HONOLULU—NJIT's Piotr Namiotko registered a match-best 17 kills but it wasn't enough as USC topped the Highlanders, 3-1 (25-17, 24-26, 25-23, 25-15), in close sets in the second round of the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Warrior Classic on Friday.

NJIT will conclude the Rainbow Warrior Classic on Saturday at 5:30PM (HT) | 10:30PM (ET) against Concordia Irvine in the first meeting all-time between the two schools.

USC finished with a .281 hitting percentage to NJIT's .174 in the match and the Trojans led the service ace category with 11 aces.

Ryan Moss paced the Trojans with 15 kills while hitting .367 while teammates Gianluca Grasso and Jack Wyett each had nine kills, Brandon Browning had eight kills (hitting .353) and Chris Hall and Cole Paxson each had nine digs.

In addition to Namiotko's 17 kills, Alvaro Gimeno recorded nine kills and five total blocks (all assists) while freshman Jens Feldhus recorded six kills and seven digs.  Graduate student transfer Enrique de Diego Garcia combined for a .556 hitting percentage, posting five kills on nine attempts with no errors.

In front of the net, middle Luca Berger combined for seven blocks (all assists) and senior libero Chris Wise produced 11 digs.

USC went on a 4-0 run midway through the first set to go up 17-11 and NJIT never looked back. 

The Trojans held a 7-2 lead in the second set, but NJIT steadily caught up and scored back-to back points to go up 20-18 before USC moved ahead at 23-21.  The Highlanders scored five of the final six points to capture the set, 26-24. 

The third frame was tight the whole way until the Trojans tallied the final three points, finishing with a .345 hitting percentage in the set and adding four aces. 

An early four-point run in the fourth set gave USC a 10-5 lead that gradually extended and the Trojans combined for a .455 hitting percentage and four aces.