USC Dominates Final Two Sets to Defeat Loyola Marymount in Opener

MATCH STATS

• USC def. Dayton 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-11)
• USC moves to 1-0; Loyola Marymount drops to 0-1
• Los Angeles, California (Loyola Marymount)
• Box Score

Los Angeles, California – As joint hosts of a Los Angeles non-conference tournament, Loyola Marymount hosted USC in each team’s first match of the season.

The first set was tight throughout, as USC even garnered a 15-13 lead after junior middle blocker Madison Murtaqh (three blocks) and junior outside hitter Alyse Ford (11 kills, two blocks, one ace) combined for a block. Loyola Marymount sophomore middle blocker Emma Johnson ended the run with a kill and added another in a 5-0 spurt for the Lions who would go on to a win a tight first, 25-23.

The momentum carried to set two as Johnson put down another of her eight kills to give Loyola Marymount the 11-8 edge. This time the 5-0 run went to USC’s side, as they would take the lead and never surrender it with a 25-21 set win to even the match at 1-1.

Loyola Marymount would win the first point of set three, but it wasn’t indicative of how the rest of the set and match would go. The Trojans blitzed the Lions to win the set 25-14. Then, in the fourth they raced out to a 7-0 lead. They would extend on the advantage and pull away for a 25-11 dominant finish.

USC’s hitting percentage rose by set, as they went from .200 to .419 to .433 to a resounding .684 in the fourth. Sophomore Khalia Lanier led the way for the Trojans with 13 kills and nine digs on a .414 hitting percentage.

Up next, the two teams split off to joint host this non-conference tournament as USC heads home to face a top-20 Michigan team tonight at 11 p.m. eastern time. Meanwhile, Loyola Marymount looks to rebound on their home court against Albany at 10 p.m. eastern time.

PRESS RELEASES

Courtesy:  Loyola Marymount Athletics

Aug. 25, 2017

Box Score

Playing its first match under first-year head coach Aaron Mansfield, the LMU volleyball team (0-1) accomplished a program first, but ultimately succumb to USC (1-0) in four sets, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-11, from Gersten Pavilion on Friday.

LMU, which was meeting USC for the ninth time in program history, recorded its first set win of the series, taking the opener, 25-23, behind five kills from Preseason All-WCC selection Savannah Slattery. Slattery finished the match with a match-high tying 13, while sophomore Emma Johnson and junior Sara Kovac each pitched in eight.

Sophomore Megan Rice, who transferred into the program from UCSB this year, put away six kills in her Lion debut, adding a match-high three aces to guide LMU to five in the contest.

On the other side of the net, USC received 13 kills from Khalia Lanier, who narrowly missed a double-double by way of nine digs. The Trojans, who hit .400 over the course of the four sets, including a blistering .684 in the finale, posted 12 blocks, with five block assists apiece coming from Brittany Abercrombie and Danielle Geiger.

LMU will return to action tonight, hosting Albany at 7 p.m. in Gersten Pavilion.