No. 10 BYU defeated No. 4 USC in four sets (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 25-17) at the Smith Fieldhouse on April 10. This victory was the Cougars’ first win over a top-five opponent since they beat UCLA in 2024.
The match is significant for BYU as it marks a breakthrough against highly ranked teams this season and could boost their confidence going forward.
Trent Moser, senior outside hitter for BYU, said, “We’ve been close in matches against top-five teams all season, so it was nice to finally finish one. This win is huge … beating a team ranked above us gives us confidence and momentum.” Connor Oldani led the offense with 18 kills on a .351 hitting percentage while Moser contributed 16 kills at .364 and Trevor Herget added another dozen kills at .421 efficiency. AJ Cottle recorded five total blocks for the Cougars.
BYU finished with a .328 team hitting percentage and limited USC to just .202—the Trojans’ lowest of the season. Tyler Herget set up the attack with a season-high of 55 assists—his third match this year with more than fifty—and also made seven digs along with two block assists. On defense, Jackson Fife reached ninth place all-time in career digs at BYU after collecting nine during the match.
After dropping the second set to USC, BYU regained momentum late in the third by fighting off multiple set points before winning on their fifth opportunity; they then controlled much of the fourth set and secured victory following a service error by USC.
Looking ahead, BYU will face No. 4 USC again on Saturday night at Smith Fieldhouse where they will also honor their seniors during Senior Night.
