The volleyball’s in their court

The Lyon Center, USC’s old shoe box-sized gym that was once packed to capacity and echoing with the sounds of screaming Trojan fans and the thunderous band, will no longer be able to aid the USC women’s volleyball team. When the Women of Troy host the Bruins Friday night, it will be UCLA’s first match ever in the Trojans’ newly built Galen Center.

Between its raucous atmosphere and cozy quarters, the compact gym in the Lyon Center provided No. 6 USC (19-3, 8-3 Pac-10) with a tremendous advantage over its opponents. But no more.

A year delayed, the No. 9 Bruins (16-6, 6-5) will finally be welcomed into their crosstown rivals’ new double-decker gymnasium, which can seat 10,258.

As the celebration of the grand opening of the Galen Center conflicted with last season’s rivalry matchup, one last game was played in the Lyon Center. For last year’s match, 1,595 volleyball fans piled into the Lyon Center, more than its seated capacity.

“(The Galen Center) might fill up; you never know,” senior Rachell Johnson said.

“They always get a big crowd, especially for the UCLA game, the big rivalry game. Their band is incredible ““ a big psychological warfare. It’s going to be a fun night.”

The atmosphere, with the crowd more dispersed, should certainly differ from years prior, but the Bruins have no idea what to expect from this change in facility.

“I actually think it’s going to be a little bit calmer (in the Galen Center) because I think the court will be more removed from the seating,” coach Andy Banachowski said.

“The fans will be a bit farther away, but that just means they’re going to have to yell all their unkind comments a little bit louder for us to hear.”

Thus will begin the new saga of the UCLA-USC women’s volleyball rivalry, hosted now in the Galen Center. But new setting aside, there will be the same intensity on the court between the two Los Angeles schools.

“It’s always been a dogfight between the two of us,” freshman middle blocker Katie Mills said.

“They’re just a great team to play. They have great energy, great hitters, great everything.”

When the teams last faced off in early October, the Bruins had the upper hand and took a four-game match from their rivals.

But what a difference a month can make.

UCLA has switched up its lineup, inserting Elise Carstensen on the right side and shifting opposite Kaitlin Sather to the left.

USC has welcomed back its co-captain Diane Copenhagen, who has been sitting out with an abdominal strain. Though she has not taken any swings in her return, the senior’s presence on the court will certainly give confidence to her teammates.

The Trojans are also playing their best volleyball of the season thus far, sweeping the Bay Area schools, then-No. 3 Stanford and then-No. 9 Cal, this past weekend.

The Bruins on the other hand, were swept at home, and are nursing a three-match losing streak. Up until last weekend, UCLA and USC were tied at 6-3 in the conference standings.

“They’ve got to be pretty pleased with themselves with their victories over Cal and Stanford,” Banachowski said. “And with us losing those two, it certainly looks like (USC) is in the driver’s seat.”

“Not only is this important for the standings, it’s important for us to come back after these last two games this weekend,” Mills said. “It would be a big momentum boost for us.”

Coming off the loss to Stanford and the five-game heartbreaker to Cal, the Bruins could have become disoriented and disheartened.

But they have been anything but that. Going into the match against USC has renewed a fire in their hearts, and the Bruins are ready for a comeback.

“I’ve been impressed with how we’ve been practicing and the intensity we have been showing in practice,” Banachowski said. “It’s easy to get down after a couple of losses, but the team has rebounded from that very well. I think the fact that we’re playing ‘SC has certainly helped us be emotionally up all this week.”

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