This one wasn’t so easy.
No. 1 USC, who had lost just one game all year, played its first
five-game match of the season, edging out No. 5 Cal, 30-22, 30-18,
27-30, 24-30, 15-13, Saturday night at Haas Pavilion.
“Just to know we can take matches to the limit against the
top teams in the nation is impressive,” Cal head coach Rich
Feller said. “I am so proud of the way our team came back. We
didn’t fold and we showed what we are capable of when we get
our focus back.”
April Ross led USC (18-0, 9-0 Pac-10) with 20 kills, while
All-American Mia Jerkov topped Cal with a match-high 27.
The Bears (16-2, 7-2) are the second team to take a game off of
USC this season. UCLA split the first two games at Pauley Pavilion
last month before succumbing to the Trojans in four.
Cal has now lost two in a row after opening the seasons with 16
consecutive victories.
WASHINGTON 3, WASHINGTON STATE 0 ““ The
No. 12 Huskies overcame an eight-point third-game deficit to sweep
their in-state rivals, 30-26, 30-26, 31-29, Friday night in
Pullman.
Washington (14-4, 5-4) snapped a four-match losing streak, and
remained alone in fifth place in the conference standings.
Brie Hagerty led the way with 17 kills for the Huskies, while
Sanja Tomasevic added 14.
ARIZONA 3, OREGON STATE 0 ““ Kim Glass
notched a match-high 30 kills as the Wildcats routed the Beavers,
30-24, 30-28, 30-27, Friday night at the McKale Center.
After losing its first five conference games, Arizona (9-10,
3-6) has now won three of its last four.
ARIZONA STATE 3, OREGON STATE 2 ““ Juliana
Escobar posted 22 kills and Natalie Harris added 21 as the Sun
Devils eked out a five-game thriller over visiting Oregon State,
29-31, 30-16, 27-30, 30-25, 15-13, Saturday night in Tempe.
The victory marked the first time Arizona State (8-10, 3-6) had
a pair of players with 20-plus kills since its victory over
Cincinnati in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
The Sun Devils swept both the Oregon schools to record their
first two-game winning streak of the Pac-10 season.
USC 3, STANFORD 0 ““ No. 1 USC easily
disposed of Stanford, 30-17, 30-21, 30-23, Friday night at Maples
Pavilion.
It was the second match in as many nights for Stanford (14-4,
7-2), who beat UCLA in five games Thursday night.
Ross led USC with 18 kills, while Stanford’s Ogonna
Nnamani notched a match-high 22 kills in the losing cause. USC
libero Nicole Davis led the match with 15 digs.
Compiled by Jeff Eisenberg, Bruin Sports Senior
Staff.