Men’s volleyball to host top-ranked Long Beach


By
 in
Senior outside hitter Ryan Moss gets a kill against Pepperdine at Galen Center March 2 (Josh Dunst | Daily Trojan)

The No. 11 USC men’s volleyball will face off against No. 1 Long Beach State this Saturday night in USC’s North Gym.

USC has lost its last four meetings with Long Beach State, including a 3-1 loss in January. Until last week when Long Beach played UC Santa Barbara, USC had been the only team to take a set off the 49ers.

“I think we found our identity and the way we play,” senior outside hitter Ryan Moss said. “We’re in the final sprint here. I think on a mental standpoint and mindset we’re all on the same page — we know what needs to be done, and we know what we’re capable of. I think the whole team is just in a good space where we know that every night we need to come out and play our absolute best to show what we can do and try to build on that moving forward.”

Moss and redshirt senior outside hitter Jack Wyett are leading the Trojan offense with 249 and 231 total kills, respectively. Senior outside hitter Gianluca Grasso has served up 16 aces so far this season. Moss and sophomore middle blocker Sam Lewis anchor the defense with 42 and 40 blocks, respectively, while senior libero Matt Douglas has 107 digs in the back row.

The 49ers are a force in serving with both senior opposite/outside hitter Kyle Ensing and senior outside hitter TJ DeFalco putting up 33 aces this season. Ensing and DeFalco also lead the team in kills with 213 and 205, respectively. On defense, Jordan Molina has 113 digs and Nick Amado has 52 blocks.

This is Moss’ last chance to face players who he’s been competing with since middle school.

“I’ve been playing against these guys since seventh, eighth grade so it’s been a long time coming,” Moss said. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to get to play them as No. 1 in the nation. They’re doing really well.”

Moss reflected on his time playing for USC and is happy with his experience on the team.

“I think my goals have shifted throughout my years here,” Moss said. “We’ve suffered a lot of losses and we’ve had some terrible seasons in the past. So at a certain point, my goals shifted from winning national championships and all that stuff to just leaving the program in a better place than I found it.”

He acknowledges USC is at .500 in conference play, but remains realistic about what he can do with the time he has left to lead the team.

“I think this season is definitely a step in the right direction, and I personally am just trying to get everything out of myself as I can this last month of the season,” he said. “So, did I accomplish everything I set out to? I’m not too sure, but I’m happy with where we are right now.”

The match against the defending national champions begins in USC’s North Gym Saturday at 7 p.m.