach 20 wins on their next victory. It would register the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2012-13. USC was 25-10 in 2017 and reached the threshold for five straight years between 2009-13; including a 30-win season in 2012. USC has had 32 20-win seasons all-time.
COPPER TOPPER: USC has a 54-24 all-time record in the state of Arizona. The Trojans are 24-16 in the city of Tucson and 30-8 in Tempe. The Trojans have never played any opponent besides Arizona and ASU when in the Copper State. They are 7-3 in their last 10 contests there.
MATCH #28
No. 14 USC (19-8, 11-5) at No. 24 Arizona (19-9, 8-8)
Friday, Nov. 16 • 5 p.m. PT
McKale Center • Tucson, Ariz.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 64-22 (.744)
LAST MEETING: W, 3-1 (Oct. 14, 2018 • Galen Center)
CURRENT STREAK: Won 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 6-4
STREAM: Pac-12+ Arizona
OPPONENT WEBSITE: ArizonaWildcats.com
MATCH #29
No. 14 USC (19-8, 11-5) at Arizona State (13-15, 4-12)
Sunday, Nov. 18 • 3:30 p.m. PT
Wells Fargo Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 70-13-1 (.833)
LAST MEETING: W, 3-2 (Oct. 12, 2018 • Galen Center)
CURRENT STREAK: Won 7 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 9-1
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Daron Sutton & Halle Harker)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: TheSunDevils.com
FIRST SERVE
- USC is ranked 14th in the latest AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll. The Trojans face their 18th ranked opponent this season; 10th in the last 12 matches.
- The Women of Troy are No. 7 in the NCAA's ratings percentage index (RPI).
- The Trojans are 10-7 in 17 matches with ranked opponents in 2018.
- USC is currently alone in second place in the Pac-12 standings (11-5).
- Jr. Khalia Lanier and Fr. Abby Hansen are from Arizona. Lanier prepped at Xavier College Prep (Scottsdale) and Hansen at Desert Vista HS (Phoenix).
- The Trojans are one victory from recording the program's 33rd all-time 20-win season. It would be USC's first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2012-13.
- Brent Crouch is one win from his first-career 20-win season as a head coach.
- USC is 54-24 all-time in the state of Arizona. The Trojans are 24-16 in Tucson and 30-8 in Tempe. They are 7-3 in their last 10 contests in the Copper State.
- The Trojans have played without the services of OH Brooke Botkin, OH Khalia Lanier, and DS Reni Meyer-Whalley for each of the last three matches due to mandatory concussion protocol.
USC IN BRIEF: The Women of Troy are second in the Pac-12 standings with a 11-5 league record. They sit behind only undefeated Stanford (16-0). Despite having eight losses on its record, USC holds the nation's No. 7 RPI ranking thanks to having endured an incredibly difficult non-conference schedule. The Trojans were 8-3 in those matches and earned wins over No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Kentucky. The Trojans fell to then-No. 3 BYU but also claimed victories over No. 13 Creighton and No. 23 San Diego. Under first-year head coach Brent Crouch, USC boasts a formidable offense with All-American OH Khalia Lanier leading the charge (4.34 kps). She is joined on the pins by sophomore standout Brooke Botkin (4.44 kps) and junior transfer Emily Baptista (2.92 kps). Freshman setter Raquel Lázaro has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week four times and is third in the league at 11.43 assists per set. On defense, the Women of Troy turn to senior libero Victoria Garrick (4.83 dps). In the middle, transfer Jasmine Gross ranks second in the Pac-12 with 122 total blocks.
LAST TIME OUT: Without both of its starting outside hitters Khalia Lanier and Brooke Botkin, in addition to defensive specialist Reni Meyer-Whalley due to injuries, USC split home matches with a 3-1 win over No. 19 Washington State and a 3-1 loss to No. 25 Washington. The victory over the Cougars was the Trojans' 10th over a ranked opponent this season and was the 17th match against a ranked foe. In the absence of over 9.0 points per set, junior OPP Emily Baptista moved to the left pin and racked up her third straight double-double. She posted a USC-high 24 kills against the Huskies and reached a new career mark with 18 digs. Freshman Brooklyn Schirmer got her first collegiate start against the Cougars and put up seven kills to go with 13 digs for the Women of Troy.
AVCA POLL POSITION: The Trojans opened 2018 ranked No. 10 after finishing the 2017 campaign in the No. 7 spot. Overall, the Trojans have appeared in the poll 509 times and have held a spot among the poll's top 10 teams 316 times, which ranks seventh all-time. The Trojans have also held the No. 1 ranking 47 times previously, which is sixth all-time.
PAC-12 POW(ER)S: USC players have received Pac-12 Player of the Week honors 75 times (third most among league teams). Since 2011, when the Pac-12 began honoring separate offensive and defensive players of the week and named a freshman of the week, Trojans have earned 19 offensive awards, 10 defensive awards, and taken home 18 freshman honors. In the first week of the 2018 season, sophomore OH Brooke Botkin received her first-career league honor as the Offensive Player of the Week and freshman setter Raquel Lázaro was chosen for Freshman of the Week honors. Lázaro repeated as the Freshman of the Week in week two and received her third FOW honor on Sept. 24; fourth on Oct. 15.
DOUBLE DOWN: Eight Trojans on this year's squad have recorded career double-doubles. Junior OH Khalia Lanier has nine this season and leads all players with 34-career double-doubles. Sophomore OH Brooke Botkin has recorded 10 double-doubles in 2018 and has 11-career double-double matches. Freshman setter Raquel Lázaro logged her first-career double-double with 53 assists and 22 digs against Creighton and has 11 double-doubles to lead the team this year. Junior OPP Emily Baptista was pressed into six-rotation action against Oregon State (Nov. 4) and logged her first double-double as a Trojan. She now has three as a Trojan and 11-career double-doubles.
CROUCHING TIGER: First-year USC head coach Brent Crouch led the Trojans to a win over No. 5-ranked Kentucky in his first match at the helm (Aug. 24). In his previous position as Portland's head coach, he led the Pilots to their first-ever wins over ranked opponents including the very first ever; a victory against San Diego (Nov. 14, 2015). The following year, Crouch helped led UP to its first-ever upset of a top-10 opponent on a 3-2 victory at San Diego (Nov. 10, 2016). He is one victory from registering his first-career 20-win season.
TERMINAL 3: USC is the only Pac-12 squad with two players in the top 10 for kills. So. OH Brooke Botkin (4.44 kps) and Jr. OH Khalia Lanier (4.34 kps) rank third and fourth respectively. USC is also one of only three teams (Stanford, Oregon) with three players in the top 25. Jr. OPP Emily Baptista (2.92 kps) ranks 21st in the Pac-12. Together, the three Women of Troy account for 11.70 kills per set.
20-20 VISION: The Trojans can reach 20 wins on their next victory. It would register the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2012-13. USC was 25-10 in 2017 and reached the threshold for five straight years between 2009-13; including a 30-win season in 2012. USC has had 32 20-win seasons all-time.
COPPER TOPPER: USC has a 54-24 all-time record in the state of Arizona. The Trojans are 24-16 in the city of Tucson and 30-8 in Tempe. The Trojans have never played any opponent besides Arizona and ASU when in the Copper State. They are 7-3 in their last 10 contests there.
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