Wednesday, January 25
Northridge, CA
7:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
4-3,0-0Big West
1
vs
3
USC
6-2,0-0MPSF
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
25
19
25
25
3
CSUN
22
25
16
17
1
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
No. 10 USC Tops CSUN in Four Sets in Non-Conference Action
1/25/2023 9:23:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Kyle Hobus put down a team-high 15 kills but the CSUN Men's Volleyball team came up short in a four-set loss to No. 10 USC in a non-conference match on Wednesday evening at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
With the 25-22, 19-25, 25-16, 25-17 win, the Trojans improve to 6-2 while the Matadors see their four-match win streak snapped as CSUN slips to 4-3.
KEY STATISTICS
• Hobus led the Matadors with 15 kills, hitting .263 on a match-high 38 swings. Griffin Walters also reached double figures with 10 kills (.350) while adding a team-high nine digs.Â
• Jackson Payne chipped in six kills (.417) and four blocks while a trio of Matadors added four kills apiece.
• Donovan Constable posted 31 assists to go with seven digs and four kills.
• The visiting Trojans would out-hit the Matadors, .322 (43-15-87) to .280 (44-16-100) while also serving nine aces to CSUN's three. Nathan Merren had two of the Matadors' three aces on the night.
• Dillon Klein led USC with a match-high 16 kills (.464), the Trojans also got eight kills apiece from Simon Gallas and Kevin Kobrine.
COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"This is a great opportunity for us to look ourselves in the mirror. The last time we played USC we lost in three and tonight we were able to do some things and challenge them and put ourselves in a position where we were the aggressor. Obviously we won set two but the real challenge for us is to figure out how to sustain that level of play for extended periods of time. The team understands that and for us we need to get back in the gym and improve, that's the goal for tomorrow."
SET 1
The Matadors opened up a 5-2 lead in the early going after Constable put down a kill from the setter spot. CSUN would maintain a three-point cushion at 11-8 when Jano Tello connected for a kill. But a 4-1 run by USC would knot the score at 12-12 when another Tello kill kept CSUN in front. Two straight Trojan kills would put USC back on top 14-13 when the Matadors used a 4-3 run to take their final lead at 17-16 following a Merren kill. An ensuing 4-0 run by the visitors opened up a 20-17 lead which proved to be the final margin of the set, 25-22.Â
SET 2
The Matadors claimed the first three points of the second set before USC answered with a 3-0 run of its own. Leading 6-4, CSUN would outscore the Trojans 8-2 over the next 10 points to open up a 14-6 advantage. The Matadors would lead by as many as 11 at 17-6 following a Hobus kill and despite a late run by the Trojans that cut the deficit to five, CSUN used another Hobus kill on set point to seal the 25-19 win.
SET 3
Neither team led by more than one point until a pair of Kevin Kobrine kills gave the visitors a 9-7 lead. The Trojans still led by two at 12-10 when they engineered an 8-1 run to open up an insurmountable 20-11 lead. A late 3-0 CSUN run, capped by a Merren kill, pulled CSUN within six at 21-15 but the Matadors would get no closer, falling 25-16.
SET 4
The final set featured a similar formula as the Trojans used a sizable run midway through the set to distance themselves. Leading by two at 9-7, USC claimed nine of the next 13 points to open up an 18-11 following Korbine's third ace of the night. Another Hobus kill capped a late 4-1 CSUN run that trimmed the lead to 19-15 but the visitors would close the match on a 6-2 run to clinch a 25-17 set win and a 3-1 match win.
UP NEXT
CSUN continue their seven-match homestand this Friday, taking on No. 2 UCLA at 7 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
With the 25-22, 19-25, 25-16, 25-17 win, the Trojans improve to 6-2 while the Matadors see their four-match win streak snapped as CSUN slips to 4-3.
KEY STATISTICS
• Hobus led the Matadors with 15 kills, hitting .263 on a match-high 38 swings. Griffin Walters also reached double figures with 10 kills (.350) while adding a team-high nine digs.Â
• Jackson Payne chipped in six kills (.417) and four blocks while a trio of Matadors added four kills apiece.
• Donovan Constable posted 31 assists to go with seven digs and four kills.
• The visiting Trojans would out-hit the Matadors, .322 (43-15-87) to .280 (44-16-100) while also serving nine aces to CSUN's three. Nathan Merren had two of the Matadors' three aces on the night.
• Dillon Klein led USC with a match-high 16 kills (.464), the Trojans also got eight kills apiece from Simon Gallas and Kevin Kobrine.
COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"This is a great opportunity for us to look ourselves in the mirror. The last time we played USC we lost in three and tonight we were able to do some things and challenge them and put ourselves in a position where we were the aggressor. Obviously we won set two but the real challenge for us is to figure out how to sustain that level of play for extended periods of time. The team understands that and for us we need to get back in the gym and improve, that's the goal for tomorrow."
SET 1
The Matadors opened up a 5-2 lead in the early going after Constable put down a kill from the setter spot. CSUN would maintain a three-point cushion at 11-8 when Jano Tello connected for a kill. But a 4-1 run by USC would knot the score at 12-12 when another Tello kill kept CSUN in front. Two straight Trojan kills would put USC back on top 14-13 when the Matadors used a 4-3 run to take their final lead at 17-16 following a Merren kill. An ensuing 4-0 run by the visitors opened up a 20-17 lead which proved to be the final margin of the set, 25-22.Â
SET 2
The Matadors claimed the first three points of the second set before USC answered with a 3-0 run of its own. Leading 6-4, CSUN would outscore the Trojans 8-2 over the next 10 points to open up a 14-6 advantage. The Matadors would lead by as many as 11 at 17-6 following a Hobus kill and despite a late run by the Trojans that cut the deficit to five, CSUN used another Hobus kill on set point to seal the 25-19 win.
SET 3
Neither team led by more than one point until a pair of Kevin Kobrine kills gave the visitors a 9-7 lead. The Trojans still led by two at 12-10 when they engineered an 8-1 run to open up an insurmountable 20-11 lead. A late 3-0 CSUN run, capped by a Merren kill, pulled CSUN within six at 21-15 but the Matadors would get no closer, falling 25-16.
SET 4
The final set featured a similar formula as the Trojans used a sizable run midway through the set to distance themselves. Leading by two at 9-7, USC claimed nine of the next 13 points to open up an 18-11 following Korbine's third ace of the night. Another Hobus kill capped a late 4-1 CSUN run that trimmed the lead to 19-15 but the visitors would close the match on a 6-2 run to clinch a 25-17 set win and a 3-1 match win.
UP NEXT
CSUN continue their seven-match homestand this Friday, taking on No. 2 UCLA at 7 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
Team Stats
USC
CSUN
Kills
43
44
Errors
15
16
Attempts
87
100
Hitting %
.322
.280
Points
63
53
Assists
40
39
Aces
9
3
Blocks
11
6
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's Volleyball
OPP
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
Thursday, March 02
MVB vs. Stanford Highlights
Monday, February 20
A Conversation With Jeff Campbell
Thursday, May 28
National Student-Athlete Day 2019 - Ryan DeWeese
Friday, April 05