Northridge Left With a Net Loss by Trojans

The Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball team proved it could play with USC for the first two games of a nonconference men’s match at USC’s North Gym on Wednesday night, but a barrage of service errors in Game 3 proved fatal to the Matadors in a four-game loss.

Northridge split the first two games, but the Matadors committed nine service errors in the third game of USC’s 15-10, 5-15, 15-4, 15-7 victory.

Although the loss dropped Northridge’s series record to 2-27 against the No. 3-ranked Trojans, the Matadors hung with USC until the wave of service mistakes caused them to lose their composure.

“I think we just spent too much time dwelling on our mistakes instead of playing the game,” Northridge Coach John Price said. “The guys were so frustrated with what they had done that they didn’t concentrate on playing the game. . . . We lost our poise and SC just jumped on us.”

Despite committing six service errors in the first part of Game 3, Northridge (0-1) trailed only 6-2 before USC closed the game with a 9-2 run.

USC (2-0) took a 10-2 lead with Jason Mulholland serving, and the Trojans built their advantage to 13-2 with Russell Brock serving. Northridge narrowed the deficit to 13-4 when Szilard Kovacs hit long and USC was called for a net violation. But the Trojans took a 14-4 lead when Jason Hughes hit long and wrapped up the game on Kovacs’ kill.

Northridge led, 3-1, early in the fourth game, but USC surged to a 9-4 lead, and the Matadors did not draw closer than three points after that.

Mulholland, a returning All-American and player of the year candidate from Canada, had a match-high 32 kills with a .418 hitting percentage for USC. Brock added 18 kills and 12 digs.

Jon Baer had 24 kills and a .526 hitting percentage for Northridge.