USC women’s volleyball entered Sunday’s matchup against the University of San Diego fresh off a crushing sweep at the hands of No. 9 Texas. The No. 16 Trojans looked to reverse their woes and get back on track against the Toreros, their first unranked opponent of the season. 

USC (2-2) did just that with a perfect sweep of San Diego (2-3), with the score reading 25-23, 25-13, 25-21 in the Jack Talmadge Volleyball Classic.

Despite the sweep, the Toreros held their own. Nevertheless, the Trojans were able to pull away and take the match by holding San Diego to just a .061 hitting percentage. 

Trojans prevail in competitive first set

The first set of the match was initially tight, as neither team was able to build a lead. That was, until redshirt junior outside hitter London Wijay ignited a 6-2 USC run. 

Following a kill by the Toreros to bring them within a point, 14-13, Wijay sparked the Trojans’ hot streak, during which they would build a five-point lead to make the score 20-15 — the largest score gap of the match until then and a lead that USC would keep to take the first set 25-23. 

Wijay, a 2025 Big Ten All-Conference First Team recipient, was tied for the most kills of the day with nine and had the second most points on the team with 11. Her performance continues a successful 2026 campaign, as Wijay leads USC with 47 kills and 54 points early this season.

Sophomore outside hitter Abigail Mullen also had nine kills on the day and led in points with 11.5 for the Trojans, with one of her biggest impacts coming at the end of the first set. USC was just one point away from the win when Wijay secured a kill from Mullen to clinch the set victory. 

USC runs away with second set 

The second set was the Trojans’ most decisive win of the match, but exhibited a similar pattern to the first set: The two squads traded leads up until USC’s 15-12 lead, during which the Toreros would score their final point of the set. The Trojans’ 10-0 run sealed the 25-13 set win and put them just one set away from victory.

USC’s performance in the second set was telling of how in control it was throughout the match, as the 13 points in the set for San Diego made up its lowest score of the year. The Trojans also led in every major category, including kills, aces, blocks, assists and digs. 

The set’s clinching block came from junior middle blocker Mia Tvrdy and junior setter Lilli Etter in what were solid performances from both transfer players. 

The block was one of Tvrdy’s six on the day — tied for her season high in total blocks — while Etter also had a season-best two blocks and contributed 27 assists to the Trojan victory. 

The Trojans’ dominant defensive showing can be attributed to sophomore libero and defensive specialist Taylor Deckert. Deckert, who made the Big Ten All-Conference Second Team last season, recorded 15 digs in the match — tied for her best mark of the season.

Late comeback fended off to secure sweep

The final set of the match was, like the other two, back-and-forth to start, but a Trojan run put USC just three points from securing the match. 

The Toreros, down 22-16 at the time, mounted a 5-0 stretch in hopes of not being swept. However, it was not enough, as USC scored the final three points to secure the decisive third set, 25-21. 

The kill to begin the final Trojan run came from redshirt junior middle blocker Leah Ford, whose season-high seven kills propelled USC to secure the victory over San Diego. 

Ford’s 6-foot-4 frame overpowered the Torero defense, as the 2025 Big Ten All-Conference Second Team member’s final-point block clinched the sweep for the Trojans — their second of 2026. 

USC will look to maintain its momentum before conference play begins in its next match, which is their home opener against Arizona (2-4) on Friday at 7 p.m. at Galen Center.