University Southern California Trojans
Friday, October 4
Los Angeles, Calif.
8:00 PM
USC
vs
Washington
Players Mentioned
L
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
Photo by: Hali Helfgott
Volley Trojans Host No. 8 Huskies and No. 24 Cougars
October 01, 2019 | Women's Volleyball, Features
The Women of Troy are undefeated in four matches at Galen Center this season
LOS ANGELES – USC women's volleyball (7-5, 1-1 Pac-12) hosts No. 8 Washington (10-2, 1-1) on Friday (Oct. 4) and No. 24 Washington State (12-2, 1-1) on Sunday (Oct. 6) for matches at Galen Center where the Women of Troy are undefeated (4-0) this season. The Trojans have had difficulty with the Huskies in recent years and are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings, which includes a four-set loss to UW at Galen Center a year ago. On the other hand, USC has gone 7-3 in its last 10 against WSU, including a 3-1 win over the Cougars at home last season.
MATCH #13 • Friday, Oct. 4 • 8 p.m. PT
USC (7-5, 1-1) vs. No. 8 Washington (10-2, 1-1)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 41-28 (.594) • LAST 10: 3-7
LAST MEETING: L, 3-1 (Nov. 8, 2018 • Galen Center)
WATCH: Pac-12 LA/W (Camryn Irwin)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoHuskies.com
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MATCH #14 • Sunday, Oct. 6 • 12 p.m. PT
USC (7-5, 1-1) vs. No. 24 Washington State (12-2, 1-1)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 51-15 (.773) • LAST 10: 7-3
LAST MEETING: W, 3-1 (Nov. 11, 2018 • Galen Center)
WATCH: Pac-12 LA/W (Kevin Barnett)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: WSUCougars.com
FIRST SERVE
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BUT FIRST, LET ME TAKE A #SELFIE: Get social with the Women of Troy! Fans can follow and interact with the USC women's volleyball team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by searching for @USCWomensVolley.
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TROJAN BRIEF CASE: USC is loaded at the pins and returns a pair of All-American outside hitters in Khalia Lanier (4.03 kps) and Brooke Botkin (2.61 kps). They receive sets from the 2018 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Raquel Lázaro (10.73 aps). All four of USC's top attackers return from last season. On the right side, senior Emily Baptista (2.95 kps in 2018) is back and in the middle, senior Jasmine Gross (2.19 kps, .446) returns. Among newcomers, USC welcomes MB Madison Horin (0.88 kps, 0.95 bps), OH Kalen Owes (2.72 kps), and OPP Emilia Weske (2.30 kps) as part of a heralded freshman class. Defensively, the Trojans lean on senior libero Jenna Adams (3.16 dps) who returns this season after sitting out 2018 due to injury.
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LAST TIME OUT: The Women of Troy earned a 1-1 split in the first week of Pac-12 play. USC went the distance before falling to crosstown rival UCLA in a five-set heartbreaker at Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans had more kills (66-55), hit a higher rate (.271-.212), and out-blocked the Bruins (15-11), but committed too many errors to overcome an upstart UCLA squad. The loss was the Trojans' first when opening league play as the Bruins' visitor (3-1 all-time). Three days later, the Trojans bounced back to take down Arizona in four sets at Galen Center and moved to 4-0 at home this season. USC had four players in double-digit points led by Khalia Lanier's 17.5-point outing and her first double-double of the season (16k, 14d).
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TOUGH SLEDDING: The Trojans played one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country in 2019. USC was one of 10 teams that began the season with back-to-back contests against teams that finished in the top 25 of the NCAA's final 2018 ratings percentage index (RPI). The Trojans were one of only three programs that tackled five straight teams that finished 2018 in the top 25. The other two programs were Texas and Creighton. Among the ranked opponents, USC met No. 3 Texas and No. 22 Texas State on opening weekend and then have No. 8 Kentucky, No. 13 Creighton, No. 16 Northern Iowa this week. USC itself was No. 9 in the final published RPI.
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AVCA POLL POSITION: The Trojans opened 2019 ranked No. 14, but fell out of the poll on Sept. 30. It was USC's first time unranked in the poll since the 2017 preseason poll. That year, USC finished at No. 7 following a run to the NCAA's regional championship match. Overall, the Trojans have appeared in the poll 517 times, which ranks third all-time. USC has held a spot among the poll's top 10 teams 316 times, which ranks eighth all-time. The Trojans have also held the No. 1 ranking 47 times previously, which is sixth all-time.
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PAC-12 POW(ER)S: USC players have received Pac-12 Player of the Week honors 76 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, 11 defensive awards, and taken home 19 freshman honors. On Sept. 16, Sr. MB Jasmine Gross was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career and OH Kalen Owes was chosen for Freshman of the Week honors.
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DOUBLE DOWN: Six Women of Troy on this year's squad have recorded career double-doubles. Senior OH Khalia Lanier leads all players with 35-career double-doubles. Junior OH Brooke Botkin has 17-career double-double matches. Sophomore setter Raquel Lázaro has logged 18 double-doubles and is the owner of the first and only USC triple-double in the rally scoring era (36 assists, 16 digs, 11 blocks at Northern Iowa). Senior OPP Emily Baptista has three as a Trojan and 11-career double-doubles. Senior setter Cindy Marina owns 20-career double-doubles and senior MB Jasmine Gross has had four. Freshman OH Kalen Owes posted her first-career double-double (18 kills, 15 digs) against Creighton on Sept. 7, and is already up to three-career double-doubles.
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CROUCHING TIGER: Second-year USC head coach Brent Crouch previously led Portland to its first-ever wins over ranked opponents including the very first ever; a victory against San Diego (Nov. 14, 2015). By the second week of 2018 at USC, Crouch had already led the Trojans to a win over No. 5 Kentucky and an upset of No. 4 Florida. Crouch registered his first-career 20-win season on USC's 3-2 victory over Arizona on Nov. 16, 2018, in Tucson, Ariz.
MATCH #13 • Friday, Oct. 4 • 8 p.m. PT
USC (7-5, 1-1) vs. No. 8 Washington (10-2, 1-1)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 41-28 (.594) • LAST 10: 3-7
LAST MEETING: L, 3-1 (Nov. 8, 2018 • Galen Center)
WATCH: Pac-12 LA/W (Camryn Irwin)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoHuskies.com
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MATCH #14 • Sunday, Oct. 6 • 12 p.m. PT
USC (7-5, 1-1) vs. No. 24 Washington State (12-2, 1-1)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 51-15 (.773) • LAST 10: 7-3
LAST MEETING: W, 3-1 (Nov. 11, 2018 • Galen Center)
WATCH: Pac-12 LA/W (Kevin Barnett)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: WSUCougars.com
FIRST SERVE
- Second-year USC head coach Brent Crouch is 29-16 at Troy (84-82 career).
- The Trojans are 165-37 all-time at Galen Center; 4-0 at home this season.
- The Women of Troy are unranked in the AVCA coaches poll for the first time since the 2017 preseason poll. USC finished that season at No. 7.
- USC returns two AVCA All-America outside hitters. Sr. Khalia Lanier was a first-team choice in 2017 and Jr. Brooke Botkin was second team in 2018.
- USC's sophomore setter Raquel Lázaro was the 2018 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and earned AVCA All-America honorable mention.
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BUT FIRST, LET ME TAKE A #SELFIE: Get social with the Women of Troy! Fans can follow and interact with the USC women's volleyball team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by searching for @USCWomensVolley.
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TROJAN BRIEF CASE: USC is loaded at the pins and returns a pair of All-American outside hitters in Khalia Lanier (4.03 kps) and Brooke Botkin (2.61 kps). They receive sets from the 2018 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Raquel Lázaro (10.73 aps). All four of USC's top attackers return from last season. On the right side, senior Emily Baptista (2.95 kps in 2018) is back and in the middle, senior Jasmine Gross (2.19 kps, .446) returns. Among newcomers, USC welcomes MB Madison Horin (0.88 kps, 0.95 bps), OH Kalen Owes (2.72 kps), and OPP Emilia Weske (2.30 kps) as part of a heralded freshman class. Defensively, the Trojans lean on senior libero Jenna Adams (3.16 dps) who returns this season after sitting out 2018 due to injury.
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LAST TIME OUT: The Women of Troy earned a 1-1 split in the first week of Pac-12 play. USC went the distance before falling to crosstown rival UCLA in a five-set heartbreaker at Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans had more kills (66-55), hit a higher rate (.271-.212), and out-blocked the Bruins (15-11), but committed too many errors to overcome an upstart UCLA squad. The loss was the Trojans' first when opening league play as the Bruins' visitor (3-1 all-time). Three days later, the Trojans bounced back to take down Arizona in four sets at Galen Center and moved to 4-0 at home this season. USC had four players in double-digit points led by Khalia Lanier's 17.5-point outing and her first double-double of the season (16k, 14d).
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TOUGH SLEDDING: The Trojans played one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country in 2019. USC was one of 10 teams that began the season with back-to-back contests against teams that finished in the top 25 of the NCAA's final 2018 ratings percentage index (RPI). The Trojans were one of only three programs that tackled five straight teams that finished 2018 in the top 25. The other two programs were Texas and Creighton. Among the ranked opponents, USC met No. 3 Texas and No. 22 Texas State on opening weekend and then have No. 8 Kentucky, No. 13 Creighton, No. 16 Northern Iowa this week. USC itself was No. 9 in the final published RPI.
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AVCA POLL POSITION: The Trojans opened 2019 ranked No. 14, but fell out of the poll on Sept. 30. It was USC's first time unranked in the poll since the 2017 preseason poll. That year, USC finished at No. 7 following a run to the NCAA's regional championship match. Overall, the Trojans have appeared in the poll 517 times, which ranks third all-time. USC has held a spot among the poll's top 10 teams 316 times, which ranks eighth all-time. The Trojans have also held the No. 1 ranking 47 times previously, which is sixth all-time.
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PAC-12 POW(ER)S: USC players have received Pac-12 Player of the Week honors 76 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, 11 defensive awards, and taken home 19 freshman honors. On Sept. 16, Sr. MB Jasmine Gross was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career and OH Kalen Owes was chosen for Freshman of the Week honors.
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DOUBLE DOWN: Six Women of Troy on this year's squad have recorded career double-doubles. Senior OH Khalia Lanier leads all players with 35-career double-doubles. Junior OH Brooke Botkin has 17-career double-double matches. Sophomore setter Raquel Lázaro has logged 18 double-doubles and is the owner of the first and only USC triple-double in the rally scoring era (36 assists, 16 digs, 11 blocks at Northern Iowa). Senior OPP Emily Baptista has three as a Trojan and 11-career double-doubles. Senior setter Cindy Marina owns 20-career double-doubles and senior MB Jasmine Gross has had four. Freshman OH Kalen Owes posted her first-career double-double (18 kills, 15 digs) against Creighton on Sept. 7, and is already up to three-career double-doubles.
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CROUCHING TIGER: Second-year USC head coach Brent Crouch previously led Portland to its first-ever wins over ranked opponents including the very first ever; a victory against San Diego (Nov. 14, 2015). By the second week of 2018 at USC, Crouch had already led the Trojans to a win over No. 5 Kentucky and an upset of No. 4 Florida. Crouch registered his first-career 20-win season on USC's 3-2 victory over Arizona on Nov. 16, 2018, in Tucson, Ariz.
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