Different feel to Trojans’ MPSF rematch
Oh, the times they are a changing.
At this time three weeks ago, a match between the No. 6 USC men’s volleyball team (8-5, 6-4) and the No. 5 Cal State Northridge Matadors (11-4, 8-4) looked like a clash of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation titans — two teams posed to make a run at an NCAA title.
But in an age of sports where nothing remains sedentary and the mantra “you’re only as good as the last game you played” reigns supreme in locker rooms all over the country, it should be no surprise that these two conference rivals are not the same teams they were when they opposed one another in a five-set thriller earlier this month — a win that the Matadors escaped with, despite blowing a two-set lead.
When the top team in the land pays a visit to the Galen Center to take on the Trojans tonight, throw out all ideas of rivalries, plans of revenge and title previews. The only thing that matters in this battle of the walking wounded is a victory.
The Trojans come into their final home match of the month in desperate need of a calendar change. The February portion of their season has managed to shake their confidence, diminish their chemistry and drop them five spots in the polls.
The team that once looked like a shoe-in for an MPSF regular season title has recently lost its step on a path that looked headed for a potential spot in the NCAA final. However, the Trojans have dropped four of their past six matches and nine of their past 12 sets, while also failing to outhit their opponent ssince the start of the month. Not to mention, they haven’t won the crucial first set in nearly three weeks.
While it is easy to get negative during hard times, the Trojans have found a sense of optimism amid their recent despair — a quality that will go a long way in shaping how their season turns out.
“We realize it is a long season and we still have a lot of room for improvement,” sophomore middle blocker Steven Shandrick said. “We know what we need to work on in practice before facing Northridge to get better.”
Although the team’s lofty goals have run amuck lately, the challenge of improving against tougher competition will undoubtedly be present when the Trojans meet the Matadors tonight.
While CSUN has dropped three of their previous five matches — most notably a five-set upset at the hands of the UCLA Bruins last Friday — the Matadors’ No. 5 ranking is more than indicative of their veteran leadership and unflappable young talent.
Led by senior opposite hitter Theo Edwards (leads team in kills, total attacks and serve percentage) and sophomore setter Matt Stork (leads team in assists and set percentage), CSUN looks every bit the part of a championship-caliber team as it embarks on its fourth stop on a five-match road trip.
Though it seems the Trojans will have their hands full when the whistle blows at 7 p.m., the team is looking for a fresh start as both the second half of the season and the month of March approach.
“Of course there were a few games that we wished had gone our way the first half of the season,” sophomore libero Andrew Pizula said. “The best thing we can do is learn from those matches and work to play our best volleyball in April and May when it matters most.”