After recording five straight wins to start the season, No. 16 women’s volleyball headed to Loyola Marymount University — Head Coach Brad Keller’s alma mater — to take on No. 19 BYU and Western Michigan University at the annual LMU Invitational. The Trojans suffered a straight-set 3-0 loss to BYU on Thursday, marking their first loss of the season, but recovered for a definitive 3-0 win over Western Michigan on Friday. 

“I felt like our standards were sloppy; we weren’t tight and we weren’t crisp versus BYU,” Keller said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “Getting back to our standards and style of play, and how we act and talk was very important [against Western Michigan].”

BYU ends Trojans’ undefeated streak

USC (6-1) fell to BYU (9-0) on Thursday by a final score of 25-19, 25-23, 25-23, ending the Trojans’ perfect run to start the season. With a fairly even number of kills — the Trojans with 43 and the Cougars with 45 — the main difference lay in BYU’s ability to keep the ball in play: USC had seven fewer digs than BYU, with a close point difference of 4.5. 

“We were a little stale and we weren’t doing anything wrong, we just weren’t executing,” Keller said. “Against a really good opponent like BYU, you have to execute.” 

Though the Trojans didn’t come out with a win, two of their outside hitters — redshirt sophomore London Wijay and redshirt freshman Brooklyn Tealer — had 11 kills each despite playing just three sets, with Wijay also recording .321 hitting, eight digs and a block.

“I just wanted to win for my team, and I think winning is the ultimate goal,” Wijay said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “When you just want to win instead of trying to do good for yourself, you play good.”

Tealer was unable to play last season due to an injury, so she said she was glad to be back on the court with her teammates despite the defeat.

Trojans get redemption in sweep of Western Michigan

USC turned its performance around in Friday’s match against Western Michigan (1-9), taking down the Broncos in straight sets with a set score of 25-18, 25-22, 25-16. Wijay once again totaled 11 kills along with a season-high 13 digs. Freshman opposite hitter Abigail Mullen also had 11 kills in addition to five digs, a service ace and a block.

“We really emphasized just coming in and playing our own game today, and making sure that we didn’t let some of the same things slip this time,” Tealer said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. 

In the first set, the Trojans and Broncos traded points back and forth, with five lead changes and no substantial point difference until USC won three points in a row, making the score 20-16. From there, the Trojans had all the momentum, only allowing Western Michigan two more points the rest of the way. 

As for the second set, USC remained tied or slightly ahead the entire time, with Western Michigan scoring 22 points. However, the Trojans breezed to 25 points in the third set, gaining an early four-point lead and never looking back. 

“I love this team, and I think this team believes,” Keller said. “When you believe, you’re willing to push and work towards it, you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit more, and you’re willing to stay in the fight a little bit longer.”

Next, USC will head back home to Galen Center for two straight games against LSU (6-2) on Thursday and Friday, both at 7 p.m.