No. 22 USC Women's Volleyball Opens Season In H-Town

LOS ANGELES – The No. 22-ranked USC women's volleyball team opens its 2023 campaign in Houston this weekend and gets started with a matchup at No. 19 Houston on Friday (Aug. 25). The Women of Troy then take on No. 23 Rice on Saturday (Aug. 26) and finish out opening week with a neutral-location match against Southern Mississippi on Sunday (Aug. 27). Both the USC-Houston and USC-Rice matches will be shown live on the ESPN+ streaming platform.

The trip into the Lonestar State is USC's first since the 2019 NCAA first and second rounds played at Baylor in Waco, Texas. It is an incredible homecoming for several Women of Troy. This weekend marks the return of All-American OH Skylar Fields to her hometown (Missouri City, Texas) and will be a visit to the birthplace of freshman Trojans OH London Wijay and MB Leah Ford. The Women of Troy will also reunite with a familiar face when they take the court against the Owls. Former pin-hitter Emilia Weske (2019-22) is a graduate transfer at Rice.

MATCH #1 • Friday, August 25 • 8 p.m. CT (6 p.m. PT)
No. 22 USC (0-0) at No. 19 Houston (0-0)
Fertitta Center • Houston, Texas
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 7-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (Nov. 29, 2003 • North Gym)
STREAK: Won 7 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 7-0
TV/STREAM: ESPN+
OPPONENT WEBSITE: UHCougars.com

MATCH #2 • Saturday, August 26 • 6 p.m. CT (4 p.m. PT)
No. 22 USC (0-0) at No. 23 Rice (0-0)
Tudor Fieldhouse • Houston, Texas
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 1-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Sept. 10, 2016 • Houston, Texas)
STREAK: Won 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 1-0
TV/STREAM: ESPN+
OPPONENT WEBSITE: RiceOwls.com

MATCH #3 • Sunday, August 27 • 11 a.m. CT (9 a.m. PT)
No. 22 USC (0-0) vs. Southern Mississippi (0-0)
Fertitta Center • Houston, Texas
SERIES RECORD: First meeting
TV/STREAM: None
OPPONENT WEBSITE: SouthernMiss.com

FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)

USC is led by fourth-year head coach Brad Keller who has the unique experience of having also served as an assistant coach for the USC men. Keller is 44-34 (.564) through three completed seasons at Troy.
The Trojans will play in Texas for the first time since the first and second rounds of the 2019 NCAA tournament (Waco, Texas). USC is 31-6 all-time in the Lone Star State and is 3-0 in the city of Houston (2016).
The Women of Troy are 38-9 all-time in season openers and are 13-4 in season openers played on the road.
USC will play seven of its 10 non-conference matches on the road and will spend 7,900 miles through the air before the Trojans play at Galen Center.
Sr. OH Skylar Fields makes a return to her home state and will play near her hometown of Missouri City, Texas. She also played three years at Texas before transferring to USC in 2022.
Fr. OH London Wijay and Fr. MB Leah Ford were each born in Houston. London's mother Morgan played volleyball and her father Indi ran track for the Cougars. Her older brother Indiana Wijay is a freshman quarterback at Houston. Leah's father Kirk was a captain for the Houston basketball team.
Former USC OPP Emilia Weske is now a graduate right-side hitter for Rice. She played four years for the Trojans (2019-22).
The mother of Fr. S Allie Hazelwood is Jenny Hazelwood, the second-year head coach of Southern Mississippi and led the Golden Eagles to a 21-12 record in her first year at the helm (2022).
Sr. OH Skylar Fields and Jr. S Mia Tuaniga were each named to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team.
The Trojans are ranked No. 22 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll. USC was picked to fourth in the Pac-12 in a preseason poll of the league's coaches.

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Players Mentioned

Skylar Fields

Leah Ford

Allie Hazelwood

Mia Tuaniga

Emilia Weske

London Wijay