Volleyball Falls 3-0 To Top Ranked USC
Wildcats battle, but Women of Troy prove to be too much.
Sept. 21, 2002
Final Stats
TUCSON, Ariz. - The 15th-ranked Arizona volleyball team rallied from numerous deficits, but could not manage to get over the hump as top-ranked USC swept the Wildcats 3-0 at McKale Center on Saturday. Game scores were 30-25, 30-23, 31-29. The loss drops the Wildcats to 6-4 overall and even in the Pac-10 at 1-1, while USC improves to a perfect 8-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Neither team posted staggering numbers in the match, as both schools combined for 47 hitting errors and 17 service miscues. The Women of Troy out hit the Wildcats .242 to .143 in the sweep, tallying 52 kills to Arizona's 39.
Trailing 16-11 in the first game, Arizona went on its first on many scoring streaks to pull even or take the lead in the match. The Wildcats scored six straight unanswered points to take a 17-16 lead. The two teams then traded points back and forth up to a 22-22 tie before the Women of Troy went on a seven to one run to pull to game point. Arizona managed to close within four at 29-25 on a service error and a Lisa Rutledge kill, but USC's Emily Adams ended the frame with her second kill in the game to hand the Women of Troy a 1-0 lead.
In the early going of game two, USC and Arizona see-sawed back and forth, leading to a 14-14 tie, however, the Women of Troy, aided by three Arizona attack errors and two ball handling errors, went on a seven point scoring run to jump out to a 21-14 lead. The Wildcats battled back yet again to pull within five at 25-20, but then traded USC point for point which allowed the Women of Troy to enter the break up 2-0 with a 30-23 win in the game.
Game three remained close throughout, resulting in 15 tie scores and a lead no larger than four points for either team. Attack errors proved to be the biggest factor in the frame, with the Wildcats accounting for 12 and USC for 10.
With the score tied at 28-28, Arizona had a chance to push the match into a fourth game on an attack error by USC's Adams, but SC's junior All-American April Ross evened the match at 29-29 with her 11th kill, and a pair of USC blocks sealed the Wildcats' fate.
Individually, Arizona freshman Kim Glass led all players with 15 kills on .400 hitting in the match. Wildcat teammate Rutledge chipped in with 12 kills of her own, but also miss-fired on seven attempts. USC's Katie Olsovsky finished with 11 kills on 15 swings with no errors for a match-high .733 hitting.
The Wildcats continue their Pac-10 schedule next Friday in Tempe with a match against rival Arizona State. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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