USC to face George Mason amid 3-game win streak


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Sophomore opposite hitter Simon Gallas spikes the ball.
Sophomore opposite hitter Simon Gallas totaled 23 kills across USC’s two games against BYU. On the season, he has 250 kills. (Blake Pak | Daily Trojan)

After a weekend sweep of BYU, No. 6 men’s volleyball returns to action Wednesday night as the team welcomes George Mason University to Galen Center.

Following a 3-1 win over the Cougars Friday night, the Trojans beat them in straight sets Saturday to improve to 13-3 on the season. Only Hawaii has more wins than the Trojans, and only UCLA, Ball State and Long Beach State have fewer losses.

Despite the sweep, USC remained at No. 6 in the latest Coaches Poll. BYU, on the other hand, dropped out of the rankings following the loss to the Trojans.

“[Beating BYU twice] is something that doesn’t happen very often in men’s volleyball,” said redshirt senior captain and starting setter Chris Hall. “BYU is usually a very solid program at the top of the MPSF, so being able to beat them twice is really good.” 

Coupled with their 3-1 win over No. 7 Pepperdine Feb. 25, USC enters the match against George Mason having won three straight against teams ranked at the time of the contest.

The Trojans have had players recognized at the conference level for their play, as both Hall and junior middle blocker/opposite hitter Lucas Frassrand were named MPSF Defensive and Offensive Players of the Week, respectively. This marked the second time in the season that USC has swept the MPSF weekly honors.

Hall, currently in his fifth season as USC’s starting setter, leads the Trojans with 673 assists on the season. The Patriots have two important setters of their own in redshirt junior Zach Talamoa and freshman Troy McDonald.

Talamoa currently leads George Mason with 284 assists and is on pace for his third consecutive 400-assist season. Meanwhile, McDonald has racked up 242 assists despite splitting time with the veteran Talamoa. This match will also serve as a homecoming for McDonald, as he hails from nearby Manhattan Beach, Calif.

The Patriots sit at 7-7 overall and 2-5 in conference play. Hall knows that the Trojans cannot look past the match.

“These games against George Mason, Vanguard and Menlo are very important,” Hall said. “We can’t look down on a team. We know every team’s talented, and any given day, any team can win in volleyball.” 

USC aims to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 and just its second in the past ten years.

“We know that we have to win these [upcoming] games in order to keep our tournament contention alive,” Hall said. “Every match really does make a big difference at the end when they’re deciding who makes what.” 

The Trojans and Patriots are set to square off at 7 p.m. at Galen Center Wednesday night.