Before a record crowd of 7,703 fans at Galen Center, No. 16 USC (12-4, 4-2 Big Ten) faced off against UCLA on Sunday in an intense, nail-biting match. The Trojans secured a 3-2 victory (25-16, 25-18, 25-19, 21-25, 15-11), making their mark in the competitive Big Ten conference.
“I’ll be your friend outside of the lines, but inside the lines, I’ll do everything I can to win every single point,” said head coach Brad Keller, formerly the associate head coach of the UCLA women’s volleyball team.
And that’s exactly what the Trojans did.
USC started strong, establishing an early lead in the first set. Effective blocking at the net was key as the Trojans dominated the court — a significant improvement from previous matches against Nebraska and Oregon. Powerful kills from freshman outside hitter Jadyn Livings and redshirt freshman middle blocker Leah Ford kept the Bruins on their heels, forcing them to fight hard for every point.
The Bruins struggled early, making several errors, including missed serves and back-row miscommunication. USC senior setter Mia Tuaniga also had two service errors, giving the Bruins a few unearned points, but the Trojans maintained control and took the first set 25-16.
In the second set, UCLA regrouped, led by graduate middle blocker Anna Dodson, who posted a .333 attack percentage in the set alone. The Trojans responded with a series of kills from redshirt sophomore opposite hitter Adonia Faumuina, resulting in an intense back-and-forth exchange.
But a few critical errors on the Trojans’ side allowed UCLA to stay ahead. Freshman outside hitter Kiki Horne’s consistent kills helped the Bruins adjust and exploit USC’s back-row gaps. The Trojans suffered a decline in serve reception compared to the first set, going from .933 to .892.
Despite a strong showing for USC from Ford, the Bruins claimed the second set 25-18, evening the match at 1-1.
The third set saw UCLA build early momentum, scoring first and capitalizing on Trojan back-row coverage lapses. Bruin graduate setter Audrey Pak’s serves troubled USC, forcing Keller to call a timeout. The Bruins extended their lead to 23-19, with Horne continuing to shine. They closed the set 25-19, taking a 2-1 match lead.
USC began the fourth set with a commanding 5-1 lead, led by strong offensive plays from Ford and freshman middle blocker Favor Anyanwu. This time, the Trojans cut down on mistakes and maintained a steady lead, reaching 20-9 and prompting a Bruins timeout.
Despite the versatility from Pak on UCLA’s side, the Trojans remained relentless and continued to stay vigilant on the court. Livings sealed the set with a kill for a 25-21 win, tying the match at 2-2 and pushing the Trojans and Bruins into a decisive fifth set.
The fifth set lived up to the match’s intensity. UCLA jumped to an early 3-1 lead, but USC quickly responded behind a kill from graduate outside hitter Ally Batenhorst. Both teams fought fiercely for control, with mid-court mistakes briefly hindering the Trojans, giving UCLA the chance to capitalize.
However, crucial kills by Faumuina and clutch serves from Livings helped USC regain momentum. Graduate outside hitter Grae Gosnell’s deep serves kept the pressure on, and the Trojans ultimately secured a 15-11 win in the final set.
“The biggest thing for us in those critical moments is we do a really good job staying together,” Batenhorst said. “I think leaning on each other when things aren’t going well and embracing the last play that wasn’t great is important.”
After this hard-fought victory, the Trojans are set to face Maryland on October 18 at the Xfinity Center Pavilion before returning to Galen Center to take on Michigan State on October 24.