No. 2 BYU Men's Volleyball Sweeps USC In Galen Center
Gabi Garcia Fernandez and Davide Gardini each had 14 kills to lead the No. 2-ranked BYU men's volleyball team to a 25-22, 25-22, 25-20 sweep over unranked USC in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at USC's Galen Center on Friday (March 5).
BYU improved to 8-2 overall and in the MPSF, while USC dropped its fifth match in a row to fall to 1-5 overall and in the MPSF.
Billy Fauntleroy led USC with a match-high 16 kills while hitting .323. Vecas Lewin added 7 kills while hitting .357, Lucas Frassrand had 5 blocks, Cole Paxson had 9 digs, Chris Hall had 8 digs with 32 assists and Brandon Browning had 6 digs and 3 blocks.
Garcia Fernandez hit .370 and had 7 digs and 4 blocks, while Gardini had 7 digs. Miki Jauhiainen had 7 blocks, Zach Eschenberg had 5 blocks and Wil Stanley had 11 digs and 36 assists.
BYU hit .296 in the match to USC's .216. The Cougars had more blocks 10.5 to 8.5.
USC got out to a 9-6 lead in the opening set, but BYU tied it at 11-11 before the Trojans went on a 3-point run to recapture the lead at 17-15, only to see the Cougars score the next 4 points for a 19-17 edge, all the margin they needed to close out the set.
The Trojans scored the first 2 points of the second set and they stayed in front until BYU caught up at 11-11, then a 4-0 Cougar run gave them an 18-14 lead and they stayed ahead the rest of the set while hitting .407.
In the third set, BYU broke a 5-5 deadlock with a 4-point run for a 9-5 lead and USC couldn't catch up.
USC plays again on Saturday (March 5) in the Galen Center, hosting Concordia at 5 p.m. PT.