Women’s Volleyball | September 24, 2024

LOS ANGELES – The No. 20-ranked USC women’s volleyball team (8-2) enters its first conference weekend on a five-game winning streak, while Ohio State (7-3) heads to the Galen Center for a battle on Friday night (Sept. 9). comes. 27) at 7 p.m. PT. The Trojans have a 35-13 all-time record in league openers, but will need to quickly turn the page after facing the Buckeyes to return to the Midwest for a game on Sunday night (Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m. CT/4). :30 p.m. PT) with No. 2 Nebraska (10-1) at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Both games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

THIS WEEK

B1G PREMIERE

GAME #11 • Friday, September 27th • 7pm PT

No. 20 USC (8-2, 0-0) vs. Ohio State (7-3, 0-0)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California.

SERIAL RECORDING: USC leads, 4-2 (.667)

LAST MEETING: L 3-0 (December 3, 2022 • Columbus, Ohio)

STRAND: Lost 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 4-2

TV: Big Ten Network (Paul Sunderland & Camryn Irwin)

OPPONENT’S WEBSITE: OhioStateBuckeyes.com

GAME #12 • Sunday, September 29th • 6:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. PT)

No. 20 USC (8-2, 0-0) at No. 2 Nebraska (10-1, 0-0)
Bob Devaney Sports Center • Lincoln, Neb.

SERIAL RECORDING: USC leads, 5-2 (.714)

LAST MEETING: L 3-1 (August 31, 2008 • Omaha, Neb.)

STRAND: Lost 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-2

TV: Big Ten Network (Larry Punteney & Lauren Stivrins)

OPPONENT’S WEBSITE: Huskers.com

FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)

• USC is led by a fifth-year head coach Brad Keller He has the unique experience of having coached both men’s and women’s programs at USC and UCLA. Overall is basement 71-49 (.592) as head coach of the Trojans.
• The Trojans are 209-57 all-time at Galen Center (.786).
• USC is 35-13 All-time in conference openers, including a 20-5 mark when the Trojans play the league at home. USC has won its last two conference openers; 2022 (3-1) and 2023 (3-2), both at UCLA.
• USC’s five-game winning streak is its longest since the Trojans won nine straight games between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8. 1. 2023.
• The Troy women are 7-7 all-time in the state of Nebraska and 4-0 in the city of Lincoln (2-0 in 1985 and 2-0 in 2003).
• Sr.S Mia Tuaniga was the Trojans’ setter each of the last three seasons and ranked sixth in school history with 3,704 assists. She was elected to the Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team.
• Jr. LIB Gala Trubint has logged 54 career double-digit matches and has 15 career matches over 20.
• Gr. OH Ally Batenhorst ranks eighth in the Big Ten in kills (3.84 mph) and sixth in the league in points (4.63 pps).
• Sr. MB Tyrah Ariail is fourth in the Big Ten in blocks (1.40 bps) and 25th nationally. As a team, USC ranks second in the conference (3rd in the NCAA) for blocks at 3.17 bps.
• The Trojans play her first season as a member of the Big Ten Conference in 2024 and were picked to finish seventh in a preseason coaches poll.

LAST TIME: USC secured the Trojans/Lions Invitational crown with three wins over Loyola Marymount (3-2), UNLV (3-1) and UC San Diego (3-1). The Women of Troy extended their winning streak to five games, ending non-conference play and placing three players on the all-tournament team, including the most outstanding player Ally Batenhorst. Mia Tuaniga And Grae Gosnell also received recognition from all tournaments. Batenhorst extended her streak of double-digit kills to 10 matches and posted her fourth double-double of the season, which included a career-high 18 kills. Tuaniga had two double-doubles and played her 16th and 17th career matches with three or more service aces. Jadyn Livings picked up where she left off the previous week, scoring double-digit kills in three games; and recorded her first career double-double. Gosnell slipped into the libero jersey in the absence of the starter Gala Trubint and recorded a career-high 20 digs in the Trojans’ win over the Tritons.

AVCA SURVEY STATUS: The Trojans opened the 2024 season ranked No. 21 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. Overall, USC is represented in the coaches’ poll 531 timeswhat ranks sixth any times. The Women of Troy earned a spot among the top ten teams in the poll 317 timeswhat ranks eighth all-time, and the Trojans hold the No. 1 ranking 47 times for seventh any times. Since 1982 – the year the survey was created – USC has appeared in the final poll 34 of 41 times, with 18 top 10 finishes; 12 in the top five and the No. 1 team twice (2002, 2003).

HOME SWEET HOME: USC is 209-57 (.786) of all time at the Galen Center. A year ago, the Trojans were 11-2 at home. USC posted a 12-1 home record in 2011 and finished 2012 with a 17-1 home record. In 2007, USC was 19-0 at home heading into the NCAA national semifinal game. The Trojans are 20-4 all-time at the Galen Center in NCAA Tournament games. The four defeats came in the second round against Hawaii (2008 and 2009) and San Diego (2018); and to Washington in the 2013 NCAA Regional Finals.

B1G AWARDS: Sr. Mia Tuaniga was named Big Ten Setter of the Week and OH Jadyn Life earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Sept. 23. The two awards are the first ever given to Trojan players as members of the Big Ten Conference. For Livings, it is their first ever weekly award. Tuaniga takes home her first weekly award since being nominated for the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award in 2021.

OH! SO cheesy: The Trojans are balanced 7-7 In 14 Games played in the Cornhusker State. USC is 4:0 in Lincoln and 3-7 in Omaha. In 2017 and 2022, the Trojans played at DJ Sokol Arena as part of a rotating tournament that included USC, Creighton, Kentucky and Northern Iowa. The Women of Troy made trips to Lincoln in 1985 and 2003.

CORNY CONNECTIONS: Three women from Troy are from the Cornhusker State. First semester LIB/DS Paisley Douglas returned to her hometown of Omaha when the Trojans played in the Creighton Classic (September 5-6). She is the third Trojan with roots in the state. LIB/DS Raegan LeGrand (2016-19) was the first Papillion native to wear the Cardinal and Gold. setter Elle Glock (2021; Wahoo, Neb.) played one season at USC before transferring to Louisville. OH Ally Batenhorst played three seasons at Nebraska before joining the Women of Troy for the 2024 season. Deputy head coach Tyler Hildebrand was an assistant coach for the Cornhuskers for three seasons (2017, ’20, ’21).

DOUBLE: Six Trojans have recorded double-doubles in their careers. setter Mia Tuaniga owns 32 Double-doubles in her career (a triple-double on September 30, 2022 against Colorado). OPP Adonia Faumuina In her first collegiate game, she recorded a double-double as she led the Women of Troy to victory over crosstown rival UCLA. OH London Wijay She had back-to-back double-doubles in road games at Purdue and UCLA in the first two games of her career and has done so now nine-Career double-double. LIB Gala Trubint posted a double-double for the first time in her career with 20 points and 10 assists against Arizona State in 2022. OH Ally Batenhorst owns six-Career double-double, twice as a Husker in 2022. OH Jadyn Livings recorded her first career double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs in a win over UC San Diego on September 21st.