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LOS ANGELES » In the midst of another defeat, Hawaii might have found an answer to its recent problems.
Harrison Carroll, making his first start of the season, pounded a team-high 12 kills as the Warriors lost in three sets to fourth-ranked USC on Friday night in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play at the Galen Center.
The 25-22, 25-18, 25-18 loss extended Hawaii’s losing streak to five consecutive matches and 15 successive sets. The Warriors (6-10, 3-7) have not won a set since Feb. 10.
Carroll, a 6-foot-1 opposite, added a solo block to tie Nick West with 13 points. West finished with seven kills, a career-best three aces, one solo block and four block assists.
"Honestly, I didn’t know I was going to start until about, probably, 20 minutes before the game," Carroll said. "It was a surprise to me."
Has Carroll earned another start?
"For sure," Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said with a hearty laugh. "Let’s not out-think the room here."
Los Angeles provided the perfect setting for the junior, a native of nearby Orange County.
"I always wanted to play here and I always wanted to start here," Carroll said. "It was a dream come true, in a way, that I did really well, but we lost in three."
Carroll offers "a fast jump, fast arm and good energy," said Wade, who added that the junior’s size also worked to the Warriors’ advantage.
"He’s kind of a tough matchup," Wade said. "You don’t see a lot of 6-foot-1 opposites in this league. Obviously, they didn’t have much of an answer for him."
Carroll accompanied the Warriors for the first time on the road after illness claimed much of the front line.
"We’ve had a bout of the flu that went through the team," Wade said. "Virtually all of our outside hitters are suffering from that right now."
As a result, Hawaii committed 25 attack errors and recorded a season-low hitting percentage of .070. Five players finished with negative percentages, and the Warriors hit minus-.031 in the second set.
"All three outside hitters hit minus," Wade said. "(There was) just no lift — nothing in the tank, really."
Hawaii’s best chance against the Trojans (10-4, 8-4) came in the first set.
The Warriors forced 11 ties despite committing six service errors. But with the score tied at 20-20, USC’s Steven Shandrick had a kill and a block to put the hosts ahead 22-20.
Jarrod Lofy’s kill off Sam Biscaro’s quick set narrowed the margin to 22-21. Then kills from Tony Ciarelli and Punahou alum Maddison McKibbin extended USC’s advantage to 24-21.
Tanner Jansen led the Trojans with 12 kills. Shandrick added eight kills and seven block assists, while freshman setter Micah Christensen passed for 28 assists.
Carroll attributed USC’s success to Christensen, the former Kamehameha standout.
"He can set anyone from anywhere, pretty much," Carroll said. "They have options all around. They have options forever."
Shane Welch made his first appearance of the season after undergoing knee surgery in January. Welch entered the match early in the third set and made two attack errors.
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