Trojans attempt to win 11th in a row

After sweeping both UC Santa Barbara and UCLA on the road last week, the USC men’s volleyball team (15-4, 12-4 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play) kick off their final homestand of the season by facing George Mason (7-11, 3-4 in Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play) tonight. This will be the seventh time the Trojans face off against the Patriots, and the Trojans have never lost to their East Coast foe.

The visiting Patriots will pose an intriguing challenge to the second-ranked Trojans in their unpredictability.

“They are a bit more unorthodox in their service and receiving formations, unlike any teams we have played so far. They hit a standing float serve, as well as have a lot of guys we are not familiar with,” USC coach Bill Ferguson said.

Luckily, the Trojans have looked unbeatable in their recent matches. They are riding a 10-game win streak, including a sweep over top-ranked UCLA in Westwood last Wednesday. Still, the Trojans are fourth in the MPSF standings and, with the top five teams all within two games of each other, need to keep up their high level of play and finish strong.

Despite the conference tournament being less than a month away, senior co-captain and outside hitter Tony Ciarelli is determined not to let the Trojans get complacent.

“We need to maintain our competitive spirit no matter how well we are performing,” Ciarelli said. “The goal is to stay focused in every practice, and keep our confidence no matter what.”

Ciarelli was named the MPSF Conference Player of the Week and has continued to perform at an All-American level. He is third in the nation in kills and sixth in aces per set. Along with his recent statistics, Ciarelli has flourished in his leadership role.

“He has made a concentrated effort to work us through tough in-game situations and has embraced the captain role,” Ferguson said.

Additionally, last week included a milestone for Ferguson, who won his 100th game as the Trojans’ coach. Even with his accomplishments, the man more commonly known as “Fergie” had only praise for others when asked about his achievement.

“It doesn’t matter how much you know as a coach,” Ferguson said. “It’s the quality of the people around you.”

As well as playing against an unfamiliar foe, the Trojans will be playing this and next week’s games in North Gym with the Galen Center in use for the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Located in the Physical Education Building, the gym has not hosted a volleyball game since 2006. Despite being a sharp contrast from the new, glistening court at the Galen Center, the court with a capacity of about 400 should provide a crowded and raucous atmosphere for the Trojans’ three games there.

Ferguson is excited about the opportunity to take a trip back in time through the history of the USC volleyball program.

“Most of the major history of the program was made here,” Ferguson said. “Our alumni are always talking about the glory days, so this is a cool opportunity, especially for our seniors, to experience the site where five championship squads played.”