1-6
USC
8-0
Cal Poly Pushes No. 5 USC in Three Set Loss
9/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Cal Poly volleyball team would fall in three sets to the 5th-ranked Trojans of USC in the team's second match at the USC Classic on Saturday. Cal Poly would push USC in the second and third sets, but would fall to set scores of 25-12, 25-23 and 25-12.
With the loss the Mustangs fall to 1-6 on the season while USC will improve to 8-0. The Mustangs will return to the court latter on Saturday when the team will play 17th-ranked San Diego at 4:30 pm.
Junior Holly Franks led the Mustangs with 11 kills on 28 swings with junior Megan McConnall, senior Molly Pon and sophomore Megan Groess each adding five kills.
Junior Kate Walters had 14 assists and a team-high seven digs while sophomore Shannon Garrett had 11 assists. McConnell and Marianne Gera were each credited with two block assists.
Cal Poly as a team hit an even .100 with 29 kills on 100 swings (19 errors). The Mustangs served up four aces and were totaled 38 digs.
USC hit .252, recording 43 kills on 107 swings (16 errors) and also had four aces. The Trojans recorded 44 digs, but out blocked the Mustangs 7-5.
USC powered to a 4-0 lead to open the match and the first set and never really looked back. Cal Poly cut the lead to two (8-6), but USC would pull away for a first set, 25-12, victory. USC hit .261 in the set while holding the Mustangs to a (-.107) hitting percentage.
In the second set the Trojans jumped to a 6-1 lead when the Mustangs finally got on track and tied the set at 15-15 after five straight points and a USC timeout. The Mustang run came on a Pon kill from the left side and four attack errors by USC.
The teams continued to trade points until USC gained a to point advantage, 19-17, but the Mustangs moved within one on a kill by McConnell and tied it (19-19) when McConnell nailed an ace. Cal Poly took the lead, 20-19, when Megan Groess put away a kill.
Cal Poly kept pace with the score tied at 22-22 and gained a one point advantage on a kill by Franks, 23-22 with USC calling timeout to regroup. The Trojans called a second timeout and scored two straight points (24-23), forcing a Mustang timeout with set point on the line. USC closed the set out on a kill by Samantha Bricio, 25-23. The Trojans nosed out the Mustangs, hitting .262 to .219 in the win.
The third set opened with the Mustangs scoring three straight points on kill by Franks and an ace by Steffi Sooter. The teams traded points and gained a two point advantage on a solo block by McConnell and took an 8-5 lead on a kill by Groess.
USC came right back and scored four straight points to take a 9-8 lead with the Mustangs taking a timeout. The Mustangs tied the set at 11-11 on an ace by Kessler and took the lead (12-11) on a kill by McConnell.
Franks continued with a hot hand with back to back kills giving the visiting team a 15-13 lead and a three point advantage on a kill by Pon. An assisted block by Marianne Gera and Groess maintained a three point lead for the Mustangs, 19-16, and had a four point led on a setting error by the Trojans forcing a timeout.
Out of the timeout, USC scored five straight points for a 21-20 lead and a Cal Poly timeout. USC would score two more points before the Mustangs would answer, holding a 23-21 lead. USC would close out the set and the match with two more points and a 25-21 win. UCS hit .238 compared to Cal Poly's .150.
