The bus rolled through the flatlands of Illinois last week carrying the USC women’s volleyball team into a two-match conference test. By the time it pulled out of Champaign on Saturday night, the No. 23 Trojans had experienced both extremes: exhilarating, humbling and unforgiving.

USC (7-5, 1-1 Big Ten) opened its conference season with a commanding 3-0 sweep against Northwestern (7-6, 0-2) at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Thursday before falling in a sweep to Illinois (10-3, 2-0) on Saturday at Huff Hall. 

Trojans dominate Wildcats in Big Ten opener

For one night, the Trojans looked unstoppable.

USC controlled every facet of the match, outhitting the Wildcats .290 to .066 and posting a 44-to-23 edge in kills, a 40-to-22 advantage in assists, a nine-to-two margin in service aces and a 10.5-to-4.0 lead in blocks. It was a complete team effort showcasing the Trojans’ depth and firepower.

Redshirt junior outside hitter London Wijay led the offensive attack with 13 points on 11 kills, adding six digs, two blocks and a service ace. It marked her sixth match with double-digit kills and ninth in double-digit points this season.

Junior middle blocker Mia Tvrdy matched Wijay with 13 points herself, posting 11 kills on an impressive .588 hitting percentage. She added two blocks, two digs and her first career service ace, reaching double-digit kills for the second time this season.

However, what made the sweep so impressive was balance. 

Sophomore opposite hitter Abigail Mullen contributed nine kills with five digs, adding on two blocks and an ace. Mullen complemented freshman outside hitter Riley Malloy, who scored 11.5 points on seven kills with three digs, three blocks and three service aces — her second straight match with three or more aces. Junior setter Lilli Etter orchestrated the offense with 21 assists, while freshman setter Milly McGee added 13 assists.

The Trojans pulled away in set one with a decisive 5-0 run to take a 20-14 lead, eventually closing out a 25-20 win. USC registered five service aces and three blocks in the frame. 

Set two saw USC overcome an early 6-4 deficit, pulling ahead 21-17 on a sharp angle shot from Wijay before taking the frame 25-19. The Trojans hit .444 in the second set with 16 kills on 27 attempts. USC never trailed in the third, cruising to a 25-16 victory off five blocks and a balanced attack.

Illinois ends USC’s winning streak

Two days later, USC’s momentum stalled against Illinois in a hard-fought 3-0 loss Saturday.

Despite competitive scores, the Fighting Illini’s efficiency proved decisive. Illinois hit .200 in the first set compared to USC’s .178, capitalizing on six Trojans service errors and six hitting errors to take the opening frame. Illinois sophomore outside hitter Alyssa Aguayo led the team with five kills in set one, finishing with match-high honors of 18 kills on .500 hitting, adding eight digs and two blocks.

The second set was a thriller, with USC battling back from a deficit to pull within a point, 24-23, before an Illinois kill sealed the set. Aguayo added six more kills in the second, while Wijay kept the Trojans alive with four.

The third set featured a stunning display of offensive efficiency from the Illini, which registered 19 kills with just one error on 39 swings, making up a .462 hitting percentage. The Trojans took a momentary 20-19 lead on a tool-shot from Wijay, but Illinois closed the match on a 6-1 run to complete the sweep.

Wijay led USC with 12 kills, two blocks and eight digs. Tvrdy added nine kills on .400 hitting with four blocks, while redshirt junior middle blocker Leah Ford posted six kills without an error on 14 swings and two blocks. Sophomore libero Taylor Deckert anchored the defense with 13 digs, and McGee dished out 27 assists in the losing effort.

Looking ahead

The road trip proved a valuable experience for a young USC squad. With a blend of veteran leadership and promising contributions from the freshmen, the Trojans showed they can compete in the Big Ten.

USC returns home to Galen Center for its first two Big Ten home matches next weekend. The Trojans will host Michigan (9-4, 0-2) on Friday at 8 p.m. before facing Michigan State (11-1, 1-1) on Sunday at 2 p.m.