LOS ANGELES – With redshirt senior middle blocker Inky Ajanaku back in the lineup, the No. 14 Stanford women's volleyball team swept No. 25 USC, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21, Sunday at the Galen Center.
Ajanaku, who missed Friday's match at UCLA with an injury, totaled 10 kills and eight blocks for the Cardinal, which improved to 12-6 overall and 6-4 in the Pac-12.
Stanford hit .299 as a team while holding USC (14-7, 6-4 Pac-12) to a .128 clip. The Cardinal also out blocked the Trojans 14.0 to 6.0.
Redshirt junior Merete Lutz hit a match high .706 with 12 kills on 17 errorless swings. The Houston, Texas native also collected five blocks in the win. Freshman outside hitter Kathryn Plummer added 11 kills on .429 hitting, six digs and three blocks, while freshman middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris had five kills and five blocks.
Freshman setter Jenna Gray controlled the offense with 33 assists. She also registered five digs, two blocks and the team's only ace of the match. Freshman libero Morgan Hentz finished with a match-high 14 digs, while senior Kelsey Humphreys had eight. Redshirt junior Ivana Vanjak chipped in with five kills and three blocks.
For the match, there were 28 tie scores and 12 lead changes between the two squads. USC was led by freshman outside hitter Khalia Lanier's 11 kills and five digs. Sophomore Elyse Ford hit .350 with nine kills and nine digs, while Niki Withers had eight kills and four digs.
Stanford returns to The Farm next week to host No. 7 Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. and No. 18 Washington State on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. Both matches will air on Pac-12 Networks.
