No. 5 USC Extends Home Winning Streak to 12-0 With Sweep Over Menlo

LOS ANGELES —  Simon Gallas had 18 kills while hitting .533 to help the No. 5 ranked USC men's volleyball team sweep NAIA opponent Menlo College 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-19) in the Galen Center Pavilion on Friday (Mar. 18). 
 
USC improves to 16-3 overall and the Trojans remain undefeated at home (12-0). The Oaks, the No. 5 ranked team in the NAIA, drop to 15-5 overall. 
 
Lucas Frassrand tallied on 8 kills of his own (.500) and added on 3 blocks. Sam Kobrine and Brandon Browning each added 6 kills to the scoresheet. Kobrine also recorded 5 digs, 1 block, 1 ace and 1 assist, while Browning collected 3 digs, 2 aces and 1 block.
 
For Menlo, Konrad Stoklosinski collected 11 kills hitting .154, while Josh Sullivan added 5 kills hitting .231.
 
As a team, USC hit .425 compared to Menlo's .101. 
 
After exchanging points back and forth with Menlo to start the set at 4-4, the Trojans went on an 8-point run to spring to 12-4 lead. From that point on, USC never lost control of the set. The Trojans went to extend their lead to 20-10. Brandon Browning had a strong showing at the end of the set by scoring an ace and a kill, and USC took the set 25-12.
 
In the second set, USC and Menlo were tied at 12-12 until the Trojans began to find their momentum. Hall continued to distribute the ball to his hot hitters in Kobrine and Gallas, and USC closed out the set winning 25-22. 
 
USC scored six points in a row early in the third set to take a 13-7 lead and never looked back. The Trojans continued to push points and closed out the set 25-19 to win the match. 
 
Up next, USC takes a trip up to the Bay Area to challenge MPSF foe Stanford two nights in a row. The Trojans take on the Cardinal first on Friday (Mar. 25) at 7 p.m. PT in Maples Pavilion, and then return the following night, Saturday (Mar. 26) at 7 p.m. PT for a rematch.