Women’s volleyball splits weekend matches
Away games against Illinois and Indiana were a mixed bag for the Trojans.
By ANNA MUELLER
Huff Hall in Champaign, Ill. saw a nail-biting matchup between unranked Illinois and No. 23 USC Friday night.
The Trojans (17-7, 9-5 Big Ten) came out swinging, winning the first set 25-21. Whether it was due to their home-court advantage, graduate outside hitter Raina Terry’s offensive play (18 kills — more than any other player) or redshirt sophomore middle blocker Cari Bohm’s defensive work (seven blocks — also more than any other player), the Fighting Illini (17-7, 9-5) retaliated with two bounce-back wins. They won sets two and three 27-29 and 23-25.
Throughout the game, several members of the Trojan team displayed notable and impressive performances.
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Senior setter Mia Tuaniga, named Big Ten Setter of the Week Nov. 4, boasted six aces and a jaw-dropping 50 assists — the most of any player in the match.
Graduate outside hitter Ally Batenhorst, also named Big Ten Player of the Week Nov. 4, continued to live up to her massive reputation with 14 kills, five blocks and eight digs.
Additionally, freshman outside hitter Jadyn Livings showed out with an astonishing 16 kills, earning a career-high and 22.5 total points for the team.
The fourth set saw the Trojans fighting tooth and nail for a win, which they clinched handedly at 25-17. In a dramatic fifth set, the Illini snuck out an upset victory 12-15.
However, in typical USC fashion, the Trojans didn’t let this loss keep them down for long.
USC turned its attention to the Indiana Hoosiers (12-12, 5-9) in a matchup at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington on Sunday.
Graduate outside hitterdefensive specialist Grae Gosnell set the tone for the match first, not by playing volleyball, but by singing a song. In front of both USC and Indiana fans, Gosnell performed the national anthem. Gosnell is an alumnus of Indiana, making this away game a return to her alma mater. Her touching performance was appreciated by both Trojan and Hoosier fans alike. The official Instagram page for Indiana volleyball posted a photo of Gosnell after her performance with the caption “Hoosiers forever.”
It was all business for the Trojans once the game started, though. They took the first set 26-24. The Hoosiers captured the second set 17-25-17, but the Trojans came back quickly with a brutal 25-15 win. The fourth set was closest at 26-24 and ended in USC’s favor, clinching the win.
With this victory against Indiana, USC now sits at No. 23 in NCAA rankings and is No. 7 in the Big Ten conference.
The next game for the Trojans will be back at Galen Center this Thursday at 8 p.m. against the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers (18-5, 12-2).
Their second matchup of the weekend, and their second-to-last home game of the season, will be Sunday at 1 p.m. against the No. 11 Oregon Ducks (18-5, 10-4).
