LOS ANGELES – The Fighting Camels dropped a pair of matches each in straight sets during the second day of the Trojan Invitational. USC topped the Camels 23-25, 6-25, 14-25 in the first match of the day. Denver bested Campbell 14-25, 16-25, 15-25 in the nightcap.
 
Campbell begins the season 0-3 for the first time since 2019, when they began 0-4. It is just the second time under head coach Greg Goral that the Camels begin the season on a three-match slide.

Denver went 3-0 at the Trojan Invitational, while USC had split their matches so far ahead of their event finale against CSUN late Saturday. 
 
USC Recap
After a close first set, USC had their way in the following two to down the Camels in straight sets.
 
It looked like USC would run away with the first set as well after going up 19-11, but the Camels did not go quietly. Campbell got hot and forced a pair of USC timeouts to cut the lead to just one at 24-23. But Campbell couldn't draw even as USC tallied the final point coming out of a timeout. Campbell's had a pair of runs, one early and one late, coming with Chloe Cook serving as she picked up a pair of aces in the set.
 
The Trojans dominated the second set with a 25-6 win. USC hit 609 points better than Campbell, hitting .409 to Campbell's -.200. The Camels had just two kills to seven errors in the set. Campbell was held to single digits in a set for the first time since only scoring eight against USC Upstate on Oct. 11, 2019. The six points in the set are the fewest in a set by Campbell under the current 25-point scoring format (since 2008).
 
Southern Cal wasted no time putting the match away with a 25-14 win in the third set. Maggie Salisbury did make her collegiate debut in the third and picked up her first kill in the set.
 
The Campbell attack couldn't find much up front, tallying 23 kills and 23 errors to hit .000 for the day. That mark is the lowest since hitting -.051 against High Point on 10/2/18. Melody Paige paced the Campbell offense with seven kills and Lailah Green added six, the only two Camels to notch more than two.
 
USC's Brooke Botkin, a former all-American, posted a match-high 15 kills as the Trojans hit .338 for the day.
 
Denver Recap
It was all Pioneers in the opening set as Denver took it 25-14. The Campbell attack continued to struggle, hitting -.033 in the first frame and went on to remain below zero, hitting -.010 for the match. On the flip side, the Pioneer attack hit .268 for the match, led by a match-high 13 kills from Lydia Bartalo.
 
It was more of the same in the second set as Denver grabbed a two-set lead at 25-16. The attack was better, but couldn't keep pace with the Pioneers hitting an efficient .310 in the second.
 
Denver improved to 3-0 at the Trojan Invitational by jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead in the third before going on to win it 25-15.  
 
Green had a team-high six kills and Mitter a team-high seven assists, while Fechter paced the defense with nine digs. The Pioneer defense was stout, posting eight blocks up front and finished with three players in double figures for digs.
 
Up Next
The Fighting Camels return home for the Fairfield Inn & Suites Dunn Campbell Invitational next weekend. The home opener is set for Friday at 6 p.m. against James Madison. Campbell will face Alabama State and NC Central both on Saturday.