The competitive spirit of the USC vs. UCLA Crosstown Showdown set high expectations for a captivating match and it delivered in true Los Angeles fashion. After five sets with paper thin margins, USC bested its Southern California counterpart by claiming victories in the second, fourth and fifth sets of the matchup.
“I thought it was two teams that were trying really hard and making a lot of really unforced, uncharacteristic errors by both squads,” head coach Brad Keller said. “It was a little bit more ugly volleyball tonight but you have to sometimes try to win ugly and try to figure out ways to score points at the most inopportune times and we just got two more than they did tonight.”
Keller is someone who has experienced this rivalry on both sides of the net. Hired in February, 2020, Keller has led the Trojans to five wins in seven total matchups against the Bruins, with an overall record of 51-38 since his arrival. The Trojans have four consecutive wins over the Bruins, their longest such streak since 11 consecutive wins over the Bruins spanning from 2001 to 2005.
Graduate setter Emily Fitzner delivered the final block of the game, earning the Trojans a 17-15 victory in the fifth and final set.
“I felt very confident because of my teammates and I know that they’ve been in this position before, so I was able to look up to them and see from their past experiences of playing a rivalry game like this,” Fitzner said.
Despite losing the first set, the Trojans commanded the second set ultimately winning 25-20. The third set saw momentum shift back in favor of the Bruins, with UCLA taking it 25-23. After regrouping as a team, USC fought back to win the next two sets 25-17 and 17-15.
Freshman outside hitter London Wijay led the team with 23 kills, 10 digs and one block. As one of the newest additions to the Trojan lineup, Wijay has already made a name for herself after recently being selected as Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
“I just feel like they are already my family, it’s so nice. I’ve played on different teams before and I’ve just never felt this family atmosphere,” Wijay said. “They are just so patient with me and I really enjoy playing on this team.”
As USC’s first Pac-12 game of the season, Trojans entered the game with a 6-4 non-conference record and a five game win streak under their belt. With the friction of the rivalry, every point was a battle. The crowd in Pauley Pavilion was relentless in their support for the Bruins, yet the Trojans kept a clear mind throughout the noise.
“Everything is a learning opportunity,” Keller said. “When you start realizing that it’s just noise and you start realizing you have a job to do and focusing on it, the more you are in those types of environments the more comfortable you are going to get.”
The fourth set saw both teams match each other kill-for-kill and block-for-block. Neither team had more than a two point lead for the majority of the fourth set until Trojans ran away with the fourth set win 25-17. This was the largest deficit for either team throughout the match.
The match point needed for the Bruins to win the fifth set was interrupted by a kill from senior outside hitter Skylar Fields. Fields collected 18 kills Wednesday night on the way to a Trojan triumph.
USC will continue Pac-12 play at the Galen Center Sunday, September 24, against Oregon State. Looking for a seventh consecutive win, USC women’s volleyball will compete in the Pac-12 for one last season.
“UCLA and USC need to be good,” Keller said. “We need to be ranked. We need to be up there in the top 10 in the country so we bring volleyball a little bit back to L.A. I think it’s been lost for a minute so we gotta continue to get better.”