Beavers Split Weekend Series with USC

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State volleyball team split its weekend series with USC after falling in a hard-fought four set match, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon in Gill Coliseum.
 
USC opened the match by taking the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-12. The Beavers responded in a grueling third set that they won 31-29 before the Women of Troy narrowly finished the match in the fourth set, 25-23.
 
Oregon State opened the match on a 5-1 run with the help of back-to-back service aces from freshman setter Izzi Szulczewski to force USC to use its first timeout. An 8-4 run by the Women of Troy following the timeout led to a 9-9 game. USC broke the tie to go ahead 10-9, holding on to take the first set 25-18.
 
Set two flipped the opening script of the first set as USC took the 5-1 run to open the set. The Beavers drew within six points of the Women of Troy, but it was not enough as they took set two 25-12.
 
The third set was a different story than the first two as the teams traded points throughout, seeing 14 ties. The Beavers went on two early 3-0 runs to take a 9-6 lead. USC answered with a 3-0 run of its own to tie the game at 9-9.
 
Following a Szulcewski kill, the women of Troy jumped out to a 15-11 lead off a 4-0 run to force an OSU timeout. The Beavers came out of the timeout with a 3-0 run that was sparked off an Anastasija Svetnik kill, cutting USC's lead to one at 15-14.
 
USC quickly forced another Beaver timeout after a 4-1 run to take a 19-15 advantage. Once again, OSU took the first three points out of the timeout which was capped off by a Lindsey Schell and Maddie Goings block and forced a USC timeout with the Women of Troy ahead 19-18.
 
Both teams proceeded to trade the next 10 points before Oregon State took back-to-back points to tie the game at 24-24, causing a USC timeout. The teams went back and forth again, trading the next 11 points, before OSU got set point again off a USC service error. Svetnik and Aliyah McDonald sealed the set for the Beavers at 31-29 with a block.
 
Oregon State quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead in set four, but USC came back with its own 3-0 run to tie the game early at 3-3. After being tied 6-6, the Women of Troy took an 11-7 lead off a 5-1 run, leading to a Beaver timeout.
 
USC held a 21-15 lead that was cut into by a McDonald kill, igniting a Beaver 4-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Goings and Schell to make it a 21-19 game. Despite a late 3-0 run from Oregon State to make USC's lead 23-22, the Women of Troy held on for the 25-23 set win.
 
Match Notes:

• Freshman Aliyah McDonald posted a game-high 13 kills with a team-high .409 attacking percentage.
• Freshman Izzi Szulczewski posted her third double-double in as many games with a team-high 26 assists and 12 digs.
• Senior Grace Massey finished with a game-high 16 digs.
• Oregon State finished with 55 digs compared to USC's 48.

 
Next Up: Oregon State will be back on the road against Washington on Feb. 4 at 6 pm (PT) and Feb. 6 at 3 pm.
 
Oregon State volleyball fans are encouraged to join Off the Bench, the program's new donor club. Click here for more information or call Alex Gary in Our Beaver Nation at 541-737-2370.
 
For more information on the Oregon State volleyball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverVBall, by Facebook at Facebook.com/BeaverVBall or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverVBall.
 
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