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PULLMAN, Wash. -- The No. 23 ranked Washington State Cougars (14-5, 5-4 Pac-12) upset the No. 14 ranked Trojans of USC (15-6, 7-3 Pac-12) Friday evening inside Bohler Gym.
Set scores for the match were: 25-16, 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, and 18-16 in favor of the Cougars.
Washington State jumped out to a lead over the Trojans to begin set number one with a 7-1 run to see the Cougars hold down a 9-4 advantage. The Cougs saw another 7-1 run midway through the opening set as McKenna Woodford, Penny Tusa, and Jocelyn Urias fueled the WSU offensive attack. A pair of kills from Tusa sealed off the set one victory for the Cougars at 25-16 overall.
The home squad of Washington State continued to ride the momentum in this contest, with a 6-1 run to open set number two over USC. The Trojans of Southern California generated a 5-1 run of their own midway through the second round of action to eventually tie up the set at 13-13. USC ultimately totaled a 6-3 run to cap off set number two for the 25-21 victory, tying up the match at 1-1 overall.
The back-and-forth battle between these two programs continued into set three, as nine total ties occurred with the Cougars and Trojans being knotted up at 13-13 midway through the set. A 5-0 run from the Cougs fueled the home squad out ahead of USC after multiple Trojan errors, a Tusa kill, and an Abby Phillips ace capped off the run. Washington State tallied yet another 5-0 run late in set three, and Woodford put away USC with a set-winning kill at 25-23, and gave WSU the 2-1 match lead also.
Set number four brought more of the same for the Cougars, jumping out to the early 6-1 lead over USC, with some help from kills by Claire Martin, Tusa, and Woodford. The Trojans answered right back however with a 4-0 run of their own to close the gap on the WSU lead at 7-6 overall. Multiple lead changes followed as this contest continued on, until three straight points from the Cougars set the home squad up at 19-17 over the Trojans. USC continued to battle back as a 5-0 late run from Southern California proved to be the difference maker in the visitors winning set number four at 25-23.
The final set of this match featured runs from each program as the Cougs jumped out to a 3-1 lead. USC countered with a 7-1 run, sparked by a Trojan ace to claim the small advantage at 8-4. Washington State continued to fight late in the fifth and final set with four straight points coming from an Ella Lajos, and Martin block, along with back-to-back kills from Woodford. USC reclaimed the lead at 16-15 after a kill, but it was the Cougars who would come out on top in this match, using a Trojan service error to propel themselves ahead with an Alexis Dirige ace, followed by a match-winning Jocelyn Urias kill to finish off USC, 18-16 in set five.
STAT OF THE MATCH
McKenna Woodford totaled 23 kills in this contest, a single-match career-high for the senior, as her previous high was 22, which she tied just last week against California on the road.
THE MOMENTS THAT MADE THE MATCH
NOTES
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Washington State returns to the court, Sunday, October 21 in a Pac-12 match-up against No. 20 UCLA inside Bohler Gym, with first serve scheduled for 12 p.m. PT.
PULLMAN, Wash. -- The No. 23 ranked Washington State Cougars (14-5, 5-4 Pac-12) upset the No. 14 ranked Trojans of USC (15-6, 7-3 Pac-12) Friday evening inside Bohler Gym.
Set scores for the match were: 25-16, 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, and 18-16 in favor of the Cougars.
Washington State jumped out to a lead over the Trojans to begin set number one with a 7-1 run to see the Cougars hold down a 9-4 advantage. The Cougs saw another 7-1 run midway through the opening set as McKenna Woodford, Penny Tusa, and Jocelyn Urias fueled the WSU offensive attack. A pair of kills from Tusa sealed off the set one victory for the Cougars at 25-16 overall.
The home squad of Washington State continued to ride the momentum in this contest, with a 6-1 run to open set number two over USC. The Trojans of Southern California generated a 5-1 run of their own midway through the second round of action to eventually tie up the set at 13-13. USC ultimately totaled a 6-3 run to cap off set number two for the 25-21 victory, tying up the match at 1-1 overall.
The back-and-forth battle between these two programs continued into set three, as nine total ties occurred with the Cougars and Trojans being knotted up at 13-13 midway through the set. A 5-0 run from the Cougs fueled the home squad out ahead of USC after multiple Trojan errors, a Tusa kill, and an Abby Phillips ace capped off the run. Washington State tallied yet another 5-0 run late in set three, and Woodford put away USC with a set-winning kill at 25-23, and gave WSU the 2-1 match lead also.
Set number four brought more of the same for the Cougars, jumping out to the early 6-1 lead over USC, with some help from kills by Claire Martin, Tusa, and Woodford. The Trojans answered right back however with a 4-0 run of their own to close the gap on the WSU lead at 7-6 overall. Multiple lead changes followed as this contest continued on, until three straight points from the Cougars set the home squad up at 19-17 over the Trojans. USC continued to battle back as a 5-0 late run from Southern California proved to be the difference maker in the visitors winning set number four at 25-23.
The final set of this match featured runs from each program as the Cougs jumped out to a 3-1 lead. USC countered with a 7-1 run, sparked by a Trojan ace to claim the small advantage at 8-4. Washington State continued to fight late in the fifth and final set with four straight points coming from an Ella Lajos, and Martin block, along with back-to-back kills from Woodford. USC reclaimed the lead at 16-15 after a kill, but it was the Cougars who would come out on top in this match, using a Trojan service error to propel themselves ahead with an Alexis Dirige ace, followed by a match-winning Jocelyn Urias kill to finish off USC, 18-16 in set five.
STAT OF THE MATCH
McKenna Woodford totaled 23 kills in this contest, a single-match career-high for the senior, as her previous high was 22, which she tied just last week against California on the road.
THE MOMENTS THAT MADE THE MATCH
You can't say enough about this match. @wsuvolleyball came back from an 8-4 deficit in the fifth to win the set and the match.
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 20, 2018
The final play is the @OpusBank #12Best moment. pic.twitter.com/XBViXAbl4F
S5 | That's a single match career-high in kills for @kennabanena at 23 as the Cougars are up on the Trojans! | WSU 14-13 #GoCougs #RiseAgain pic.twitter.com/WSoXjsENSx
— Cougar Volleyball (@wsuvolleyball) October 20, 2018
S5 | BLOCK from @ella_lajos as the Cougs trail by only one in set five! | USC 13-12 #GoCougs #RiseAgain pic.twitter.com/Qq1HkYCLIV
— Cougar Volleyball (@wsuvolleyball) October 20, 2018
NOTES
- Penny Tusa posted 14 kills in the match-up, along with Jocelyn Urias who finished in double-digit kills as well at 13.
- Ella Lajos helped anchor the defensive front, totaling a team-high six blocks.
- Ashley Brown facilitated the offensive attack with 52 assists overall, and added nine digs to her stat-line.
- Alexis Dirige recorded a team-high in digs as well with 22, and totaled one service ace.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Washington State returns to the court, Sunday, October 21 in a Pac-12 match-up against No. 20 UCLA inside Bohler Gym, with first serve scheduled for 12 p.m. PT.