No. 5 USC Men's Volleyball Opens MPSF Play With Newcomer Vanguard

LOS ANGELES – The fifth-ranked USC men's volleyball team (9-2) opens league play against MPSF newcomer Vanguard (3-6) this week. It will have been 12 days since the Trojans last played when USC meets the Lions on Wednesday (Feb. 26) for a 7 p.m. PT match at the Freed Center for Leadership in Costa Mesa. The teams then face each other again on Friday (Feb. 28) at Galen Center (7 p.m.). Both matches are set to be streamed live on the Big Ten Plus platform. USC has held firm to its No. 5 ranking despite a bye week and having had a nine-match win streak snapped by then second-ranked UC Irvine. The Trojans lead all MPSF teams in assists (12.36 aps), blocks (2.80 bps), digs (9.18 dps), and kills (13.54 kps).

THIS WEEK
No. 5 USC (9-2, 0-0 MPSF) vs. Vanguard (3-6, 0-0 MPSF)
TV/LIVE STREAM: Big Ten Plus (B1G+)

MATCH #12 • Wednesday, Feb. 26 • 7 p.m. PT
Freed Center for Leadership • Costa Mesa, Calif.

MATCH #13 • Friday, Feb. 28 • 7 p.m. PT
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.

SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 1-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (March 11, 2022 • Galen Center)
STREAK: Won 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 1-0
OPPONENT WEBSITE: VanguardLions.com

FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)

USC is led by 10th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard, a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time NCAA champion.
The Trojans are ranked fifth in the AVCA Coaches Poll. USC reached fifth on Feb. 2, the team's highest ranking since it was also fifth on April 18, 2022.
The Trojans' nine-match win streak to open the season was the longest under Nygaard and the longest since USC had an 18-match streak in 2012.
USC is 35-20 all-time in conference openers.
The Trojans have reached double-digit blocks in six of their 11 matches. USC's 2.80 blocks per set leads the MPSF and the NCAA.
Jr. OH Dillon Klein has reached double-digit kills in seven matches and has had 48 double-digit matches in his career. His 4.16 kills per set lead the MPSF (5th, NCAA) and he is second in points at 4.69 pps (10th, NCAA).
Fr. MB Parker Tomkinson leads the MPSF in blocks (1.20 bps) and is fifth in the NCAA. His .532 hitting percentage ranks second in the MPSF.
Redshirt So. OPP Noah Roberts ranks second in the MPSF for blocks (1.09 bps). He is USC's second-leading scorer at 3.44 points per set (11th, MPSF).
So. S Caleb Blanchette leads the MPSF in assists (11.06 aps, 2nd NCAA).
Fr. LIB Johnny Dykstra leads the MPSF in digs (2.33 dps), 11th in the NCAA.

FOLLOW THE TROJANS: Regular-season home matches at Galen Center will be streamed live through the Big Ten Plus app and at BigTenPlus.com. Follow USC matches on live stats with links at USCTrojans.com.

LAST TIME OUT: USC had a nine-match win streak halted by No. 2 UC Irvine in a hard-fought five-set road match and then fell to the Anteaters a second time in a rematch at Galen Center. UCI earned a sweep in the second meeting. In the match at Irvine, four Trojans scored in double digits and it took 62 ties and 22 lead changes before a the Anteaters emerged with the win. Sterling Foley had career highs of 16 kills and 17.5 points in the match while Dillon Klein put up 18 kills and logged his first double-double of the season. Klein reached double-digit kills for the 48th time in his career in the two matches against the 'Eaters. Jack Deuchar saw his first extended action and poured in 16 and 18 kills in the two meetings. Caleb Blanchette matched his career high with 61 assists and Johnny Dykstra put up a career-best 15 digs in the teams' meeting at Bren Events Center.

POLL POSITION: The Trojans were ranked No. 7 in the AVCA Preseason Poll. In 2024, the poll expanded to 20 teams (previously 15). USC is currently ranked No. 5in the February 24 poll. The Trojans reached the fifth spot in the coach's poll on Feb. 3 to mark their highest position since they also ranked No. 5 in 2022 (April 18).

BIG BLOCK ENERGY: The Trojans' 2.80 blocks per set ranks first in both the MPSF and in the NCAA. USC has racked up double-digit blocks in six of its 11contests including a season-high 17 at CSUN (Jan. 22). Three Trojan starters rank in the MPSF's top 15 for blocks led by MB Parker Tomkinson whose 1.20 bps also ranks fifth in the NCAA. OPP Noah Roberts averages 1.09 bps and is third in the league and 11th in the nation; and OH Sterling Foley ranks 15th at 0.73 bps.

RECORD HIGH: USC's .691 hitting percentage against Dominican (Feb. 8) set a new school record. It also tied the third-highest single-match output by an MPSF team—a mark also equaled by Pepperdine earlier this season. The Trojans have hit north of .300 in 10 matches this spring. Four times, USC has logged a hitting percentage higher than .450. USC's .391hitting ranks second in the MPSF and is third in the NCAA.

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Players Mentioned

Caleb Blanchette

Jack Deuchar

Johnny Dykstra

Sterling Foley

Dillon Klein

Noah Roberts

Parker Tomkinson