usd volleyball beats no. 17 byu - 9-12-24
Thomas Christensen
2
BYU BYU 4-2,0-0 Big 12
3
Winner San Diego SD 2-4,0-0 WCC
BYU BYU
4-2,0-0 Big 12
2
Final
3
San Diego SD
2-4,0-0 WCC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
BYU BYU 26 22 25 24 14 (2)
San Diego SD 24 25 22 26 16 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Jordan Stuart '25 | Media Relations Intern

Resilient Toreros Take Down No. 17 BYU at Jenny Craig Pavilion

San Diego upsets Cougars in 3-2 win on Thursday night to secure first Top-25 victory since 2022

SAN DIEGO — A career-high 22 kills from sophomore outside hitter Nemo Beach on Thursday night helped propel San Diego volleyball to a stunning 3-2 win over No. 17 BYU at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, marking the Toreros' first victory over a Top-25 opponent since November 2022.

USD (2-4, 0-0 WCC) dropped a tough 26-24 decision to the Cougars (4-2, 0-0 Big 12) in the first frame before responding with a 25-22 win in set two to even the score at 1-1. BYU pulled ahead 2-1 with a 25-22 victory in a hard-fought set three, but the Toreros won 26-24 in the fourth to tie it and 16-14 in the fifth to pull ahead for good as they prevailed in thrilling fashion against their former West Coast Conference rival. 

"(The Toreros) were resilient tonight," head coach Jennifer Petrie said after the match. "I'm just so happy for them because they've been working so hard and they hadn't yet seen the fruits of all of their hard work and their labor. I told them, 'You guys just need to stick with it, trust the process, and it's gonna come, the time's gonna come when you overcome those losses that you had and figure out a way to win.' And they did that tonight." 

Beach's career-best effort was bolstered by a standout performance from freshman setter Kylie Munday, who recorded 45 assists, 19 digs, and six block assists.

Senior libero Madi Allen — who transferred to USD in 2022 after spending the first two seasons of her college career at BYU — anchored the Torero defense with 27 digs against her former team.

"I think that this is a huge confidence builder," Petrie added. "And we know that the bar is raised now. The desire to want to come in and train and be better every day is going to be electric with that kind of motivation."

The Toreros have now won each of their last three matchups against BYU, all of which have come with the Cougars ranked in the Top 25. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set – No. 17 BYU, 26-24
  • Fueled by a 3-0 service run by Madi Allen that led to kills from Isabel Clark, Nemo Beach, and Kennedy Osunsanmi, USD started off Thursday night's match with a 6-3 lead.
  • The Cougars were able to catch up through tough defense and Torero service errors, tying the match 14-14.
  • A block from Haylee Stoner and a kill from Beach followed to force a BYU timeout at 16-14.
  • With two kills and a block from Beach and a block from Stoner, the Toreros were first to reach 20 with BYU at 17. 
  • The Toreros and Cougars stayed close down the stretch, but a dig from Olivia Bennett, an assist from Kylie Munday, and a kill from Beach prompted a BYU timeout at 23-22.
  • The Cougars turned up the heat on offense and powered through USD's blocks as they finished strong to take a 26-24 decision in the first frame.
Second Set – San Diego, 25-22
  • The Cougars had no answer for Beach while she erupted for two kills, a solo block, and an ace to force an early BYU timeout as the Toreros jumped out to an 8-4 lead to begin the second set.
  • The Toreros kept their foot on the gas with a three-point service run by Beach and relentless defense by Allen as they expanded their lead to 11-4.
  • USD kept its momentum going with a pair of kills from Clark and a kill from Osunsamni, forcing another BYU timeout at 14-6.
  • Despite a service ace from Allen and a kill from Stoner, a handful of Torero offensive errors led to a USD timeout at 19-14 as the Cougars crept back into contention.
  • BYU continued to fight back as the set wound down, but the Toreros held on as a clutch kill from Kristen Erland helped the Toreros win the second frame 25-22.
Third Set – No. 17 BYU, 25-22
  • San Diego stayed close with BYU as Thursday evening's third set got started, resulting in a 5-5 tie early on.
  • The Torero defense struggled to find its footing later on, resulting in a San Diego timeout with it chasing 10-6.
  • Despite a kill apiece from Erland and Stoner, the BYU offense continued to be too much for the Toreros as the Cougar lead swelled to 16-9.
  • USD's pins started to get back into groove with a kill each from Beach and Osunsamni, and offensive errors from the Cougars brought USD back within four at 17-13.
  • USD continued to power through, and narrowed BYU's lead to just one point via two kills by Beach, a kill from Stoner, and a service ace from Anni Evans to bring the score to 19-18.
  • A combo block from Erland and Munday combined with a kill from Beach forced a BYU timeout at 21-20, but BYU finished with a flurry of points to secure a 25-22 decision in its favor in set three.
Fourth Set – San Diego, 26-24
  • Munday spread out the Torero offense early on in the fourth, assisting kills from Osunsanmi, Stoner, and Beach as the Toreros took a 6-3 lead.
  • An ace during a dominant 3-0 service run from Beach helped get the Toreros stay ahead as the set unfolded, leading to a 10-6 advantage. 
  • Offensive pressure from the Cougars alongside Torero attack errors, however, forced a USD timeout with San Diego trailing 13-12.
  • San Diego and BYU kept things close as the set progressed, leading to a 17-17 tie. 
  • The teams then traded points back and forth before a kill from Osunsanmi led to a BYU timeout at 22-21.
  • USD regrouped with a timeout of its own with the set tied at 23-23, which led to two service errors from the Cougars that gave USD a 25-24 lead.  
  • Munday and Stoner then finished things off with a double block to win the set 26-24.
Fifth Set – San Diego, 16-14 
  • Stoner and Osunsamni both notched a kill each early on in the final set of the night, but a service ace and continued offensive pressure from the Cougars gave the visitors a 7-4 lead.
  • USD continued to chip away at the Cougars' advantage, and a double block from Osunsamni and Erland tied things up at 10-10.
  • A solo stuff from Stoner and an attack error from the Cougars followed, giving the Toreros a two-point lead at 12-10.
  • Both teams responded and kept things close, with the score eventually reaching 14-14.
  • Minutes later, a kill by Beach and a combo block from Clark and Stoner sealed the deal as USD finished the set 16-14 to win the match 3-2.
TORERO TIDBITS
  • Tonight's win marks USD's first win against a ranked opponent since November 18th, 2022, when it defeated then-No. 18 BYU 3-1 before a sold-out Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, Utah.
  • Thursday night's match was the longest in USD volleyball history, clocking in at 2 hours and 51 minutes to surpass the previous record of 2 hours and 44 minutes that was set on September 16th, 2023 at Georgia. 
  • Munday set new career highs in assists (45), digs (19), and total blocks (6), and notched her third career double-double.
  • Beach set new career highs in kills (21), digs (13), and aces (3), and notched her second career double-double.
  • Allen had a season-high 27 digs and dished out eight assists. 
  • Osunsanmi recorded 12 kills, four digs, and three block assists.
  • Bennett recorded nine digs and two service aces.
  • Stoner recorded seven kills and seven total blocks.
  • Clark recorded 13 kills and two digs.
UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action on Saturday night, when they close out the 2024 USD Invitational by hosting No. 12 Oregon in the Jenny Craig Pavilion. First serve against the Ducks is set for 7:00 p.m., and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
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