Men and Women of Troy travel north for conference play


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Su’a the semifinalist · Captains junior linebacker Su’a Cravens (above) and redshirt senior quarterback Cody Kessler were both named semifinalists for the Bednarik and Butkus, and Maxwell and O’Brien awards, respectively. - Mariya Dondonyan | Daily Trojan

Su’a the semifinalist · Captains junior linebacker Su’a Cravens (above) and redshirt senior quarterback Cody Kessler were both named semifinalists for the Bednarik and Butkus, and Maxwell and O’Brien awards, respectively. – Mariya Dondonyan | Daily Trojan

The Trojans handed the Bears a 27-21 loss on Saturday, their 12th straight win over Cal. Sophomore cornerback Adoree’ Jackson recorded his first career interception and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. Redshirt senior Cody Kessler completed 80 percent of his passes, and freshman tailback Ronald Jones and redshirt senior tailback Tre Madden each rushed for a touchdown. The win was the fifth this season for the Trojans, making them one win shy of becoming bowl eligible.

The injuries continue to mount, however, as sophomore wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster fractured his hand in the win and underwent surgery on Monday to repair it. He is listed as questionable against Arizona.

USC got some good news this weekend, however, when T.J. Brock of Chaminade announced Sunday that he is committing to USC for football and track. Brock is a defensive back on the football field and is a state champion in the 100 meters.

On Monday, Kessler and junior safety Su’a Cravens were named semifinalists for national awards. Kessler is a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards, while Cravens is a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Butkus Awards. The Maxwell is awarded by the Maxwell Football Club to the nation’s top player. Kessler is one of 20 semifinalists. The O’Brien goes to the nation’s top quarterback. Kessler is one of 17 semifinalists. The Maxwell Club also presents the Bednarik, given to the nation’s top defensive player. The Butkus goes to the nation’s top linebacker.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The women’s soccer team also faced Northern California teams, falling to Stanford on Thursday and beating Cal on Sunday. The Women of Troy fell to                         No. 4 Stanford 1-0 after Stanford scored in the 62nd minute and they were unable to respond. Goalie Sammy Jo Prudhomme had three saves in the match, but her team was unable to score the tying goal.

The team bounced back on Sunday, however, with a 1-0 win over Berkeley. The No. 16 Women of Troy beat the No. 20 Golden Bears thanks to a goal by sophomore midfielder Sydney Sladek. Prudhomme made five saves on the day to help lift her team past Cal. The Women of Troy are 13-5 overall and 8-2 in conference. They play their final game of the regular season on Friday at UCLA.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 

The No. 1 women’s volleyball team lost its first game of the season on Friday, falling 3-0 to the No. 5 Washington Huskies. The loss snapped a 22-match win streak. USC was held to a .147 hitting percentage, its lowest of the season. The Women of Troy got another record performance from senior outside hitter Samantha Bricio, but it was not enough to stop the Huskies. Bricio had 17 kills and 11 digs for her 11th double-double of the season.

USC escaped a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over Washington State on Sunday. Bricio put up 31 points on Sunday to help her team win a close five-set match on the road. Her performance elevated her to USC’s all-time points leader with 2,267. The Women of Troy will host Colorado on Friday. USC won 3-2 when these teams met in Boulder earlier this season.

MEN’S WATER POLO

The men’s water polo team joined the football and women’s soccer team in Berkeley, but unlike their fellow Trojans, they were unable to get the win. The No. 3 Trojans fell 12-10 to the Bears, their second straight loss. The Trojans dropped to 17-4 overall and 5-2 in conference. Blake Edwards and Mihajlo Milcevic tied up the game with a pair of goals, but the Golden Bears put up two late goals to hold off USC. The Trojans will try to fend off a three-game losing streak on Sunday when they host UC Irvine.

MEN’S TENNIS

Senior Max de Vroome picked up his first singles win of the season on Sunday at the Southern California Intercollegiate Championships in Westwood. Doubles pair freshman Kalman Boyd and redshirt sophomore David Laser made it all the way to the doubles final before falling 6-3, 6-3 to a pair from UC Santa Barbara. All eight USC entries won in the Round of 32 and five won the Round of 16. The Trojans will play next in the ITA Indoor Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Nov. 12.