Stanford lost to the University of Southern California in men’s volleyball on April 4, dropping their record to 6-4 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The match took place at the Galen Center, where Stanford was defeated by USC with set scores of 21-25, 25-23, 16-25, and 17-25.
The outcome is significant as it affects Stanford’s standing within the conference. Despite strong performances from Moses Wagner and Alex Rottman, who combined for a total of 25 kills, Stanford was unable to overcome USC’s offense.
Wagner led Stanford with a team-high 14 kills for a second straight night and also contributed three digs, three blocks, and an ace. Rottman added eleven kills along with three blocks and three assists. Senior Theoren Brouillette started as setter and recorded thirty-five assists. Nate Clinton achieved a season-high hitting percentage of .500 with eight kills on sixteen errorless swings.
USC had an advantage throughout much of the match. The Trojans hit .354 as a team compared to Stanford’s .236 hitting percentage. They also led in digs (32-21) and aces (5-2). Dillon Klein from USC posted a match-high twenty kills on .667 hitting.
Stanford managed to break USC’s program record streak by winning the second set after USC had won twenty-two consecutive sets previously. However, they could not maintain momentum through the remainder of the contest.
Looking ahead, Stanford will continue its road trip next week with matches against Pepperdine.
