USC Athletics | August 31, 2018

Women's volleyball: No. 7 Southern California wins at No. 4 Florida

Stanford's Gray setting the table for another title run

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 7-ranked USC women's volleyball team (4-0) scored a four-set victory (25-18, 16-25, 25-14, 25-21) over fourth-ranked Florida (1-2) to open the 2018 Bubly Invitational at Exactech Arena on Friday, Aug. 31. The win avenged a loss the Women of Troy suffered to the Gators in the 2017 NCAA regional championship match on the same floor.

🙌🙌🙌 The Women of Troy complete the four-set win over the Gators on this tip by @BotkinBrooke! #FightOn ✌️🏐 pic.twitter.com/da0oNFq3uF
— USC Women's Volleyball (@uscwomensvolley) September 1, 2018

KEY PLAYERS

So. OH Brooke Botkin produced her third double-double of the season (fourth career) and led all players with 20 kills (4e, 44att, .364) to go with 15 digs and two blocks.
Jr. OH Khalia Lanier scored 14 kills (6e, 38att, .211) and had five digs and a pair of service aces.
Fr. Setter Raquel Lázaro dished out 41 assists and had nine digs, three blocks, a kill, and a service ace.
Jr. MB Jasmine Gross collected six kills (1e, 13att, .385) and led the team with five blocks.
Sr. defender Reni Meyer-Whalley dug up 12 balls and served three of USC's seven aces.
For the Gators, Thayer Hall had 12 kills (9e, 50att) but was held to a .060 hitting percentage. Holly Carlton led UF with 16 kills (6e, 33att, .303) while Rachael Kramer had six blocks and six kills.

👊 @BotkinBrooke can't be stopped! She scores another kill out of the back row for the Trojans! #FightOn ✌️🏐 pic.twitter.com/gm20ovmB1v
— USC Women's Volleyball (@uscwomensvolley) September 1, 2018

HOW IT HAPPENED

USC opened the match with a big run and remained in control en route to a 25-18 win in the first set. Botkin and Lanier each scored four kills apiece and helped the Trojans out-hit the Gators, .267 to .100.
Florida fought back in the second set and despite another hot start for the Trojans, UF erased a 12-8 deficit and ended the frame on a 17-4 run for a 25-16 win.
USC got back to its winning ways in the third set and raced away with a 25-14 win thanks to six kills by Botkin and five more from Lanier. The Trojans had two aces and collected two blocks; and ultimately out-hit the Gators, .536 to .088.
The teams traded barbs in the fourth, but the Trojans ran ahead by a seven-point lead on back-to-back Botkin kills at 22-15. Florida fought back, but couldn't overcome the Women of Troy, who went away, 25-21, for the win.

⚔️ @khalia_lanier goes crosscourt to terminate yet another rally! #FightOn ✌️🏐 pic.twitter.com/4kvuOmIrKB
— USC Women's Volleyball (@uscwomensvolley) September 1, 2018

UP NEXT

USC faces Central Florida (2-2) in its second match of the Bubly Invitational. The Trojans and the Knights meet at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) at the Exactech Arena and will be shown live on ESPN3.

MATCH NOTES

USC improved to 6-4 all-time against Florida and snapped a three-match skid to the Gators (2005, '14, '17). It was also the Trojans' first win over Florida on the Gators' home floor.
The Women of Troy improved to 7-3 in all-time matches played in the state of Florida.
The Trojans improved to 34-9 in road openers and have won nine straight since 2010.
USC has now defeated three ranked opponents this season including two in the top five (No. 4 UF and No. 5 Kentucky).
The Trojans' four-match winning streak is the team's longest since winning five straight from Oct. 29 to Nov. 11, 2017.