Men’s Volleyball | January 31, 2023
LOS ANGELES – The 10th-ranked USC men’s volleyball team (6-2) heads to Happy Valley for the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge this weekend and will face fourth-ranked host Penn State (6-1) on Friday (Feb. 3) and No. 13 Ohio State (6-2) on Saturday (Feb. 4) at Rec Hall. The Trojans are 6-9 all-time in the Keystone State and are 3-6 against the Nittany Lions in State College. USC last won at Rec Hall in 2005 and last beat the Lions on the road in 2000.
THIS WEEK
Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge
MATCH #9 • Friday, February 3 • 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT)
No. 10 USC (6-2) at No. 4 Penn State (6-1)
Rec Hall • State College, Pa.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 20-11 (.645)
LAST MEETING: W 3-1 (Jan. 21, 2022 • Westwood, Calif.)
STREAK: Won 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-5
TV/STREAM: B1G+
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoPSUSports.com
MATCH #10 • Saturday, February 4 • 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT)
No. 10 USC (6-2) vs. No. 13 Ohio State (6-2)
Rec Hall • State College, Pa.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 19-6 (.760)
LAST MEETING: L 3-1 (Jan. 22, 2022 • Westwood, Calif.)
STREAK: Lost 2 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 4-6
TV/STREAM: B1G+
OPPONENT WEBSITE: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
- USC is led by eighth-year head coach Jeff Nygaard, a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time NCAA champion.
- The Trojans are currently ranked 10th in the AVCA Div I-II Coaches Poll. USC is 1-2 against ranked opponents this season.
- USC is 6-9 all-time in the Keystone State and is 3-6 all-time against Penn State when the teams meet in State College, Pa.
- USC returns All-American OPP Simon Gallas who ranks 13th in the MPSF for points (3.15 pps) and is 13th in kills (2.45 kps).
- This spring, the Trojans added All-American OH Kevin Kobrine; a grad transfer from UCLA. He was an All-MPSF choice in 2022 and follows brother Sam Kobrine who also transferred after four years at UCLA in 2021.
- USC MB Lucas Frassrand returns after an All-America honorable mention campaign as a junior. His .395 hitting percentage is seventh in the MPSF.
- Jr. S Nate Tennant was chosen as the Off the Block National Setter of the Week (Jan. 16) after leading USC to back-to-back 3-0 wins.
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