Post by Rocky on Feb 3, 2007 1:41:08 GMT -5
Lischer's 19 Kills Lead Matadors To Four-Game Win Over No. 13 USC
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Senior James Lischer slammed down a career-high 19 kills and Dan Rhodes added 17 as sixth-ranked Cal State Northridge held off 13th-ranked USC 28-30, 31-29, 30-27, 30-21 Friday at The Matadome.
With the win, the Matadors improve to 5-6 overall and even their MPSF record at 4-4. The loss drops the Trojans to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
In addition to his match-high in kills, Lischer hit an impressive .625 with just two errors in 25 swings. The senior also added seven blocks in the win. Rhodes (.344) set a season-high with his kill total while adding nine digs and Kevin McKniff also reached double figures with 10 kills, hitting .643. Matador setter Travis Bluemling recorded 56 assists, six digs and six blocks for Northridge, which hit .336 (63-21-125) as a team.
For USC, Andrew Vernon knocked down a team-high 18 kills while hitting .448. Juan Figueroa added 17 kills (.098) and C.J. Schellenberg chipped in 14 kills (.265). Figueroa recorded the only double-double of the match by adding a team-high 10 digs. Trojan setter Jimmy Killian registered 56 assists, three digs and a match-high eight blocks.
USC was nearly unstoppable in game one as the Trojans took a 3-2 lead after Northridge's Isaac Kneubuhl's attack went wide and USC never looked back. The Trojans built the lead to five (13-8) after Schellenberg and Current teamed up to block Lischer forcing a Matador timeout.
The USC lead was at least three until Northridge closed to 29-28 on a Rhodes kill. But Figueroa answered on game point and USC had 1-0 lead.
Game two looked to be all Trojans as well as USC jumped out to a 15-11 lead after a Matt Anderson kill. The Trojan lead was five at 19-14 before Northridge found its rhythm. The Matadors would score 10 of the next 14 points to take their first lead of the game since 3-2. A Mike Gaudino kill gave Northridge a two-point cushion (25-23) and depite tying the score twice down the stretch, USC could not come back and the match was tied 1-1.
In game three, the Trojans again took an early lead (9-4) before the Matadors put together a 7-2 run to knot the score at 11-11 forcing a USC timeout. The Trojans took the lead back and held it until 16-15 when McKniff and Bluemling teamed up to block Anderson and a Rhodes kill gave Northridge a 17-16 lead and the Matadors would not trail again.
The Matador lead grew to as many as five four different occasions before Northridge claimed game three 30-27.
In game four, it was the Matadors who took the early lead and then held off USC's comeback attempt. Northridge led 9-4 before the Trojans engineered a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 10-8 on a Figueroa kill. But the Matadors pulled away scoring nine of the next 13 points to take a 19-12 lead before closing the match out with the 30-21 game four win.
Cal State Northridge opens two-match road trip in the midwest as the Matadors travel to Loyola-Chicago next Friday, Feb. 9 and then take on Quincy on Feb. 10.
- GO MATADORS -
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Senior James Lischer slammed down a career-high 19 kills and Dan Rhodes added 17 as sixth-ranked Cal State Northridge held off 13th-ranked USC 28-30, 31-29, 30-27, 30-21 Friday at The Matadome.
With the win, the Matadors improve to 5-6 overall and even their MPSF record at 4-4. The loss drops the Trojans to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
In addition to his match-high in kills, Lischer hit an impressive .625 with just two errors in 25 swings. The senior also added seven blocks in the win. Rhodes (.344) set a season-high with his kill total while adding nine digs and Kevin McKniff also reached double figures with 10 kills, hitting .643. Matador setter Travis Bluemling recorded 56 assists, six digs and six blocks for Northridge, which hit .336 (63-21-125) as a team.
For USC, Andrew Vernon knocked down a team-high 18 kills while hitting .448. Juan Figueroa added 17 kills (.098) and C.J. Schellenberg chipped in 14 kills (.265). Figueroa recorded the only double-double of the match by adding a team-high 10 digs. Trojan setter Jimmy Killian registered 56 assists, three digs and a match-high eight blocks.
USC was nearly unstoppable in game one as the Trojans took a 3-2 lead after Northridge's Isaac Kneubuhl's attack went wide and USC never looked back. The Trojans built the lead to five (13-8) after Schellenberg and Current teamed up to block Lischer forcing a Matador timeout.
The USC lead was at least three until Northridge closed to 29-28 on a Rhodes kill. But Figueroa answered on game point and USC had 1-0 lead.
Game two looked to be all Trojans as well as USC jumped out to a 15-11 lead after a Matt Anderson kill. The Trojan lead was five at 19-14 before Northridge found its rhythm. The Matadors would score 10 of the next 14 points to take their first lead of the game since 3-2. A Mike Gaudino kill gave Northridge a two-point cushion (25-23) and depite tying the score twice down the stretch, USC could not come back and the match was tied 1-1.
In game three, the Trojans again took an early lead (9-4) before the Matadors put together a 7-2 run to knot the score at 11-11 forcing a USC timeout. The Trojans took the lead back and held it until 16-15 when McKniff and Bluemling teamed up to block Anderson and a Rhodes kill gave Northridge a 17-16 lead and the Matadors would not trail again.
The Matador lead grew to as many as five four different occasions before Northridge claimed game three 30-27.
In game four, it was the Matadors who took the early lead and then held off USC's comeback attempt. Northridge led 9-4 before the Trojans engineered a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 10-8 on a Figueroa kill. But the Matadors pulled away scoring nine of the next 13 points to take a 19-12 lead before closing the match out with the 30-21 game four win.
Cal State Northridge opens two-match road trip in the midwest as the Matadors travel to Loyola-Chicago next Friday, Feb. 9 and then take on Quincy on Feb. 10.
- GO MATADORS -
