University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
10-1, 1-0Pac-12
USC
8-4, 0-1Pac-12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 25 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 3 |
| USC | 22 | 25 | 20 | 27 | 1 |
#9 UCLA Opens Pac-12 Play With Win at #21 USC
September 21, 2016 | Women's Volleyball
WVB on Twitterย |ย WVB on Facebookย |ย WVB on Instagram
LOS ANGELES - Senior Reily Buechler had a season-best and match-high 21 kills to go with nine digs, senior Taylor Formico surpassed the 2,000-career dig mark and senior Jordan Anderson posted her first double-double as a Bruin with 11 kills and 15 digs, as the ninth-ranked Bruins defeated #21 USC in four sets on Wednesday at Galen Center in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams.
ย
Formico had 22 digs, her third straight match with at least 20, as she surpassed both the 1,200-dig mark at UCLA and the 2,000-dig mark for her career, the latter of which came on the first rally of the third set. The Bruins (10-1, 1-0) hit .257 for the match, as junior Ryann Chandler (30 assists, eight digs) and freshman Kylie Miller (21 assists, five digs) shared the setting duties. Senior Jennie Frager added 10 kills and four blocks, senior Claire Felix had seven kills, five blocks and four digs, sophomore Zana Muno posted four kills and five blocks and freshman Torrey Van Winden recorded eight kills.
ย
USC (8-4, 0-1) led through the early stages of the opening set, but UCLA came back to take the first. The Trojans scored five of the first six before the Bruins went on a 7-3 run to even things at eight. Buechler and Van Winden each had two kills during the run, while Frager served back-to-back aces. USC's last lead of the set would be at 12-11, as a 6-2 Bruin run gave the visitors a set-best lead of three. Two Buechler kills, one apiece from Anderson, Felix and Frager and a USC attack error made it 17-14. With the score 23-22, kills by Frager and Felix finished up a 25-22 victory. Buechler led the Bruins with five kills, Felix and Frager each posted four and Anderson and Van Winden both recorded three. USC out-hit UCLA .344 to .341. Formico added eight digs.
ย
The Bruins' biggest lead of set two was two points at 3-1. Trailing 7-6, USC went on a 12-7 run to go up by a set-best four at 18-14. The Bruins could get no closer than two the rest of the way in dropping the second 25-21. Buechler had four kills, Anderson added three and Formico notched six digs, as the Bruins were out-hit .325 to .231.
ย
The Trojans tallied the first two points of the third before UCLA scored seven of nine to take a 7-4 lead. Four of the points came on blocks, with Felix accounting for three of them, including two solos. The Bruins led for the rest of the set. At 11-10, kills by Buechler and Formico and a Felix/Van Winden block extended the lead to four at 14-10. The Trojans closed to within two at 17-15, but a 6-1 Bruin run on three Buechler kills, one by Muno and two USC attack errors gave UCLA a set-best lead of seven at 23-16. On the Bruins' second set point, a Van Winden kill wrapped up a 25-20 victory. Buechler had a team-best seven kills in the third, while Frager and Van Winden added three apiece, as the Bruins out-hit the Trojans .455 to .152.
ย
The fourth set was all Bruins until a late run made things interesting. At 5-all, the Bruins scored 11 of the next 13 points to go up by a set-best nine at 16-7. Anderson was a part of three points on two kills and an ace, Muno and Frager both added a kill and a block assist and USC committed four errors. With the Bruins up 19-12, USC rallied, scoring 10 of the next 13 to even the score at 22. After an Anderson kill, two in a row for the Trojans gave the home team set point. The Bruins had two match points at 25-24 and 26-25 before the Trojans earned a second set point at 27-26. However, kills by Anderson and Felix and a USC attack error pushed the Bruins to the 29-27 win. Buechler led UCLA with five kills and four digs in the final stanza, while Anderson added four kills and eight digs. The Bruins out-hit the Trojans .093 to .020. Formico had five digs.
ย
Next up for the Bruins is their home opener against Washington State on Friday at 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. Free audioย and live stats will be available at UCLABruins.com.
