USC fall sports are more than football

It’s no surprise that USC’s football team is the focus of campus in the fall. They’re preparing for their first conference game against No. 7 Stanford this Saturday. But although all the attention is on them, there are other teams in the fall who have started their seasons strong and deserve support from Trojan fans as well.

The No. 2 men’s water polo team deserves national attention in its own right. They’ve won nine national championships, six of those consecutively from 2008 to 2013. They’re 5-0 right now and dominated their competition this past weekend, outscoring three opponents 67-7.

The Trojans have consistently been dominant in the pool in recent seasons, which makes for a fun time as a fan. Junior Lachlan Edwards led the team with 11 goals in their three weekend matches. Their near constant success makes for an entertaining and enjoyable time for Trojan fans.

They will also make the trip up to Palo Alto to face No. 5 Stanford in their first MPSF match of the season on Saturday.

The women’s soccer team had a huge 3-0 upset of No. 8 North Carolina on Sunday, handing the Tar Heels their first loss of the season. It’s a huge victory against a historic women’s soccer program, and the first win in four matches against UNC. It was the most goals the Tar Heels have allowed since a 4-3 overtime loss back in 2011. The victory was the fifth-straight game where redshirt senior goalie Sammy Jo Prudhomme and her defense allowed no goals.

The Women of Troy also beat LMU on Friday 2-0, with senior midfielder Morgan Andrews leading the team with two goals on the weekend.

Between women’s soccer’s two home matches, there was an average attendance of 510. That’s approximately 300 fewer than their opponents this season have averaged. It’s already a higher average attendance than last season (498), but it’s barely a third of their opponents’ average attendance last season of 1,524.

The Women of Troy are a dynamic, exciting team on a five-match win streak. With a dominating win against the Tar Heels under their belt, USC has the momentum to make noise this season and compete for the top spot in the Pac-12.

The No. 21 women’s volleyball team is also on a long win streak. After dropping their first three matches of the season, the Women of Troy have won six straight matches and 10 of their last 11 sets. They won the Rice Adidas Invitational this past weekend. Senior middle blocker Elise Ruddins was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player with 25 kills and 16 blocks. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by junior opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie and freshman outside hitter Khalia Lanier. Abercrombie had 25 kills and eight blocks and Lanier had 36 kills, eight blocks and five aces through the weekend.

Attendance has also been less than optimal on the court: So far, there has been an average of 626 people in attendance in the Women of Troy’s six home matches. Last season, when the Trojans were the top team in the nation for the majority of the season, they averaged 1,705 in attendance, but their opponents’ average was still more — 2,127 fans.

Despite their rough start, the Women of Troy have found a rhythm and consistency on the court. Their matches at the Galen Center are interesting and entertaining. The atmosphere is lively and a great time for USC fans. They host the Pac-12 Challenge this week and will face Oklahoma and Maryland on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Taking a look at the attendance figures is indicative that the Trojan Nation can do more to support USC’s teams. Just because football captures the attention of most people, these teams are playing well and feature a great atmosphere to cheer them on.

There is no doubt that all eyes will be on the gridiron in Palo Alto come Saturday, but it’s important to remember that USC has other programs that deserve their fair share of attention.

Jodee Storm Sullivan is a junior majoring in broadcast and digital journalism. Her column, “The Storm Report,” runs Tuesdays.