B1G lessons for Trojans

The No. 10 USC men’s volleyball team had a tough trip to Pennsylvania, losing both of the matches they played in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge. The Trojans lost 3-1 to No. 4 Penn State Friday and 3-1 to No. 13 Ohio State Saturday. The Trojans fall to 6-4 on the season and are now 1-4 against ranked opponents. 

In the match against Penn State, the Trojans lost a hard-fought first set 30-28 after coming within one point of winning multiple times. They couldn’t recover in the second set, losing to go down 2-0. The Trojans did win the third set, but it proved to be too little, too late as the Nittany Lions won the fourth and final set and the Trojans lost 3-1. 

In their match against Ohio State, the Trojans built a big lead in the first set before losing it late to go down 1-0. They won the second set to even up the match at 1-1, but Ohio State made adjustments and the Buckeyes won the third and fourth sets giving them a 3-1 victory. 

Despite not getting the results they wanted, the Trojans did a lot of things that signal that this season could have a bright future. Head Coach Jeff Nygaard was especially enthused about how his team played defense all weekend. 

“From the standpoint of block and defense, I thought we were actually doing our job with that phase of the game at a level that gave us opportunities to have success,” Nygaard said. 

The weekend also tested the Trojans’ depth, as Nygaard made several adjustments to the usual rotation throughout the weekend. Fortunately, the Trojans’ depth turned out to be a strength. On Friday, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Jack Deuchar came in off the bench and took advantage of his opportunity for extended playing time by setting a career-high with 9 kills. 

On Saturday, it was Jackson Reed who came off of the pine to be a hero. The redshirt sophomore outside hitter, who is normally a serving specialist for the Trojans, proved he is equally as skilled in the front row with new career highs of 5 kills and 4 blocks. However, Reed’s most crucial skill turned out to be his passing, which Nygaard was impressed with throughout the game. 

“Jackson is a really good passer, so we went with him and he steadied out quite a bit of the passing line,” Nygaard said. 

In addition, freshman setter Ryan Sprague came off the bench on Friday and played well enough that he earned a spot in the starting lineup on Saturday. In his first start, Sprague racked up 37 assists, a high mark in his young career. Sprague emphasized that his time on the court has directly led to an increase in his confidence. 

“Now I kind of feel like, OK, this is NCAA men’s volleyball, this is how I need to win a game,” Sprague said. “Figuring that out, it’s just giving me more and more confidence.” 

Perhaps the biggest revelation of the weekend, though, was the play of an established superstar. Following an All-American season in 2022, redshirt junior opposite hitter Simon Gallas hadn’t quite matched his superstar level of play in 2023. But on Saturday, Gallas reminded everyone who he was in a big way, putting up the best all-around performance of his college career. Gallas led the team with 14 kills, but he also had 11 digs (which also led the team) for the first double-double in his career. 

Similarly to Sprague, Gallas credited his performance to his increasing confidence. 

“I trusted myself more to just take a rip at it,” Gallas said. 

If Gallas can sustain success, the Trojans will be extremely dangerous from the front row. So, despite an 0-2 weekend, there were many bright spots for the Trojans. With a week off ahead before conference play begins, the key will be building on those moments of success and turning them into entire matches of success. 

“You’re seeing some things in real time where guys are growing into their roles and their jobs, which is a positive,” Nygaard said. “But, we didn’t get the result that we came out here for so … we’ve got a week off from competition so we actually get to work on all of the things we know we have to improve at.” 

Fortunately, the Trojans feel confident that they will be able to get back to their winnig ways.

“We have a long way to go with this team and I think the potential is off the charts,” Sprague said. 

The road to glory always starts with success in conference, and the road to conference glory begins Wednesday, Feb. 15 when the Trojans will open MPSF play against Grand Canyon.