University Southern California Trojans
Saturday, April 10
Los Angeles, Calif.
5:00 PM
USC
5-12,5-12MPSF
2
vs
3
Grand Canyon
6-10,6-10MPSF
1
2
3
4
5
F
Grand Canyon
33
25
22
17
15
3
Southern California
31
18
25
25
11
2
Team Stats
GCU
USC
Kills
55
71
Errors
15
34
Attempts
134
169
Hitting %
.299
.219
Points
69.5
84.5
Assists
51
67
Aces
2
7
Blocks
12.5
6.5
Game Leaders
Kills
31
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
2
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH-OPP
/ Men's VolleyballOH-OP
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's Volleyball
Photo by: Jenny Chuang
Billy Fauntleroy, Cole Paxson Set Career Highs; No. 9 Grand Canyon Men's Volleyball Beats USC
April 10, 2021 | Men's Volleyball, Features
Despite a career-high 31 kills by USC's Billy Fauntleroy and a career-best 19 digs by teammate Cole Paxson, the No. 9-ranked Grand Canyon men's volleyball team held on to defeat the host Trojans for the second consecutive night, this time 33-31, 25-18, 22-25, 17-25, 15-11, on Saturday (April 10) in the Galen Center in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match that was Troy's final regular season contest of 2021.
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Grand Canyon improved to 6-10 overall and in the MPSF, while USC fell to 5-12 overall and in the MPSF. On Friday (April 9), GCU beat the Trojans in 3 sets in the Galen Center.
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USC now awaits its seed position and quarterfinals opponent in the upcoming MPSF Tournament at BYU on April 22-24. Depending on the outcome of Concordia's 2 matches next week at Grand Canyon and as the MPSF remaining schedule currently stands, USC will either be the fifth seed and play fourth-seeded Grand Canyon or the Trojans will be the sixth seed and play third seed Pepperdine. Host BYU has already clinched the top seed and a bye in the quarterfinals.
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Fauntleroy's 31 kills were the most by an MPSF player this season and the most by a Trojan since Lucas Yoder's 33 in 2017 versus Penn State. He was 5 kills shy of tying the USC rally scoring era record of 36 set by Brook Billings in 2002 versus Pacific.
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Paxson's 19 digs were the most by an MPSF player in 2021 and the most by a Trojan since Micah Christenson's 19 in 2015 versus UCLA. He was 2 digs shy of tying the USC rally scoring era record of 21 set by Henry Cassiday in 2014 versus Pepperdine.
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Fauntleroy also had 8 digs in the match. Teammate Vecas Lewin had 14 kills while hitting .619 and added 4 blocks, Chris Hall had 11 digs and Noah Franklin had 6 digs, 3 blocks and 5 kills.
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Christian Janke led Grand Canyon with 18 kills (hitting .412) and had 8 digs and 3 blocks, Hugo Fischer had 12 kills and 3 blocks, Kyle Thompson had 11 kills (hitting .588) and 4 blocks, Ian McLain had 7 kills (hitting .417) and 4 blocks, Heath Hughes had 17 digs and Trevor Weary had 7 digs, 4 blocks and 5 kills.
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Grand Canyon hit .299 to USC's .219 and had more blocks (12.5 to 6.5). The Trojans got more digs (57 to 50) and aces (7 to 2).
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In the first set, USC went on a 5-point run to forge a 10-9 lead and it stayed tight until the Trojans tallied 4 out of 5 points to go up 23-20 (and then they were serving for the set at 24-22), but GCU tied it at 24-24 before the Lopes scored the set's final 3 points in overtime despite USC's 5.5 blocks in the set.
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Grand Canyon slowly moved out to an 8-5 lead in the second set and the Trojans could not catch up as the Lopes hit .522 in the set.
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GCU held a 9-6 edge in the third set but USC tied it at 10-10 and then the set stayed close until Troy went ahead 16-14, a lead it never surrendered.
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USC used a 3-0 run to open a 9-6 lead in the fourth set and slowly pulled away while hitting .615 in the set.
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In the final set, USC scored the first 2 points, GCU got the next 4, USC returned the favor with the next 4, then GCU tied it at 7-7 and the set seesawed until 4 unanswered points by the Lopes gave them a 12-9 lead, all the cushion they needed to hold off the Trojans
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After the match, USC's 7 seniors were saluted: Fauntleroy, Paxson, Hall, Lewin, Franklin, Clay Dickinson and Kyle Gear. All but Gear, who opted out of the 2021 season, started the match against Grand Canyon.
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Grand Canyon improved to 6-10 overall and in the MPSF, while USC fell to 5-12 overall and in the MPSF. On Friday (April 9), GCU beat the Trojans in 3 sets in the Galen Center.
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USC now awaits its seed position and quarterfinals opponent in the upcoming MPSF Tournament at BYU on April 22-24. Depending on the outcome of Concordia's 2 matches next week at Grand Canyon and as the MPSF remaining schedule currently stands, USC will either be the fifth seed and play fourth-seeded Grand Canyon or the Trojans will be the sixth seed and play third seed Pepperdine. Host BYU has already clinched the top seed and a bye in the quarterfinals.
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Fauntleroy's 31 kills were the most by an MPSF player this season and the most by a Trojan since Lucas Yoder's 33 in 2017 versus Penn State. He was 5 kills shy of tying the USC rally scoring era record of 36 set by Brook Billings in 2002 versus Pacific.
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Paxson's 19 digs were the most by an MPSF player in 2021 and the most by a Trojan since Micah Christenson's 19 in 2015 versus UCLA. He was 2 digs shy of tying the USC rally scoring era record of 21 set by Henry Cassiday in 2014 versus Pepperdine.
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Fauntleroy also had 8 digs in the match. Teammate Vecas Lewin had 14 kills while hitting .619 and added 4 blocks, Chris Hall had 11 digs and Noah Franklin had 6 digs, 3 blocks and 5 kills.
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Christian Janke led Grand Canyon with 18 kills (hitting .412) and had 8 digs and 3 blocks, Hugo Fischer had 12 kills and 3 blocks, Kyle Thompson had 11 kills (hitting .588) and 4 blocks, Ian McLain had 7 kills (hitting .417) and 4 blocks, Heath Hughes had 17 digs and Trevor Weary had 7 digs, 4 blocks and 5 kills.
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Grand Canyon hit .299 to USC's .219 and had more blocks (12.5 to 6.5). The Trojans got more digs (57 to 50) and aces (7 to 2).
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In the first set, USC went on a 5-point run to forge a 10-9 lead and it stayed tight until the Trojans tallied 4 out of 5 points to go up 23-20 (and then they were serving for the set at 24-22), but GCU tied it at 24-24 before the Lopes scored the set's final 3 points in overtime despite USC's 5.5 blocks in the set.
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Grand Canyon slowly moved out to an 8-5 lead in the second set and the Trojans could not catch up as the Lopes hit .522 in the set.
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GCU held a 9-6 edge in the third set but USC tied it at 10-10 and then the set stayed close until Troy went ahead 16-14, a lead it never surrendered.
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USC used a 3-0 run to open a 9-6 lead in the fourth set and slowly pulled away while hitting .615 in the set.
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In the final set, USC scored the first 2 points, GCU got the next 4, USC returned the favor with the next 4, then GCU tied it at 7-7 and the set seesawed until 4 unanswered points by the Lopes gave them a 12-9 lead, all the cushion they needed to hold off the Trojans
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After the match, USC's 7 seniors were saluted: Fauntleroy, Paxson, Hall, Lewin, Franklin, Clay Dickinson and Kyle Gear. All but Gear, who opted out of the 2021 season, started the match against Grand Canyon.
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