Pepperdine-USC Box Score 
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The #21 Pepperdine women's volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season at #16 USC on Friday night, falling 25-15, 25-18, 25-18 at the Galen Center.
Both schools are now 4-1 on the season.
Sophomore libero Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) continued her strong start to the season, collecting a match-high 19 digs, which tied her season high.
Sophomore outside hitter Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) had a team-high 10 kills, but only two other Waves had more than five. Sophomore opposite Kristen Seaton (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo HS) had six kills and sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS) had five while hitting .400 (5-1-10). Senior setter Kiah Fiers (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS) recorded 23 assists.
Pepperdine fell into a hole quickly in the first set, going behind 2-0 and 4-1. It was 14-8 before the Waves were able to score consecutive points, as two USC attack errors cut the deficit to 14-10. But USC's Kimmee Roleder scored the next two points on kills and the Waves got no closer. The Women of Troy outhit the Waves .364-.129 in the first set.
The Waves got off to a nice start in the second set, scoring four of the first five points, two coming on Frederick kills. USC would later score five straight points to regain the lead at 7-5, but Seaton had a kill and a block assist as the Waves scored the next three points to go back up 8-7. Although USC would retake the lead again, Pepperdine kept things close and was still down just a point at 15-14. However, USC ripped off the next six points, the last three on kills by Jessica Gysin, to grab an insurmountable 21-14 advantage. The Waves' defense improved, holding the Women of Troy to .234 hitting in the second set, but the Waves were at .154.
Frederick helped Pepperdine to another strong start in the third set, posting three kills and a block assist as the Waves jumped out to an 8-4 lead. Pepperdine still led 10-7 when USC went on another big run, scoring the next five points as part of a larger 12-3 stretch that made the score 19-13 in the Trojans' favor. Pepperdine could only pull within four points the rest of the way. In the third set, USC held a .333-.143 hitting edge.
For the match, USC hit .302, while the Waves were held to a season-low .143. USC had 13 kills apiece from Roleder and Alex Jupiter.
This was the second night of a three-day tournament that Pepperdine and USC are co-hosting. In the first match of the evening, Northern Arizona defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-19. On Saturday, the Waves host Florida Gulf Coast in Firestone Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. Subscribers to Wave Casts can watch the game live at www.pepperdinesports.com.
