USC opened its home slate with a four-set win over Arizona on Friday night at Galen Center, knocking off the Wildcats 25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23 to move to 3-2 on the season.
The Trojans got a balanced effort and plenty of production from the front row and the back row alike. RS Jr.
OH London Wijay led the way with 14.5 points on 14 kills, a block, and 10 digs, good for her first double-double of the season and the 18th of her career. So.
OPP Abigail Mullen delivered the match-clinching kill and finished with 10 kills and 12 digs for her first double-double of the year and ninth of her career. She also added two blocks and a service ace.
USC also got a big night from RS Jr. MB Leah Ford, who hit .571 with a season-high nine kills, three blocks, and two service aces for 12.5 points, plus three digs.
Jr. S Lilli Etter ran the offense with a career-high 47 assists and added a season-high 17 digs for her 22nd career double-double.
So. LIB Taylor Deckert led all players with 18 digs, while RS Sr.
Adonia Faumuina chipped in 12 kills. Jr.
MB Mia Tvrdy added eight kills, and Fr. OH Layli Ostovar posted a season-high 10 digs with two kills and two service aces.
Arizona was paced by Destiny Ndam-Simpson, who finished with 13 kills and nine digs, with nine of those kills coming in the first set. Carlie Cisneros and Kennedy Osunsanmi each added 10 kills, and Cisneros also recorded a double-double with 12 digs.
USC controlled the match statistically, out-hitting Arizona .229 to .183 and finishing ahead in kills, 56-44, assists, 52-37, digs, 74-61, and service aces, 7-5. Arizona had the better night at the net with a 9-5 edge in blocks.
The first set went to USC, 25-21, even though Arizona hit .424 in the frame. The Wildcats put away 16 kills on 33 attacks and got nine from Ndam-Simpson, while USC answered with 14 kills on 36 swings and hit .361.
The Trojans also scored three points from the service line. Wijay had five kills in the set, Faumuina added four, and Ford had two.
After the fourth tie at 10-10, USC broke free with a 3-0 run and held on.
Arizona answered in the second set, using four blocks and four aces to take a 25-20 win and even the match. USC hit just .133 in the frame, though Wijay kept pressing with three more kills, including a pair during a late push. Osunsanmi led the Wildcats with four kills as Arizona hit .267 with 11 kills and three errors on 30 attacks.
USC reclaimed control in the third, winning 25-20 behind a scrappy defensive effort and a cleaner attacking set. The Trojans piled up 20 digs in the frame, with Deckert collecting six of them, and hit .263 with 17 kills.
Arizona was held to eight kills and a .118 hitting percentage. Mullen put down four kills, including the set winner, and USC never trailed while leading by as many as six more than once.
The fourth set was all about USC’s defense at the end. The Trojans put up three blocks and held Arizona to a .000 hitting percentage while collecting 25 digs in the frame.
Etter had 11 digs and 12 assists in the set for another double-double, and USC led throughout without ever being tied. Arizona made one last push to pull within 24-23, but Mullen finished it off with her 10th kill of the night.
USC is now 74-22 all-time against Arizona and has won 12 straight in the series. The Trojans improved to 41-10 in home openers and have won four of their last five.
They are 232-64 all-time at Galen Center. The matchup was the first between the teams since 2023, when both were still in the Pac-12.
USC will be back at Galen Center on Saturday against No. 23 Colorado at 6 p.m.
PT, then wraps up the weekend Sunday against Oregon State at 2 p.m. Both matches will be shown live on Big Ten Plus.
Admission is free for Saturday’s match against the Buffaloes.
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