Feb. 23, 2001
STANFORD, Calif. - Eli Fairfield had a team-high 20 kills and eight blocks as No. 8 USC won each of the last three games to upset fourth-ranked Stanford 3-1 (18-30, 30-21, 31-29, 30-26) in a MPSF match at Maples Pavilion. The loss was Stanford's first in five home matches this season.
USC won its third straight and improves to 6-3 overall and 6-3 in the MPSF. Stanford, which entered the match percentage points ahead of Long Beach State and Hawaii in the MPSF Pacific Division, falls to 8-2 overall and 4-2 conference play.
Stanford did just about everything right in game one, never trailing en route to a 30-18 victory. The Cardinal hit an astounding .762 in the first game - pounding 16 kills without an error in 21 attempts - while Stanford's five blocks helped hold USC to an -.034 hitting percentage (9 k, 10 e, 29 ta).
Game two was different from the start, as USC forced a quick Stanford timeout at 6-3, then raced to a 22-12 advantage. The Cardinal scored four consecutive points to narrow the gap, but the Trojans hit .457 for the game and cruised to the 30-21 triumph.
Games three and four were see-saw battles, with USC using late runs to win both. In the deciding game four, the Trojans hit .400 (20 k, 6 e, 35 ta) while Stanford managed just a .250 mark (15 k, 6 e, 26 ta). Game four was tied 22-22, however, USC rattled off eight of the next 12 points for the victory.
In addition to Fairfield, three other Trojans reached double-digits in kills, as Josh Day pounded 14 with a .650 hitting percentage, Brook Billings had 13, and Trevor Julian added 12. Greg Burden finished with a match-high 10 digs.
Sophomore opposite Curt Toppel paced Stanford with 22 kills - his third straight 20-kill effort - while adding six digs and six blocks. Senior Brett Youngberg had an outstanding match with 14 kills and one error in 16 attempts (.813), six blocks and two digs. Junior Marcus Skacel complemented his team-high seven digs with 14 kills, while Kyle Strache had eight blocks (tied for match-high). Freshman libero Doug Johnstone finished with five digs and senior setter Josh Lukens led all players with 58 assists.
Stanford now embarks on a six-match, month-long road trip. The first stop is Hawaii, where the Cardinal will face the No. 6 Rainbows next Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3.
Score by Games 1234 No. 8 USC (6-3, 6-3)18303130 No. 4 Stanford (8-2, 4-2)30212926