Pitt Volleyball faces talented No. 8 USC in second round of NCAA tournament

This article originally appeared on pittsburghsportsnow.com.

Pitt Volleyball swept Coppin State to open the NCAA Tournament but now faces a tougher challenge in No. 8 USC at 7:00 p.m. Saturday night in the Second Round at the Petersen Events Center.

The Trojans finished the regular season with an 18-12 record and 12-8 in Pac-12 play. They earned the No. 8 seed, despite finishing No. 25 in the AVCA Coaches Poll, which would’ve put them at a No. 6 or a No. 7 seed. They were 3-8 against NCAA Tournament teams, with wins over then-ranked No. 17 Purdue in four sets on the road on Sept. 15 and both against then-ranked No. 4 Washington State in five sets on Oct. 20 and a sweep of then-ranked No. 15 Arizona State on Nov. 5 at home.

USC swept UMBC on Friday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. They won the first set 25-18, but dominated the both the second and third sets, 25-10, 25-12, respectively. They held UMBC to a .043 hitting percentage, their best defensive performance of the season while hitting .420 themselves, their second-best mark in 2023.

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