Northridge Lets Down Record Crowd of 2,421 in Loss to Top-Ranked USC : College volleyball: Trojans ease past third-ranked Matadors, 15-11, 15-11, 15-6, despite heavy CSUN support.

Cal State Northridge pulled out all the stops. Fans packed the school gym ringing cowbells, throwing confetti, blowing kazoos and swinging pompons.

Those whose faces weren’t already painted red, screamed until they were of similar color.

A Northridge-record crowd of 2,421 came to watch the third-ranked Matadors try to topple top-ranked USC in a Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. match Wednesday night, but in the end their silence was cardinal and golden.

USC won its 22nd match against Northridge without a loss, improving to 12-0 this season with a 15-11, 15-11, 15-6 decision over the Matadors.

Northridge (9-3) seemed caught up in the emotion, alternately falling apart and putting together dominant runs with equal vengeance.

The Matadors, indeed, played like a finely tuned sports car. When all the cylinders clicked, Northridge was every bit USC’s equal. And when they did not, it was crash and burn.

USC, meanwhile, played tortoise to the Matadors’ hare.

Did the Trojans play well?

“I haven’t seen them not play well,” CSUN Coach John Price said afterward. The statistics back up that claim.

USC has lost but one game in eight WIVA matches, that to second-ranked Cal State Long Beach last week.

“We’re not as consistent as they are,” Price added. “That’s why they’re No. 1 and we’re No. 3.”

Neil Coffman, who had a match-high 28 kills for Northridge, summed up the teams with one hand.

“They’re like this,” he said, moving his right hand in a parallel line to the floor. “And we’re like this,” he added, making a violent wave.

Northridge ended the match much the way it started it--with a string of relatively unforced errors.

Ahead 6-1 in the third game, the Matadors surrendered 14 consecutive points--interrupted only by sideouts--to end the contest.

Similarly, at the start of the first game, Northridge succumbed to bad passing and seemingly mass confusion. USC led, 11-2, without having broken much of a sweat.

Northridge rallied to cut the Trojan advantage to 12-11, then gave up three points in a row to lose the game.

“When they get on fire, they’re as good as anybody,” said Bryan Ivie, USC’s senior All-American. “But they tend to break down a lot. With us, when there’s pressure, we can turn it on.”

The Trojans showed off that ability on numerous occasions.

USC closed out the second game in much the same way it did in the first, breaking open an 11-11 tie and scoring the final four points when Northridge’s back-row defense broke down.

“We knew going in that if our passing or serve broke down we were in trouble,” Price said. “Conversely, if by some blue moon their passing or serve broke down, we had a chance. They didn’t break. We did.”

That was particularly evident in the third game when Northridge worked hard to earn sideouts, only to give possession back to the Trojans on service errors.

Northridge had 16 service errors, including seven in the final game.

“We knew we were going to miss our share of serves, but we couldn’t even lollipop one over in the third game,” said Coffman, who finished with eight service errors.

“When you feel it slipping away, maybe you try a little too hard. A few of those missed the back line by an inch.”

USC, which was led by Ivie with 23 kills and Nick Becker with 17, made eight service errors and 12 hitting miscues. Northridge had 23 hitting miscues.

Coley Kyman had 17 kills and nine digs for Northridge, which also received an inspired performance by Raphael Tulino.

Tulino, a senior middle blocker, had 12 kills, nine digs, and was particularly effective with his jump serve.