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USC Men's Volleyball Goes To No. 4 BYU For MPSF Tourney Semis
April 17, 2018 | Men's Volleyball, Features
THE FACTSÂ
The USC men's volleyball team (8-19 overall, 3-9 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation)--coming off a stunning road upset over No. 5-ranked Pepperdine in an MPSF Tournament quarterfinal match-- continues MPSF tourney play by visiting No. 4 BYU (20-6, 10-2) on Thursday (April 19) at 7 p.m. MT for a semifinal contest. If the sixth-seed Trojans defeat the top-seed Cougars, USC would advance to the April 21 MPSF final in Provo against the winner of the other semifinal, which pits No. 2-ranked/ seeded UCLA (23-6, 9-3) against No. 13 Concordia (16-14, 5-7), the fourth seed.Â
FOLLOW THE TROJANSÂ
All of USC's home matches are video- and audio-streamed live for free on USCTrojans.com and the TuneIn Radio app, except for matches televised live on Pac-12 Network (those matches only are audio-streamed). Some of USC's road matches are audiocast live on USCTrojans.com and the TuneIn Radio app. USC's online announcers are onetime Northeastern player/Winthrop assistant coach Paul Duchesne and ex-Trojan player Paul Yoder (one of 6 Yoders to have played volleyball at USC). Fans can also follow USC home matches through Live Stats at USCTrojans.com and all matches via Twitter (@USCmensvolley).Â
RANKINGSÂ
USC is not ranked in the current AVCA Division I-II Top 15 poll. BYU is No. 4, UCLA is No. 2 and Concordia is No. 13.Â
OPPONENTSÂ
USC trails in its series against BYU, 42-22, and the Cougars have won the past 5 meetings, including a pair of 3-1 home and road wins this year. USC trails in its series against UCLA, 97-42, but the Trojans snapped a 5-match losing skid to the Bruins with a 3-2 home win last month in the most recent meeting. USC is 5-2 in its series with Concordia, but the Trojans suffered their first-ever losses to the Eagles with a pair of 3-1 home and road losses this year.Â
LAST WEEKÂ
Jack Wyett had 20 kills while hitting .459 and Gianluca Grasso added 19 kills while hitting .607 to help the unranked USC men's volleyball team post a 25-22, 19-25, 26-24, 25-18 road upset over No. 5 Pepperdine in an MPSF Tournament quarterfinal match on April 14 in Malibu, Calif. It was USC's second victory over a Top 5 team in 3 weeks (Troy downed No. 3 UCLA on March 31) after losing its first 8 such encounters in 2018. It also was the first time since 2011 that a sixth seed beat a No. 3 seed in the MPSF tourney. USC hit .387 to Pepperdine's .267. The Trojans also had more digs (50 to 35) and blocks (8.0 to 6.0). Ryan Moss added 9 kills and 10 digs for USC, Cole Paxson had 9 digs, Sam Lewis had 7 blocks, Gert Lisha had 8 digs and 2 aces, Wyett had 8 digs and Grasso had 7 digs and 3 blocks.Â
USC IN CONFERENCE/REGIONAL TOURNEYSÂ
USC is 27-29 all-time in conference/regional playoffs, dating to 1971, including winning 7 playoff championships. In MPSF tourney play only, USC is 12-14 (the Trojans won the 2009 MPSF tourney crown). The Trojans are 1-3 against BYU in regional and conference tourneys, last facing the Cougars in that situation in the 2015 MPSF tourney (a 3-2 USC win in the Galen Center). USC is 3-6 against UCLA in regional and conference tourneys, with the most recent meeting being a 3-1 Trojan home victory in 2011. USC has never faced Concordia in post-season play.
