Northridge Flat in Loss to USC : Lady Matadors Fail to Overcome Slow Start, Powerful Trojans

Members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team began filling the doorways at the Cal State Northridge gym about two games into Wednesday night’s nonconference women’s volleyball match between Northridge and USC.

The Globetrotters were on hand to practice their routines for an exhibition at the campus later this week.

And for a while, it looked as if Northridge would extend the Trojans and make a late-night Globetrotter workout begin even later.

In the end, however, Northridge was unable to come up with enough power or flair as USC defeated the Lady Matadors, 15-9, 15-11, 14-16, 15-8.

Northridge, ranked fourth in the nation in the Tachikara Division II poll, is 9-6. USC, ranked 10th in the Division I poll, improved to 9-3.

“I’m happy because I saw a lot of improvement in the things we’ve been working on,” Northridge Coach Walt Ker said. “No one in Division II is going to be that good and we played fairly consistent.”

Northridge, however, was unable to offset the powerful hitting of USC’s Megan McCallister and Lonise Norfleet.

McCallister, a six-foot junior middle blocker from Manhattan Beach who was a first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference selection last season, had a match-high 22 kills and 16 digs. Norfleet, a 6-2 junior outside hitter from Illinois, added 17 kills and 17 digs.

The Trojans, coming off Pac-10 wins over Arizona and Arizona State last weekend, played most of the match without senior outside hitter Yleana Carrasco, who was nursing a sore knee.

“We were a little flat,” said first-year USC Coach Lisa Love. “We got up and played some good volleyball last Friday and Saturday. . . . Tonight, we were a little complacent.”

Northridge, which won the the Portland State tournament last weekend, also looked a bit flat at the outset.

The Lady Matadors spotted the Trojans two games before rallying from a 9-5 deficit in the third game to avoid the sweep.

Carrasco entered the match midway through the fourth game to stabilize USC and she provided the Trojans with match point on a kill.

Kathleen Dixon led Northridge with a team-high 17 kills and 16 digs. Keira Middleton had 13 kills for the Lady Matadors and Alissa Evans and Marianne Dixon each had 11 kills.

Ker was encouraged by CSUN’s performance.

“We’ve played competitive teams all September,” Ker said. “I like my team and I think we’re going to be in very good shape by the end of the season.”