Coming off a subpar 1-3 start to Big Ten play, No. 25 women’s volleyball headed into the weekend hoping for better results. Instead, USC came out with yet another split performance: The Trojans took home a win against Oregon on Thursday but fell to crosstown rival UCLA on Saturday in straight sets. 

USC (11-5, 2-4 Big Ten) started strong in the first set against the Ducks (11-5, 2-4), getting out to an early 4-0 lead. Oregon didn’t go down without a fight, tightening the gap and taking a 12-11 lead; however, the Trojans ultimately triumphed, taking the first set 18-25. 

The second set was a back-and-forth battle featuring several lead changes through a 15-15 start before USC pulled ahead for a 25-21 win. The Trojans had immense kill presence, with redshirt sophomore outside hitter London Wijay and sophomore middle blocker Mia Tvrdy ending the second set with seven kills apiece. Redshirt junior outside hitter Dani Thomas-Nathan came up with four aces in the second set alone.

“We were more dialed in this week so far, with serving, passing, not [just] going through motions,” said Head Coach Brad Keller in a postgame news conference.

The third set was a similar affair, staying close and competitive early on. Oregon had two successful challenges, giving the Ducks some momentum to stay in the game, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop USC. Wijay and Tvrdy ended the night with 12 and nine kills, respectively, ultimately resulting in a 25-20 win in the third set to secure the sweep. 

“We out-hit them, and we hit for 0.300; when you hit for 0.300, that’s a good night. That’s a really high-level night offensively,” Keller said. 

Heading into their matchup against UCLA (10-6, 4-2) at Pauley Pavilion, the Trojans looked poised to keep up the momentum from their second conference win; unfortunately, they did not come out with the same result.

The Trojans began the first set with a strong 11-2 lead, looking like they would cruise to victory against their rivals; however, the Bruins stormed back with a 12-3 run of their own to tie the game at 14. The rest of the set was a dogfight, with both teams trading the lead back and forth, but UCLA ended with four blocks to take the opening set 25-21. 

The second set resembled the first, with USC starting hot with an 8-4 lead before fading down the stretch. Although four different Trojans ended the set with three kills, the Bruins pulled off another win, 25-22. 

The final set ended in a decisive 25-15 defeat, as USC struggled to keep a consistent rhythm. Despite moments of strong defense and quick rallies, highlighted by redshirt freshman outside hitter Brooklyn Tealer’s five kills off the bench, the Bruins maintained control throughout the set, ultimately securing the victory over the Trojans. 

After three weeks of Big Ten play, USC is sitting in 14th place with just a 2-4 record in conference games — a far cry from its 9-1 nonconference record to start the season. The Trojans will hope to turn things around in their next road trip, starting with a 4 p.m. matchup Friday at Iowa (10-8, 1-5).