Oct. 7, 2010
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Senior right side Ali Troost recorded a season-high 28 kills in helping propel the 23rd ranked University of San Diego volleyball team to a 3-1 (27-29, 25-21, 25-20, 25-16) win over visiting Utah in a non-conference match Thursday evening at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Troost led all players with her 28 kills, while only committing three errors to post a .511 attack percentage, while also recording eight digs. Freshman middle hitter Chloe Ferrari also had a huge match for USD, as she recorded a career-high 14 kills, while hitting at a .462 clip, and Amy Mahinalani DeGroot recorded a double-double with 10 kills, and 13 digs. Senior setter Kelsi Myers recorded 59 assists, while helping steer the USD offense to a .290 attack percentage, and C'era Oliveira had a team-best 16 digs.
In the first set, the Toreros jumped out to an early 4-1 lead as Troost recorded the first four points for the Toreros to give USD the early momentum. The Utes however were able to hang around with the Toreros and didn't allow USD to get more than three points ahead. Utah would tie things up several times, before finally regaining the lead at 16-15 on an Erin Reed kill. The two teams the battled back and forth trading point-for-point until USD had set-point at 24-23. But the Toreros could not put things away, as a Reed kill evened things up. The Utes would then take set point, and USD had it two more times, before the Utes were able to put things away with a Reed kill, to give Utah a 1-0 edge.
In the second set, the two teams were engaged in a battle, trading point-for-point right out of the gates, and neither team had a lead bigger than two and there were 14 ties. Finally with the set tied up at 18, a Ashton Basch kill and a Myers service ace gave USD some breathing room with a 20-18 lead. Utah would pull back to within one at 21-20, but it wasn't close enough, as a Troost kill then ignited a 4-1 run, closing out the set and giving USD a 25-21 win to go into the break tied at one set apiece.
In the third set, it was again a tooth and nail battle with the Utes holding pace with the Toreros for a majority of the frame. San Diego would not be able to pull away until late. With the score knotted at 18, a Katie Hoekman kill and a Troost kill gave USD a two-point edge and some breathing room. USD would not surrender this lead as they went on to claim the third set with a 25-20 win.
In the fourth and final set, both teams kept things close, until USD took a four-point lead at 14-10 on a Myers kill. The Toreros then slowly began to pull away, as they used solid defense along with sharp offense to eventually build up a seven-point lead at 22-15 on a Troost kill, and the Toreros never looked back as they went on to claim the match with a 25-16 win.
The Toreros will return to action on Saturday when they resume West Coast Conference play with a trip to Moraga, Calif. to take on the defending WCC champions and the 25th-ranked Saint Mary's Gaels.
