Volleyball sweeps in opening weekend
“U… S… C!”
The rhythmic chant returned to the Galen Center as women’s volleyball hosted the Cardinal and Gold Classic to start the 2022 regular season.
The Trojans swept their competition 3-0, needing only the minimum nine sets to defeat Colgate College, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Villanova University over the weekend.
“They exceeded [my expectations] a little bit, but don’t tell them that,” said head coach Brad Keller. “We’ve had a history coming out slow the past two seasons, which has bitten us a couple of times. Just the level of mindfulness and being on it, and the next point mentality was really, really good for us.”
USC began its campaign with an authoritative straight-set victory (25-13, 25-20, 25-12) over Colgate on Friday. The night belonged to senior outside hitter Skylar Fields, who scored 15 points on 13 kills in her Trojans debut.
Fresh off of an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American third team selection while with the Texas Longhorns last season, Fields will most definitely be an impact player for USC — a program that has parted ways with two of its three top scorers from last season.
“I think [Fields] is an ultimate competitor,” Keller said. “She wants to be a complete six rotation player, and she’s been working through that. I think she’s opened up her game a little bit, and we need it obviously, too.”
Fields led the team with 36 kills after the trio of games in the Cardinal and Gold Classic.
To start day two of the tournament, USC won 3-0 against UMBC in a quick but intense morning match. The team’s offense was facilitated by sophomore setter Mia Tuaniga, leading the Trojans with 38 assists.
“She’s the floor general and she’s really good,” Keller said. “She just creates opportunities for so many people with the way she sets the ball.”
On a weekend that might have seemed like a breeze for the Trojans, their longest and most dramatic set came against UMBC. In the second set of the match, USC found themselves down as much as 6-15 before mounting an epic 30-28 victory in extended play. A few service errors dragged out the nailbiter but three straight kills, two from graduate middle blocker Kalyah Williams and one from freshman outside hitter Dani Thomas-Nathan, put the set to bed.
USC was able to route the Retrievers 25-12 in the third and final set to secure its second win of the season.
To cap off the tournament, USC hosted Villanova on Saturday night. Over the weekend, the Wildcats defeated Colgate 3-2 but were uprooted by both UMBC and USC in consecutive games.
Fields led the match with 14 kills, while Williams and senior opposite hitter Emilia Weske anchored the defense with 3 block assists each.
“We’ve been working all spring and all summer together, waiting for this very special moment to finally step on the court and ball out,” Weske said. “We kept our focus. We were mentally and physically prepared for this whole weekend and really went through with a Trojan spirit.”
Keller had high praise for Weske after the tournament.
“She’s consistent,” Keller said. “She puts up a huge block. She’s learning how to pass and play the entire game, opening up her entire repertoire a little bit. She’s like a mother hen right now, always calm, cool and collected.”
In the preseason AVCA rankings, USC was placed No. 24 to begin the season.
Next weekend, USC will travel to Omaha for the Blue Jay Invitational Tournament, where they will face No. 11 ranked Creighton University, No. 8 University of Kentucky and Northern Iowa University, beginning Sept. 2.
“You want to be number one,” Keller said. “I don’t care about rankings until the very end and we’re the last team standing.”