No. 11 USC Men's Volleyball Sweeps Central State

Thursday, January 25

Los Angeles, Calif.

7:00 PM

USC

6-2,0-0MPSF

Central State

0-8,0-0SIAC

Central St. (OH)

Southern California

Photo by: Aaron Wilson

No. 11 USC Men's Volleyball Sweeps Central State

January 25, 2024 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score Highlights

All Trojan starters hit over .400

LOS ANGELES – The 11th-ranked USC men's volleyball team (6-2) swept Central State (0-8) at Galen Center on Thursday, Jan. 25 (25-13, 25-12, 25-16). The Trojans out-hit the Marauders .493 to .104 and out-dug them 22-17.

Redshirt junior opposite hitter Jack Deuchar collected 10 kills (2e, 20att, .400 hitting), three service aces, and three digs. Freshman middle blocker Wesley Smith hit 1.000, recorded seven kills (0e, 7att), and had one service ace. Sophomore outside hitter Dillon Klein had nine kills (1e, 12att, .667 hitting) and three digs.

Redshirt junior outside hitter Jackson Reed hit .500, collected six kills (1e, 10att), two service aces, three digs, and two blocks. Freshman setter Caleb Blanchette had 33 assists, three digs, and two blocks. Senior middle blocker Kyle Paulson had three kills (0e, 4att, hitting .750), two aces, and two blocks.

Tyrone Sands led the Marauders in scoring with 11 kills (5e, 26att, .231 hitting), had two digs, and two blocks. Toulmin Williams IV and Alain Tamo-Noche had four kills each, and Nicholaus Gooden-Brooks and Jaedyn Harris each recorded two kills. Their setter, Ian Ford had 19 assists, and Tamo-Noche had three blocks.

The Trojans started the match strong, going up 5-1 on a 4-0 run with help from back-to-back Paulson blocks. USC forced a Central State timeout with another 4-0 run, to lead 10-4. Out of the timeout, the Trojans went on another 4-0 run with two kills from Klein, making their way to 14-6. The Marauders were forced to take another timeout at 21-11, but to no avail as the Trojans won, 25-13. USC out-hit Central State .538 to .167 in the first set, collected 19.0 points to CSU's 8.0, and out-dug them 6-4. Klein recorded six kills (1e, 7att, .714 hitting), and Deuchar had four kills (0e, 6att, .667 hitting).

In the second set, both teams went back-and-forth, but the Trojans maintained a steady lead throughout. USC went on a 5-0 run and weathered a timeout to go in front by eight, 17-9. The Trojans finished on an 8-3 run, winning 25-12 and out-hitting the Marauders .538 to .167. Klein, Deuchar, and Smith all recorded three kills, and Reed and Paulson each had two.

The Marauders started the third set strong with kills from Tamo-Noche, Sands, and Harris. However, the Trojans regrouped and went on a 6-1 run with big kills from Reed and Smith (9-7). Later in the set, USC went on a 4-0 run with two big kills from Deuchar to bring the score to 15-9. Central State answered with a 3-0 run with help from Tamo-Noche and Sands, but was quickly silenced by a 4-0 Trojan run which included a Reed kill and ace (21-15). USC won the third set, 25-16, and out-hit Central State .320 to .000. Reed, Deuchar, and Smith all recorded three kills.

Next up for the Trojans, USC goes on the road to play UC San Diego (2-5) on Wednesday (Jan. 31). USC-UCSD will be broadcast live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. PT.

For more information on the USC men's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/MVB. Fans of the Trojans can follow @USCmensvolley on Twitter and Instagram.

MATCH NOTES
·       USC and Central State faced each other for the first time.
·       The Trojans recorded a higher hitting percentage and collected more blocks than their opponent for the seventh time. USC reached .300 hitting for the seventh time in eight matches.
·       This is the third HBCU the Trojans have played this season.