After a thrilling win at Galen Center against the UCLA Bruins on October 13, the Trojans traveled to the East Coast to take on the Maryland Terrapins and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. They achieved impressive sweeps against both opponents, winning against Maryland with scores of 25-15, 25-17, 25-23, and against Rutgers with scores of 25-16, 25-20, 25-17.
“There’s no magic to this,” head coach Brad Keller said, reflecting on the team’s success against East Coast opponents.
The Trojans began their East Coast takeover by facing the Maryland Terrapins on Friday. Jadyn Livings led the Trojans with 14 kills, four blocks and two aces, an impressive run for the true freshman outside hitter. Senior setter Mia Tuaniga orchestrated the offense with 34 assists. Redshirt sophomore opposite hitter Adonia Faumuina added 10 kills, hitting .533, and graduate outside hitter Ally Batenhorst tallied nine kills and three blocks.
Junior libero Gala Trubint anchored the defense with 13 digs, marking her 60th career match with double-digit digs. USC’s blocking presence, led by redshirt freshman outside hitter Leah Ford’s five blocks, and its clutch play down the stretch proved crucial in the victory.
The Trojans opened with a 7-1 run in the first set, taking immediate control. Maryland graduate pin hitter Samantha Schnitta responded with a kill to give the ball back to the Terrapins. Livings and Batenhorst each scored four kills in the first set, while USC’s defense, led by Ford’s three blocks, held Maryland to a -.029 hitting percentage.
Maryland briefly found momentum when fifth-year outside hitter Sam Csire’s kill cut the USC lead to 9-4. A 5-1 run initiated by sophomore outside hitter Sydney Bryant then brought the Terrapins within six points at 19-13, with Csire adding another kill and sophomore defensive specialist Jonna Spohn notching a service ace during the stretch. However, the Trojans maintained control, as Tuaniga’s 12 assists and Trubint’s four digs helped USC cruise to a 25-15 win in the first set.
The Trojans carried their dominance into the second set, hitting .524 and collecting five more blocks to limit the Terrapins to a .074 hitting percentage.
Livings added five kills, while Tuaniga contributed 4.5 points with two kills, two aces and a block. Maryland showed some fight, with Csire and graduate middle blocker Anastasia Russ leading short rallies, but the Trojans used a late 4-0 run to pull away for a 25-17 win.
The third set was the tightest of the match, with 13 ties and 10 lead changes as both teams traded points. Maryland stayed competitive with timely kills from Russ, Schnitta, Rohrbach and Bryant, while fifth-year setter Sydney Dowler added service aces. The Terps briefly pulled ahead 19-18. Kills from Csire and Bryant led the Terps to take a 21-20 lead.
The back-and-forth battle continued, with Schnitta delivering another kill to tie it up at 22 apiece. However, the Trojans remained composed, and a kill from Faumuina followed by back-to-back service aces from Livings sparked a 3-0 run, allowing the Trojans to close out the set 25-23 and complete the sweep.
In Sunday’s match against the Scarlet Knights, Tuaniga was the catalyst for the Trojans’ offensive firepower, delivering an impressive 29 assists and guiding her team to a remarkable .365 hitting percentage (38 kills, 11 errors on 74 attempts). Tuaniga also made her presence felt in all other facets, contributing five digs, one block, one kill and three service aces. This performance marked her 18th career match with three or more service aces, bringing her career total to 139 and placing her at fifth on USC’s all-time career service aces list.
The Trojans wasted no time establishing dominance, leading by as many as nine points in the first set. Batenhorst led the charge with nine kills, hitting .286 along with five digs and five blocks, while Faumuina matched her output with nine kills on an efficient .438 hitting percentage.
Ford also made her mark, adding seven kills on an impressive .875 hitting clip.
The Trojans’ defensive game was equally impressive, as the team racked up 11 blocks in the set compared to Rutgers’ five. Freshman middle blocker Favor Anyanwu excelled defensively, leading all players with six blocks while also contributing seven kills. Freshman libero Paisley Douglas — who made her season debut on the trip to the Northeast — anchored the back row with a career high nine digs, ensuring the Trojans maintained control throughout the match.
Rutgers struggled to find its rhythm, though sophomore middle blocker Zora Hardison led the Scarlet Knights with seven kills. Despite Hardison’s efforts, the Knights could not keep pace with USC’s relentless attack. The Scarlet Knights finished the match with a hitting percentage of just .000 in both the second and third sets, a testament to the Trojans’ stifling defense.
The second set saw the Trojans hitting .276 while forcing the Scarlet Knights into eight errors. USC maintained its momentum, closing the set 25-20.
In the third set, the Trojans continued to dominate, hitting .435 and showcasing their offensive depth with contributions from all corners of the roster. Tuaniga dished out 12 assists in the final frame, while Anyanwu’s five blocks solidified the Trojans’ defensive effort. The Trojans sealed the match with a 25-17 win.
With this victory, the Trojans have now won 11 of their last 13 matches, showcasing their impressive defensive capabilities. This performance serves as a strong statement of the program and their ability to compete against opponents in the Big Ten.
The Trojans’ efforts have not gone unnoticed, as the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee recently announced its in-season top-16 rankings, placing USC at No. 15. This recognition further underscores the Trojans’ rising status and potential as a national contender as they push forward in the season.
“Home cooking and sleeping in your own bed is always good food for the soul,” Keller remarked as the Trojans head into two home games at Galen Center against Michigan State on October 24 and Penn State on October 26.