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USC will have a chance to avenge its only loss in program history to George Mason.
The Trojans as part of releasing their 2022 schedule earlier this week announced they will have a home non-conference match against the Patriots on March 9.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since George Mason pulled off an upset sweep against USC in the opening weeks of the 2020 season. The Trojans entered that match 8-0 all-time in the series dating back to their inaugural meeting at the 1985 NCAA Tournament semifinals.
George Mason ended the 2021 season at No. 12 in the national coaches poll and advanced to the EIVA Tournament finals. Setter Zach Talamoa returns for the Patriots after having a conference-best 10.02 assists per game average last season and a season-high 10 digs in the team’s EIVA Tournament semifinals win.
The Patriots, though, will have to replace multiple All-EIVA starters who graduated.
USC two years removed from making the NCAA Tournament closed out the 2021 season reaching the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals.
Among the starters returning for the Trojans includes outside attacker Brandon Browning who was second on the team with a 2.75 kills per game average last season. Browning also had a team-high 10 kills in the most recent meeting against George Mason.
USC will have three non-conference matches against EIVA teams during the upcoming season. Along with playing George Mason, USC will have a home match against Princeton on Jan. 12 and a match versus Penn State on Jan. 21 as part of the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge at UCLA.
2022 USC regular season schedule
Jan. 6 vs. UC San Diego (at UC Santa Barbara)
Jan. 7 vs. CSUN (at UC Santa Barbara)
Jan. 8 at UC Santa Barbara
Jan. 12 vs. Princeton
Jan. 14 vs. Erskine
Jan. 21 vs. Penn State (at UCLA)
Jan. 22 vs. Ohio State (at UCLA)
Jan. 26 vs. UC Irvine
Jan. 28 at UC Irvine
Feb. 2 vs. UC San Diego
Feb. 4 at Long Beach State
Feb. 9 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Feb. 10 vs. CSUN
Feb. 23 at Pepperdine
Feb. 25 vs. Pepperdine
March 4 vs. BYU
March 5 vs. BYU
March 9 vs. George Mason
March 11 vs. Vanguard
March 18 vs. Menlo
March 25 at Stanford
March 26 at Stanford
March 31 vs. UCLA
April 2 at UCLA
April 8 vs. Concordia-Irvine
April 9 at Concordia-Irvine
April 15 at Grand Canyon
April 16 at Grand Canyon