LOS ANGELES — The No. 6 BYU men's volleyball team will travel to face conference opponent No. 13 USC in a pair of matches from April 5-6 in the Galen Center for its final two matches of the regular season.
COUGARS (15-7, 6-4)
The Cougars moved up one spot to No. 6 in Week 13 of the AVCA Coaches Poll. Overall, BYU has been ranked in the top-10 since February 6, 2023 for a total of 26 consecutive weeks in a row. BYU’s highest rank this year has been six, with two previous rankings at No. 6 on the week of February 12, 2024 and the week of March 4, 2024.
Junior outside hitter Luke Benson currently leads the Cougars in kills with 245, averaging 3.40 kills per set as the fifth-highest of all players in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Benson was named AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Player of the Week on March 26 and is two-time MPSF Offensive Player of the Week this season.
BYU is 6-4 in MPSF play and is currently in third place in the 2024 MPSF standings, coming off four consecutive conference wins.
TROJANS (11-11, 2-6)
The 13th-ranked USC men's volleyball team (11-11, 2-6 MPSF) hosts No. 6 BYU for its final pair of home regular-season matches this weekend at Galen Center. The Trojans seek to bounce back from three straight losses and are currently fifth in the MPSF standings, with four regular season matches left to play.
The Trojans’ 2.47 blocks per set ranks second in the MPSF and is eighth in the nation. USC has produced 10 matches in double-digit blocks and set a season-high mark with 15.5 blocks against No. 4 Ohio State on Jan. 20. In all, USC has out-blocked its opponent 14 times this season.
COUGARS VS. TROJANS
BYU is currenly on a two-game win streak against the Trojans, defeating USC in four sets in back-to-back games in Provo in 2023. BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead has never lost to USC in Provo as his overall record against USC is 13-3, with all three losses occurring on the road. The Cougars hold the all-time record over the Trojans, with a 50-25 edge.
BROADCAST INFO
- Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m. PDT on Pac-12 Network
- Saturday, April 6 at 7 p.m. PDT on Pac-12 Network