LOS ANGELES -- Samantha Bricio recorded a match-high 22 kills on .475 hitting to lead No. 5 USC (15-2, 3-2 Pac-12) to a 3-0 (17-25, 16-25, 21-25) victory over Arizona (9-7, 1-4 Pac-12) on Friday at the Galen Center.
USC hit a solid .282 on the night while holding Arizona’s offense in check, as the Cats hit just .140. Bricio recorded a double-double, adding 11 digs to her 22 kills. Meanwhile, Hayley Crone dished out a match-high 34 assists in the victory for the Trojans.
The loss was Arizona's first in three sets this season. Previously, the Wildcats were a perfect 8-0 on the season in three-set matches.
The Arizona sophomore duo of Madi Kingdon and Taylor Arizobal each had eight kills to lead the attack. Junior setter Chanel Brown recorded her fourth double-double of the season, tallying 13 digs and 12 assists. Candace Nicholson finished with a team-high 14 digs to lead the Arizona defense.
The Trojans got off to a quick start in the opening set by turning a 2-2 tie into a 10-2 advantage after a 8-0 run. The Wildcats were never able to cut the lead as USC went on to take the set, 25-17. The USC defense was phenomenal in the set by limiting Arizona to .026 hitting in the frame.
The Wildcats got off to a solid start in the second set, as they jumped out to a 6-3 lead. The Trojans quickly reeled off four straight points to take a 7-6 lead, though. After the two teams battled to an 8-8 tie, USC won the next two points to take a 10-8 advantage. From there, the Trojans held the lead and clinched the set 25-16. The Trojans hit a match-high .359 in the set.
USC took control early in the third set by pulling out to a 15-9 advantage. The Wildcats would not go down easy, though, as they went on a 7-1 run to tie the score 16-16. Arizona just could not get over the hump the rest of the way, as USC regained the lead and held on for a 25-21 victory in the set to clinch the match.
