On Thursday night, No. 11 USC men’s volleyball tried to get back to its winning ways against Central State after defeats to CSUN and Ohio State. This was the second match in a back-to-back homestand for the Trojans, who looked to extend their home record to 5-1.
Against the Marauders, the Trojans triumphed early, winning the first set 25-13 and the second set 25-12. The Trojans prevailed late, finishing the final set 25-16 and improving their record to 6-2 for the season. This was the Trojans’ first-ever meeting against the Marauders.
Redshirt junior opposite hitter Jack Deuchar led the team with 10 kills, three service aces and three digs, while sophomore outside hitter Dillon Klein collected nine kills and three digs. Freshman setter Caleb Blanchette added 33 assists, three digs and two blocks.
Freshman middle blocker Wesley Smith hit 1.000, collecting nine kills and one service ace.
“I expect all of us to be getting a lot of kills,” Deuchar said. “When we pass, we’re a really hard team to defend. I think that you can see high-kill nights from everybody on the roster, but it all starts with the passing, which we did a good job of tonight.”
Reflecting on the two recent defeats and getting the victory tonight, Trojans head coach Jeff Nygaard felt this was all a learning experience. Towards the end of the final set, the team saw heavy rotation, giving minutes to all players.
“We got a long season ahead of us. So there’s a couple bumps,” Nygaard said. “But the question is not do we get overly frustrated and shut down. ... Everything is used towards the next one. We’re on to the next one.”
For the seventh time this season, USC recorded a higher hitting percentage and collected more blocks than its opponent, while also hitting over .300. The Trojans out-shined the Marauders .493 to .104 in hitting percentage and won the digs battle 22-17. Central State headed into the game losing seven straight games in a row to start its season.
Nygaard spoke about the focus and setting the standards for his team against any opponent to perform and be consistent for the rest of the season.
“That includes us going in for preparation before the game so that we’re locked in when we’re locked in. We can be a great team, so just flexing that mental muscle,” Nygaard said.
USC is back in action again at UC San Diego (2-5) on Wednesday and returns to the Galen Center against the Tritons on February 2 at 7 p.m.