NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT - FIRST ROUND: TOP-SEEDED USC BEATS SAN DIEGO USC 3, SAN DIEGO 0.Byline: Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. Staff Writer It was only a recording of ``Conquest'' that played on the Lyon Center sound system during a timeout in the third game of USC's match against San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , but the symbolic effect was not lost on the 813 fans in attendance Friday night. San Diego (25-8), ranked No. 25 in the USA Today/AVCA poll but effectively seeded 64th in the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association women's volleyball tournament, had the arsenal to challenge top-seeded USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. (26-1) in the first-round match, but they would not break them. The result was a 30-27, 30-15, 30-24 victory for the Trojans, who will advance to tonight's second-round game at 7 against Texas A&M, a three-game winner over Utah on Friday. USC, with its parade of All-Pacific-10 Conference players, was just too deep, too tall, and too powerful for the Toreros, who argued they deserved a better chance at showcasing their talents in the playoffs. ``They are just so big across the board, it's really hard to find weakness in their defense,'' San Diego coach Jennifer Petrie said of USC, which averages 6-foot-3 across its frontline and 6-foot as a team. ``Coming into this match, we were anxious and excited to play the first seed in the first round, but on the flip side Flip side In the context of general equities, opposite side to a proposition or position (buy, if sell is the proposition and vice versa). , we also wished we were somewhere else.'' San Diego, playing loose and poised, hung with USC until the final three points of the first game. Sophomore Kristen Hurst brought the Toreros to within a point with a kill at 28-27, but setter setter: see sporting dog. setter Any of three breeds derived from a medieval hunting dog that would set (lie down) when it found birds so that it and the birds could be covered with a net. Setters have long hair on the ears, chest, legs, and tail. Lindsey Sherburne was called for a back-row violation during a long rally to give USC a game-point opportunity. Bibiana Candelas Bibiana Candelas is a volleyball player who plays the position of middle blocker for University of Southern California's Women of Troy, and serves as Captain of Mexico's Women's Volleyball National Team. , a 6-5 freshman who joined USC from the Mexican national team Oct. 24, put away the game point with a crushing spike from the middle of the court. Candelas finished with nine kills. ``I thought they were a top-20 team,'' USC coach Mick Haley said. ``We were constantly being pushed. But I'm glad we got to play them. I've been in situations where we did play the No. 64 team, and that did us absolutely no good.'' After the close opening game, the Trojans, who have not dropped a game since a five-game loss to Stanford on Nov. 2, doubled a deflated de·flate v. de·flat·ed, de·flat·ing, de·flates v.tr. 1. a. To release contained air or gas from. b. To collapse by releasing contained air or gas. 2. San Diego in the second game 30-15. But the Toreros would mount one more charge. At 22-22, three-time All-Pac-10 selection April Ross had a kill down in the line. San Diego was called for a net violation on the next point, before San Diego sophomore outside hitter Devin Forster put away a kill to make it 24-23. But that was their last run. USC won six of the final seven points to finish off the game. ``We just had so much energy tonight because (the tournament) is what you live for,'' said junior Katie Olsovsky, who led USC with 10 kills and three blocks. ``You only have one shot in the tournament, and that is what this is all about.'' |
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