MATCH STATS
- #15 USC def. Oklahoma 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20)
- #15 USC improves to 8-3; Oklahoma falls to 3-9
- College Park, Maryland (Maryland Challenge)
- Box Score
College Park, Maryland – #15 USC bounced back from a loss to Maryland last night by taking down Oklahoma in a four-set match.
Khalia Lanier came out swinging early and often for USC, as she posted a first-set match-high five kills on 13 swings with no errors. Brittany Abercrombie also added four kills while hitting .667 in the opening game.
Oklahoma jumped ahead with an early run in set two, as the Sooners hit .345 in the second game for a tight win to even the match at 1-1. USC responded by taking the third 25-20 by hitting .344 and repeating the effort in total points with defense the fourth as they took the match 3-1.
Lanier prevailed in more than just the first set, as she netted 22 kills while hitting .340 for the match as Abercrombie notched 16 kills on a .387 hitting percentage. Daley Krage was the third Trojan with double-digit kills at 12 as she hit .273.
In the losing effort, Alyssa Enneking strung together another strong performance as she logged 20 kills while hitting .250. Madison Drescher wasn’t far behind with 18 kills on a .270 hitting percentage as Audrey Alford steadied the offense with 46 assists.
While Oklahoma out-dug USC 58-44, eight team blocks from the Trojans to five of the Sooners in addition to a .257-.191 hitting percentage in favor of USC led the west coast side to victory.
USC now heads back home to rest up and get prepared for their Pac-12 opener. That one comes on Wednesday on the road against Los Angeles rival UCLA. Oklahoma also jets back to home as they will host Kansas State on Wednesday to begin their Big 12 season.
PRESS RELEASES:
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The 18th-ranked USC women’s volleyball team (8-3) completed its non-conference schedule with a 3-1 win (25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20) over Oklahoma (3-9) in the Maryland Challenge at the Xfinity Center on Friday, Sept. 15.
The Women of Troy had three players in double-digit kills and were led by sophomore outside hitter Khalia Lanier‘s 25.0 points on 22 kills (5e, 50att, .340). Lanier was also just one dig shy of a double-double and finished with nine to go with four blocks and a service ace. Senior opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie matched her career high with 16 kills (4e, 31att, .387) to go with two blocks.
In a breakout match, sophomore Daley Krage finished with a career-high 12 kills (3e, 33att, .273) to go with three digs and two blocks. Junior outside hitter Alyse Ford tagged in with five kills and senior middle blocker Jordan Dunn added three kills and three blocks. At the other middle position, junior Brittany Welsh had five blocks to lead the Trojans. Welsh also served an ace.
The Trojans hit .257 in the match with 59 kills (21e) on 148 swings. Senior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley dished out 24 assists with 11 digs for her first double-double this season (10th of her career). Sophomore setter Cindy Marina had 19 assists and four digs. Junior libero Victoria Garrick finished with 10 digs and eight assists.
For the Sooners, Alyssa Enneking led the way with 20 kills (8e, 48att, .250) and 10 digs for a double-double. Madison Drescher had 18 kills (8e, 37att, .270) while Rachel Manriquez led all players with 17 digs.
The teams battled back and forth through five ties in the opening frame, but Abercrombie’s kill broke a nine-all deadlock and sent the Trojans on a 5-1 run that put USC up, 15-10. The Sooners trimmed the USC lead to three, but came no closer as Abercrombie returned to score the final point in a 25-19 win. The score was tied 13 times in the second set and the lead changed hands four times; none more critical than the final change when Oklahoma pushed ahead and scored the final two points for a 25-23 win.
The Women of Troy seized control of the third set thanks to a 4-0 run with two kills by Dunn and one from Ford for a 14-10 lead. USC went up by as many as eight points at 23-15, and despite a valiant comeback bid by the Sooners, was able to close out a 25-20 win on a kill by Lanier. The Trojans were less giving in the final frame as they raced out to a quick 4-1 lead. The Sooners equalized at 11-all and then did so again at 15-all, but a 4-0 run put USC in front for good when Lanier served up an ace. Oklahoma came no closer than three points down the stretch before Abercrombie registered back-to-back kills to sew up the 3-1 victory.
Up next, USC opens Pac-12 play with a visit to crosstown rival UCLA on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The Women of Troy and the Bruins will meet at Pauley Pavilion at 8 p.m. PT and be shown live on ESPNU.
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 improved to 6-0 in all-time matches against Oklahoma.
- The Trojans improved to 1-1 in all-time matches played in the state of Maryland.
- Senior OPP Brittany Abercrombie tied her career high with 16 kills. Her 17.0 points also tied a season high.
- Senior setter Reni Meyer-Whalley posted her first double-double of the season with 24 assists and 11 digs. It is her 10th-career double-double all-time.
- Sophomore OPP Daley Krage registered career highs with 12 kills, 33 attacks, three digs, two blocks, and 13.0 points.
- Sophomore OH Khalia Lanier led the team in kills (22) and posted a season-high 25.0 points. Lanier was one dig shy of logging a double-double and finished with nine.
- Junior MB Brittany Welsh tied a season high with five blocks (all assists).
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Oklahoma volleyball team concluded the Maryland Challenge with a 3-0 loss to Maryland and a 3-1 defeat to No. 18 Southern California at the XFINITY Center on Friday. The tournament marked the fourth of four on the schedule for the Sooners, who move into conference play with the Big 12 opener on Wednesday, September 20 in Norman.
The Sooners (3-9) lost to the host Terrapins (11-0) in the first match of the day in straight sets by scores of 19-25, 15-25 and 23-35. Oklahoma led the first 19-16 before Maryland went on a 9-0 to finish the set and claim the led. The Terps started hot in the second, racing out to a 6-0 lead. OU put together its best set of the match in the third; hitting a collective .333.
Junior outside hitter Alyssa Enneking (League City, Texas)led all players with 16 kills, including seven in the first set, and hit .467 with five digs. Junior outside hitter Morgan Miller(Magnolia, Texas) added 10 kills and hit a team-high .500.
Maryland’s attack was led by Gia Milana with 14 kills as she hit .500 with four blocks. Hailey Murray added nine blocks on a .667 attack rate and posted eight total blocks.
OU junior setter Audrey Alford (Norman, Okla.) led the match with 35 assists and added a team-high seven digs. For the Terrapins, Samantha Snyder dished out a team-high 22 assists, while Abigail Bentz chipped in with 17.
In the second match of the day, Oklahoma and USC (9-2) were knotted at a set apiece after the Trojans took the first, 25-19, and the Sooners pulled even with a 25-23 win in the second. USC finished off the match by taking the third and fourth by identical 25-20 scores.
Khalia Lanier led the Trojans and all players with 22 kills on a .340 attack rate to go with nine digs. Brittany Abercrombie was second on the team with 16 kills and hit a match-high .387.
Enneking paced Oklahoma with 20 kills and notched 10 digs for her team-leading fourth double-double of the season. Junior outside hitter Madison Drescher (Southlake, Texas) added a career-high 18 kills.
Alford once again led all players in assists with 46, while picking up seven digs. Reni Meyer-Whalley split time at setter for USC and totaled 24 assists and Cindy Marina chipped in with 19. Meyer-Whalley also posted 11 digs in a double-double effort. OU was led in digs by redshirt-junior defensive specialist Rachel Manriquez(Edmond, Okla.) at 17.
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