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Vanguard University

VANGUARD ATHLETICS
2026 MVB 1-15
Jess Alvarado
3
Winner Southern California USC 2-0,1-0 MPSF
0
Vanguard VAN 1-2,0-1 MPSF
Winner
Southern California USC
2-0,1-0 MPSF
3
Final
0
Vanguard VAN
1-2,0-1 MPSF
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Southern California USC 25 25 25 (3)
Vanguard VAN 22 17 14 (0)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

Lions Bested by #5 USC in MPSF Opener

COSTA MESA – The repeat of the 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opening night saw men's volleyball fall in straight sets (22-25, 17-25, 14-25) to #5 USC Thursday night at the Freed Center. The Lions were kept at bay by one of the best teams in the nation, as the Blue and Gold were held to a season-low .130 (28-18-77) attack rate from the open floor. VU drops to 1-2 and sits at a 0-1 start to the league. USC improves to 2-0, 1-0, claiming their third consecutive MPSF season-opening win and remaining unbeaten (4-0) in the all-time series with the Lions.

SC were in command of every major statistical category but were most convincing at the net and from the service line. They led 8-2 in blocks and wielded an 8-3 advantage in service aces, tying their second-highest single game ace tally in the past two and a half years.

What Happened?
Set 1- VU's delivered more kills (13-11) in the first frame, but could not keep their attack errors in check, firing nine to drop the tightest set of the game. SC's block also proved obdurate by the midway point of the match, throwing out five blocks to VU's one.

Cole Oliver, who produced a team-high eight kills and seven digs in the contest, issued his first from the back row to get the evening underway. SC shot back with four points, two of which came from Lion attack errors.

Vanguard continued to be aggressive from their back row attacks early, getting Grant Veldman and season debutant Logan Finley on the board for a 4-4 score.

The Trojans took the lead on a 7-2 run, with Micah Sybesma connecting for the only Vanguard kill during the rout. USC continued their perfect start in the open attack but coughed up a pair of service errors to put the Lions back on the chase, and Oliver fired down the first VU ace of the night soon after (14-8 USC).

The visitors triggered the media timeout off a Lion service error, but VU sprouted their most potent run of the night to claw their way back. The 5-1 stretch featured a pair of line shot kills from Veldman, a tip shot from the right pin from Logan Freemon, and two more points split between Brock Henderson and Sybesma.

With the score at 15-14 Trojans, SC were pulled out of dodge by 2025 First Team AVCA All-American Dillon Klein, who cranked up his shot selection to dish out two kills and an ace (18-14). Despite a 4-1 run in the red zone, VU would never get past a three-point deficit in the remainder of the set, as SC capped off the frame with a D-set kill to close the scoring at 25-22.

Set 2- The Trojans earned half of their total aces in the second set, out serving the Lions 4-1. Vanguard cut down the attack errors to three, a game-best, but could not match USC's 13 kills.

Freemon had the first VU point, followed by two SC errors for a 3-all draw. Despite the first Trojan ace of the set, VU stayed tight-knit to USC, courtesy of two front-row finds from Sybesma (6-6).

USC got busy from the service line once more, but a bushel of miscues, including two service errors and a bad set, kept the Lions within two, 11-9. The Trojans took over on an 8-4 run to distance themselves from the home side. Klein coined two kills during the run, and the Trojans tallied their third ace of the frame on a backrow blinder to the far reaches of the back corner (19-13 USC).

Braddock Duckworth stabbed a kill through the middle within seconds of stepping on to give the Lions a punch, with Finley earning the last Vanguard point in the period from the service line.

Set 3- Vanguard was outhit .556 (12-2-18) to .038 (7-6-26) in the final set, a stat line that told the story for USC's red-hot finish at the Freed Center.

The frame began with a tighter, strained launch point, as three VU service errors and a bad set and attack error from the Trojans tied the score at 5-5 USC. The Trojan-Lion separation point was marked from there, as Klein helped himself to three kills during a dominant 9-4 Trojan boost (14-8 USC).

The Lions took a timeout to try and reset the rhythm, but the visitors picked up where they left off, as USC netted a 5-2 run out of the break to head toward the red zone. The last Lion kills of the night came from Sybesma and Oliver (20-13 USC), but VU errored on three of their four final swings to drop the match in straight sets.

What's Next? VU will welcome the #1 team in the NCAA DIII, Springfield on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7.p.m.
 
 
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