“Jim Murray-esque” is a column by Sean Campbell that highlights all facets of USC Athletics in the style of former Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray.
Sometimes, things just work out.
In last week’s World Series, the two teams in the biggest media markets faced off in a series that, at least on paper, should have been a good one.
After each of the first three games — all Dodger wins — it was “the Yankees are coming back.” After game four, this historic comeback was “on its way.”
They would have been right, if getting slammed in the face by a fifth-inning rally and a catcher’s interference counts as taking off. My last attempt to fix my sleep schedule lasted longer than that comeback.
As a massive stats nerd, Sunday’s matchup between the No. 21 USC women’s volleyball team and the Washington Huskies, who received votes in last week’s ranking poll, was one I couldn’t miss.
Coming into the game, both USC and Washington held a 7-4 Big Ten record and had yet to face off since joining the now cross-country league.
The Huskies, however, walked into the Galen Center with a better overall record this season, 17-4, to the Trojans’ 15-6. Looking deeper, Washington losses to Michigan and UCLA — who the Trojans are 3-0 against — told a different story.
In a long-term rivalry that included 78 meetings before Sunday, the Trojans had an advantage, 45-33, yet had gone just 4-15 in road matchups since 2005.
This time, the roles were reversed.
USC began the first set like it was Michigan football at the Big House playing against the local community college’s practice squad.
If the pace of a 7-1 run that opened the frame had been continued, it might have been bad for business — not enough time to sell popcorn. After winning the next seven points only 4-3, senior setter Mia Tuaniga got bored.
So, as most bored people do, she threw up five of her signature, spinning serves in a row — three for aces — to put the Trojans up, 16-4, aiding a first set win.
I think George Strait meant to say, “you’ve got to have a [service] ace in the hole.”
When two teams are evenly matched, the results often come down to who takes control of momentum, because neither is going to go down without a fight — this isn’t the Browns teams of the late 2010s.
For the Trojans in the second set, it was runs of eight and four that gave them a 2-0 set advantage, even after falling behind early in the frame.
Three of USC’s four-headed hydra of attackers — redshirt sophomore opposite hitter Adonia Faumuina, graduate outside hitter Ally Batenhorst and freshman outside hitter Jadyn Livings — went back-to-back-to-back to put USC up, 16-7, late in the set.
All three, alongside redshirt freshman middle blocker Leah Ford, slammed double-digit kills against the Huskies.
“I really like the way we set the tone,” USC head coach Brad Keller said postgame. “That’s the way I want us to play. Those first two sets, start to finish.”
But in the third, this game’s Yankees, also known as the Washington Huskies, took their stand.
Despite Trojan efforts that closed what was a six-point gap, 12-6, to two, 15-13, the sweep was not to be.
The first 16 points of the fourth set seemed to meet a fan’s pregame expectations of two teams with the same record. A back-and-forth frame with three lead changes had the teams tied at 8-8 and it looked like the game could go to a fifth set.
Then, USC got hot.
The Trojans took 14 of the next 18 points and ultimately cruised to a 3-1 victory. If volleyball was played as a best-of-seven, my money is on a repeat of the October Classic’s final tally.
Attendees were so confident in the result midway through the Trojans’ dominant final frame that many left their seats to get in line for a postgame autograph promotion.
After the game, Keller attributed the team’s success to a strong culture. The stalwart coach mentioned the team’s singing of Christmas songs when “we haven’t even gotten to Thanksgiving yet,” as an example.
I guess success can soften even the man that said his team “should be people that run towards burning buildings,” in a September 21 postgame press conference.
With eight games left, Keller said the team is “in a very good place mentally” and is ready to finish strong.
If USC football’s plane flight to Seattle included more Mariah Carey and Burl Ives, maybe the Trojans would’ve gone 2-0 against the Huskies last weekend.