#3 Stanford Dispatches #11 USC to Clinch Pac-12 Title Outright

MATCH STATS

• #3 Stanford def. #11 USC 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-14)
• #3 Stanford improves to 23-3 (16-1, Pac-12); #11 USC falls to 20-8 (12-5, Pac-12)
• Stanford, California (Pac-12 Match)
• Attendance: 2,077
• Box Score

Stanford, California – #3 Stanford dominated in all facets of the match with #11 USC as they swept the Trojans to win the Pac-12 Championship outright. One more win would have earned just a share, with a win and USC loss or two wins good enough for the title all to themselves. That obviously was all was accomplished in this one match for the Cardinal, who claim the title for the first time since 2014.

Stanford could tell what they were playing for in the early going it seemed, as the finish line was right around the corner. Stanford could see that finish line and came out sprinting as they hit a blistering .609 in the opening set to win it 25-16 – which amazingly was the closest of the three.

A lot of times after a set with those kinds of numbers, things cool off a bit afterwards. That was not the case at all for Stanford who again hit a blazing mark in the second at .538. The defense was solid in both as well with USC hitting just .074 by the time the intermission came.

Another key for Stanford was their ability to serve aggressively, as although they didn’t log a ton of aces, it helped them to slow down a fast-paced USC attack. Again that was apparent and worked well in the third as Stanford finished things off 25-14.

The numbers would show the control for Stanford in the match, as they hit at a more efficient rate (.461 to .023), had more aces (3-2) and blocks (15-4). Kathryn Plummer (11 kills, .500) and Meghan McClure (eight kills, .583) led the offense for Stanford while Audriana Fitzmorris (10 blocks, six kills, .500) and Merete Lutz (seven blocks, eight kills, .368) added to it and provided the thunder on the block.

Beyond the victory giving Stanford the nomination of 2017 Pac-12 Champions, it keeps them firmly in the discussion for a top four seed from the NCAA Tournament committee. For USC, the loss shouldn’t hurt much on their quest to host in the first/second round as this snaps their five-match winning streak.

Next up, Stanford has a quick turnaround with the #20 UCLA Bruins in town tomorrow. USC will stick around the area but cross the bay for one more as they take on the Cal Bears on Friday night.

PRESS RELEASES:

Courtesy of Stanford:

STANFORD, Calif. – No. 4 Stanford clinched its first Pac-12 championship since 2014 with a 3-0 sweep over No. 14 USC, 25-16, 25-12, 25-14, Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford (23-3, 16-1 Pac-12) remained unbeaten at home this season and earned the program’s 17th Pac-12 championship and 20th conference title overall.

Stanford, which hit .461 for the match and held USC to .023 hitting, has swept all but one of its nine home matches and has won 13 straight on The Farm.

Kathryn Plummer led the Cardinal with 11 kills, while Meghan McClure added eight with a .583 hitting percentage. Audriana Fitzmorris had 10 blocks and added six kills, while Jenna Gray tallied 37 assists in the three-set victory. Morgan Hentz had a team-high 10 digs, Merete Lutz contributed eight kills and seven blocks, and Tami Alade finished with six kills and five blocks.

The Cardinal hosts No. 18 UCLA on Thursday at 8 p.m. It is Fan Appreciation Night and fans will have the chance to win various giveaways and prizes throughout the match. The Cardinal will be offering $7 discounted tickets with the donation of a canned food item as a part of its Holiday Drive. For those that can’t make it, the game can be seen on Pac-12 Networks.

Courtesy of USC:

STANFORD, Calif. – The 14th-ranked USC women’s volleyball team (20-8, 12-5 Pac-12) dropped a 3-0 decision (25-16, 25-12, 25-14) to No. 4 Stanford (23-3, 16-1) at Maples Pavilion on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The loss snapped the Trojans’ five-match winning streak as the Cardinal clinched the outright Pac-12 title.

Senior opposite hitter Niki Withers led the Trojans with nine kills. Fellow senior right side Brittany Abercrombie tallied eight kills and had two blocks. Senior middle blocker Jordan Dunn had three kills and three blocks. Sophomore setter Cindy Marina dished out 14 assists and had four digs.

USC hit .023 in the match (29k, 27e, 88att) while Stanford posted a .461 outing with 40 kills (5e) on 76 swings. Kathryn Plummer led all players with 11 kills (1e, 20att, .500). Audriana Fitzmorris had six kills and hit .500 to go with 10 blocks (one solo). Jenna Gray put up 37 assists, had a service ace, and three digs.

Stanford controlled the first set from start to finish to get a 25-16 win. The Cardinal scored 15 kills (1e) on just 23 swings to hit .609 in the opening frame, which saw each team collect just five digs apiece. USC hit .174 with 10 kills led by Withers’ four-kill performance.

The Cardinal led by as many as 15 points in the second set at 24-9, but the Trojans saved three set points before Stanford could close out a 25-12 win. The Cardinal put up another plus-.500 hitting performance with 15 kills (1e) on 26 attacks for a .538 finish. The Cardinal also used six blocks to help hold the Women of Troy to a .000 outing (9k, 9e, 31att).

Stanford put a death-grip on the third set when it raced out to a 10-0 lead and was never threatened en route to a 25-14 win. The Trojans scored three in a row at one point to trim the lead to six at 16-10, but Stanford pushed back to get a 22-12 lead before Plummer scored the final point of the match to seal the sweep.

Up next, USC heads to the East Bay to face California (13-14, 4-12) on Friday, Nov. 17, at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. The Trojans and the Golden Bears will be streamed live on the Pac-12+ platform with first serve set for 6 p.m. PT.

For more information on the USC women’s volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.

MATCH NOTES

• USC fell to 26-63-1 in its all-time series with Stanford and has now lost four straight to the Cardinal.
• The Trojans had their five-match winning streak snapped.
• The Stanford win secured the outright Pac-12 championship for the Cardinal.
• The Women of Troy hit a season-low .023 (29k, 27e, 88att).
• Stanford posted 15.0 blocks in the match, the highest by a USC opponent this season.