SAN DIEGO — After going undefeated at the USD Invitational and achieving the fifth-highest national ranking in program history last weekend, No. 8 San Diego volleyball (7-1, 0-0 WCC) remains at home on Friday and Saturday for a pair of matches against UCLA (5-2, 0-0 Pac-12) and crosstown rival San Diego State at the Jenny Craig Pavilion as part of the USD/SDSU Challenge.

Action will begin on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. when the Toreros host the Bruins, followed by a 6:00 p.m. matchup in the JCP on Saturday against the Aztecs. Both contests will be streamed live on the WCC Network, with David Gentile (Friday) and Braden Surprenant (Saturday) on the calls. Live statistics will be available on USDToreros.com.

THE CLIMB CONTINUES
• USD checked in at No. 8 in Monday (September 12)'s AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll, the Toreros' highest ranking since 2013, when San Diego was also ranked No. 8 on six different occasions (9/23/13, 10/28/13, 11/4/13, 11/11/13, 11/25/13, and 12/2/13).

It's the fifth-highest ranking in program history (details below)

USD All-Time AVCA Coaches Poll Rankings
1.  No. 2 - September 16, 2013
2.  No. 5 - October 3, 2016 - October 24, 2016
3.  No. 6 - September 26, 2016
4.  No. 7 - September 19, 2016
5.  No. 8 - Current Ranking (September 12, 2022)
           • USD has been ranked No. 8 on six previous occasions
            • All in 2013, most recently on December 2, 2013
6.   No. 9 - Six times (four in 2013, two in 2017)
          • Most recent: November 27, 2017
7. No. 10 - September 12, 2016

•San Diego, which got as high as No. 19 last season, began 2022 at No. 25 (preseason), then jumped to No. 15 (week one) after a dynamic opening weekend that saw it beat No. 6 Pitt and sweep both Texas A&M and Hawaii. From there, it rose to No. 12 (week two) after sweeping then-No. 8 Ohio State at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Kentucky.

•The Toreros have been nationally ranked in each of their last 25 seasons, including five Top 5 rankings and 20 total placements in the nation's Top 10.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST UCLA
• San Diego is 2-13 against the Bruins all-time.

• The two programs last met on September 9, 2021, a five-set USD victory at the Jenny Craig Pavilion that came with the Toreros ranked No. 25 and UCLA ranked No. 16.

• USD's lone previous win over UCLA also came at the JCP, a 3-1 decision on September 10, 2016 with San Diego ranked No. 15 and the Bruins ranked No. 7.

BROOMS WERE BUSY
• USD kicked off its 2022 home schedule in style last weekend at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, sweeping visiting SMU and UConn in straight sets on Friday (September 9) before batting for a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Utah on Saturday night that marked the Toreros' fourth consecutive win.

• San Diego's sweeps of the Mustangs and Huskies were USD's fourth and fifth of 2022 after also beating Texas A&M, Hawaii, and No. 8 Ohio State 3-0.

BLOSSOM AND FROHLING NAMED TO ALL-USD INVITATIONAL TEAM
• Following a busy weekend of action in the JCP that saw USD go an event-best 3-0, graduate setter Gabby Blossom was named tournament MVP and senior opposite/setter Grace Frohling earned All-USD Invitational Team honors, marking the third consecutive week in which the pair have been recognized.

• For Blossom, it's her second tournament MVP honor of 2022 after being designated as the Texas A&M Invitational's Most Valuable Player in late August and being named to the All-Cardinal Classic Team earlier this month.

Blossom By The Numbers - USD Invitational
• Three Matches (11 sets)
• 110 assists (10 A/S)
• 25 digs (2.27 D/S)
• 8 block assists
• Three service aces
• Led all three matches in assists

2022 season stats: 306 assists (team-high), 10.55 assists per set (conference-high), 78 digs, 12 blocks, seven service aces, five kills

• For Frohling, it's her third all-tournament team selection of the season after also being honored following the Texas A&M Invitational and the Cardinal Classic.

• The Los Angeles, California native was also selected to the All-WCC Preseason Team in late August before being chosen as the WCC Offensive Player of the Week (August 29) and the AVCA National Player of the Week (August 30).

Frohling By The Numbers - USD Invitational
• Three Matches (11 sets)
• 33 kills (.342, 3.00 kills per set)
• Five service aces
• 10 digs
• Nine block assists
• Had a match-high 16 kills against Utah on Saturday

2022 season stats: 94 kills (.341, 3.24 K/S), eight service aces, 21 digs, 20 block assists, one solo block
• Leads team in kills and kills per set

LEYLA BLOCKS WELL
• Highlighted by dominance on the defensive side, junior middle blocker Leyla Blackwell continued her well-rounded play over the weekend at the USD Invitational, racking up a team-high 21 blocks (three solo, 1.91 B/S) to go with 17 kills.

• Blackwell, who was named both an All-WCC Preseason Team and WCC Defensive Player of the Week selection in late August, totaled four against SMU, six against UConn, and a match-high 11 against Utah.

• Her performance at the USD Invitational saw her set new career highs in kills (11, 9/9/22 vs. SMU), points (13, 9/9/22 vs. SMU), and total blocks (11, 9/10 vs. Utah).

• She leads USD with 45 total blocks and 1.83 blocks per set so far in 2022, marks that lead the WCC and rank sixth and second in the country, respectively.

EDWARDS EXCELLING IN SAN DIEGO
• Graduate outside hitter Breana Edwards has gotten out to a hot start as a Torero, racking up 88 kills through eight matches (29 sets) so far at USD after joining the team from Indiana in the offseason. Both her kill total (88) and her kills per set (3.14) rank second on the USD roster, second to only Frohling.

• The Rainier, Oregon native continued her strong start over the weekend at the USD Invitational, setting forth 33 kills while hitting .278 and averaging 3.09 kills per set.

• Her kills per set led the team in that three-match stretch, and her kill total was second to only Frohling.

• She proved to be key in San Diego's sweep of UConn last Friday (September 9), leading the match with 13 kills while hitting .276, also adding two block assists, a solo block, and two digs for good measure.

LUKES HEATING UP
• Redshirt senior outside hitter Katie Lukes joined Edwards in enjoying a big weekend as San Diego opened up its 2022 home schedule at the USD Invitational, totaling 28 kills while hitting .175 and averaging 2.80 kills per set against SMU, UConn, and Utah.

• The San Clemente, California native paced Friday afternoon's match against SMU with 13 kills while hitting .333 before she added 15 more across the weekend's final two games.

• For the season she has accumulated 86 kills while hitting .205 and averaging 3.07 kills per set, a total that ranks third on the San Diego roster behind Edwards and Frohling.

STONER SOLID EARLY ON
• Sophomore middle blocker Haylee Stoner was at the center of the action for San Diego last weekend as it went undefeated at the USD Invitational, notching 13 kills while hitting a robust .458 alongside 10 blocks (one solo) and a service ace.

• The San Marcos, California (Mission Hills High School) native set forth her most impressive performance in the tournament finale on Saturday night against Utah, setting a new career high with 10 kills while hitting a match-best .474 on the evening alongside seven block assists (one solo), a dig, and a service ace.

• Stoner, who was named to the 2021 All-WCC Freshman Team last season, has started seven of the Toreros' eight matches so far in 2022, with 37 kills to her credit (1.54 K/S) and three service aces while leading the team with a .342 hitting percentage. On the defensive side, she's racked up 17 blocks (one solo) for an average of 0.71 blocks per set.


BENBOW STEADY AS EVER
• Amid a flurry of offseason additions for the Toreros, redshirt senior libero Annie Benbow has continued to shine as part of a dominant San Diego defense, adding 42 digs across three matches at the USD Invitational last weekend.

• The Frisco, Texas native set forth nine against SMU on Friday afternoon, a match-high 18 against UConn on Friday night, and a match-high 15 against Utah on Saturday night.

• For the season she's totaled a team-high 102 digs (3.52 D/S), has 59 assists, and has chipped in five service aces.

• Benbow, a 2021 All-WCC First Team selection and a 2019 ALL-WCC Honorable Mention, was one of three Toreros named to the 2022 WCC Volleyball Preseason Team in August.

• She enters this weekend's action with 1,267 career digs, which stands alone as the sixth-most in USD volleyball history.

• With 67 more, she would overtake LaManda Mounts (1994-97), who currently holds the fifth-most digs in San Diego history with 1,334.

• Benbow is now just 222 digs off the San Diego all-time record of 1,489, held by Hunter Jennings (2013-2016).

ACES FOR ALLEN
• Junior libero Madi Allen is tied for the USD lead in service aces with eight (Frohling).

• Allen, a native of nearby Temecula, California who transferred to the Toreros from conference rival BYU, also has 54 digs and 12 assists on the season.

• While with the Cougars from 2020-2021 she earned three WCC Defensive Player of the Week honors, was selected to the All-WCC Second Team as a freshman in 2021, and played in six NCAA Tournament matches, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2021.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
•Over the last 20 seasons, San Diego is 231-45 at home in the Jenny Craig Pavilion, good for a remarkable .836 winning percentage.

HOLDING THE STANDARD
• San Diego won 20 games in 2021 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 12th straight year, marking the 25th postseason appearance in USD volleyball history.

TOUGH COMPETITION
•Five of No. 8 San Diego's 2022 opponents were ranked in September 12th's AVCA Coaches Poll.

Those teams are…

• No. 10 Pitt - August 26 (3-2 USD win w/Pitt ranked No. 6)
• No. 4 Louisville - September 2 (3-1 USD loss w/Louisville ranked No. 3)
• No. 8 Ohio State  - September 3 (3-0 USD win)
• No. 22 Pepperdine - September 22
• No. 15 BYU - October 21 and November 22

• Utah, which San Diego beat 3-2 on September 10 and UCLA, which San Diego is set to play on Friday night, both have been ranked in the Top 25 at some point this season but received 40 and 44 votes in this week's poll, respectively.

LAST TIME OUT
• No. 12 San Diego swept its way through the USD Invitational at the Jenny Craig Pavilion last weekend, beating SMU on Friday afternoon in straight sets to open up its 2022 home schedule before dispatching UConn by a 3-0 margin that evening. The Toreros then closed out their weekend with another win (the team's fourth straight victory) over Utah, taking down the Utes 3-2 in a hard-fought Saturday night match.

SEPTEMBER 9 - No. 12 SAN DIEGO 3, SMU 0
• First Set - No. 12 San Diego, 25-22
• Second Set - No. 12 San Diego, 25-12
• Third Set - No. 12 San Diego, 25-17

Notable:
• San Diego's sweep of the Mustangs on Friday marked the Toreros' second consecutive victory in straight sets after beating No. 8 Ohio State 3-0 last Saturday to conclude the Cardinal Classic.

• Friday afternoon's victory also marked USD's fourth sweep of the 2022 season after just six games.

• Lukes led the match with 13 kills (.333), followed by Blackwell with 11 (.368), Frohling with 10, (.556) Edwards with seven (.125), and both Blossom (1.000) and Stoner (.400) with three.

• Blackwell anchored the USD defense with four block assists, while Frohling added three, Edwards and Stoner notched two, and Blossom chipped in one.

• Edwards had San Diego's only two solo blocks of the game.

• Blossom racked up a match-high 33 assists, marking her sixth consecutive contest with 30 or more to begin her USD career.

• Blossom, Lukes, and redshirt senior libero Annie Benbow, each tied for the match-high with nine digs, with liberos Madi Allen (junior) and Olivia Bennett (freshman) just behind with six apiece.

• Frohling and Pries chipped in two digs each, and Stoner had one.

SEPTEMBER 9 - No. 12 SAN DIEGO 3, UCONN 0
• First Set - No.12 San Diego 25, UConn 15
• Second Set - No. 12 San Diego 25, UConn 12
• Third Set - No. 12 San Diego 25, UConn 22

Notable:
• Edwards led the way for USD with a match-high 13 kills while hitting .276, also adding two block assists, a solo block, and two digs for good measure.

• Lukes (.115) was next with eight kills, contributing two block assists and seven digs along the way.

• Frohling (.313) wasn't too far behind with seven kills of her own, a block assist, and three digs.

• Goddard and Blackwell both hit. 364 while notching six and four kills, respectively.

• Goddard had a match-high two solo blocks, and Blackwell had a match-high five block assists while also chipping in a dig.

• Blossom paced the match with 33 assists, marking her seventh consecutive contest with 30 or more to begin her USD career alongside two block assists and seven digs.

• Benbow set forth a match-best 18 digs, vaulting her into sole possession of sixth-most digs all-time at USD with 1,252 after overtaking Kristen Hurst (2001-04)'s mark of 1226.

• Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Anna Jaworowski had two digs on Friday, and freshman libero/defensive specialist Olivia Bennett had one while recording a pair of assists.

• Pries had a single dig and a service ace.

SEPTEMBER 10 - No. 12 SAN DIEGO 3, UTAH 2
• First Set - Utah, 25-22
• Second Set - No. 12 San Diego, 25-15
• Third Set - No. 12 San Diego, 25-18
• Fourth Set - Utah, 25-17
• Fifth Set - No. 12 San Diego, 15-9

Notable:
• Frohling led the match with 16 kills (.256), also adding five digs, four block assists, and two service aces.

• Edwards was just behind with 14 kills while hitting .423, chipping in with two block assists and two digs of her own.

• Stoner set a new career high in kills with 10 while hitting a match-best .474 alongside seven block assists (one solo), a dig, and a service ace.

• Lukes was next with seven kills while hitting .074, contributing eight digs, five block assists, and an assist.

• Pries had four kills while hitting .250 to go with two digs and a service ace.

• Blackwell led the match with nine block assists (two solo), also adding two kills.

• Blossom had a match-high 44 kills, marking her eighth consecutive contest with 30 or more to begin her USD career alongside nine digs and a service ace.

• Benbow led the match in both digs (15) and service aces (three), also recording three assists for good measure.

• Allen wasn't too far behind with 11 digs and three assists of her own.