No. 15 USC’s trip to Austin ended with a straight-sets loss, as the Women of Troy fell 25-16, 25-21, 25-20 to No. 9 Texas on Wednesday night in the Big Ten/SEC Challenge at Gregory Gymnasium.
USC (1-2) got its best offensive push from RS Jr. OH London Wijay, who finished with 12.0 points on 11 kills, seven digs and two blocks.
So. OPP Abigail Mullen added nine kills and chipped in three digs, two blocks and a service ace, while Jr.
S Lilli Etter handled 28 assists and also contributed six digs, two blocks and a service ace. Jr.
MB Mia Tvrdy had four kills and three blocks, So. LIB Taylor Deckert totaled seven digs and three assists, and RS Jr.
MB Leah Ford produced 7.5 points with five kills and five blocks, plus three digs.
Texas (3-2) was led by Cari Spears, who powered the Longhorns with a match-high 17 kills, eight digs and two aces. Torrey Stafford added 14 kills, five digs and three blocks, including one solo. Ramsey Gary posted 11 digs to lead all players, and Rella Binney distributed 31 assists, added nine digs and scored on a service ace.
The opening set was tight early, with the teams tied six times through the first 12 rallies. Texas then grabbed control with a 6-1 burst and never gave it back, taking the frame 25-16 behind .321 hitting.
Spears put down six kills in the set, and Stafford finished the clincher with one of her four kills. USC hit .227 in the set, with Mullen supplying three kills and Adonia Faumuina and Ford adding two apiece.
The Trojans actually held a 4-1 edge in blocks, but Texas countered with a 9-5 advantage in digs.
Set two followed a similar pattern at the start, with four ties before Texas opened up a 12-7 lead. USC clawed back and capped a 7-1 run with a 15-14 advantage, but the Longhorns answered.
After a 19-all deadlock, Texas strung together back-to-back kills to regain the lead for good and closed out a 25-21 win to move ahead 2-0 in the match. The Horns hit .353 in the frame with 16 kills on 34 swings, while holding USC to .097.
Spears and Stafford each had seven kills in the second set, and Texas added four blocks.
USC led by as many as six points in the third set, but Texas ripped off an 11-2 run that put the sweep within reach. During that stretch, the Longhorns piled up six blocks and never let the Trojans back in. Wijay stepped up with seven kills in the frame, but USC couldn’t keep pace as Texas hit .257 to USC’s .116 and edged the Trojans 17-16 in digs to finish off the sweep.
The loss dropped USC to 5-7 all-time against Texas, including 2-4 in Austin, and extended the Trojans’ skid to five straight against the Longhorns. It also came in USC’s third consecutive match against a ranked opponent, all of them in the top 13, and marked the first time in program history the Trojans opened a season with three straight ranked foes.
USC heads to San Diego next for the Jack Talmadge Volleyball Classic, where it will face San Diego (2-1) at Jenny Craig Pavilion on Sunday, Sept. 6. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
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