Halloween is all about dressing up and roleplaying a “scary” character.

And the Bruins seemed to have joined in on the festivities – suiting up in blue and gold – but couldn’t measure up to play the daunting part against their crosstown rivals.

In the final match of a three-game homestand, UCLA women’s volleyball (10-10, 4-7 Big Ten) fell to a No. 21 USC (15-6, 7-4) 3-0 sweep at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday night. The defeat marked the first match UCLA didn’t steal a single frame since being swept by then-No. 17 Tennessee on Sept. 5.

The Trojans outkilled the Bruins 51 to 35, with the latter struggling to get much going from their side of the net. USC outside hitter Ally Batenhorst hammered 16 kills, amassing a .536 hitting percentage to oust the Bruins’ defense.

“We didn’t pass the ball well enough to run what we wanted,” said coach Alfee Reft. “We aren’t quite there tonight, and it made for a pretty quick match.”

With graduate student setter Audrey Pak out of the lineup due to an undisclosed injury, the Bruins brought forth a new face to the forefront of the frontline – freshman setter Kate Duffey.

“It’s been so good,” Duffey said. “The team is there for me. They stay with me through practices, communicating well.”

The freshman had made 14 appearances this season, but all as a substitute. Duffey reached a season-high of 31 assists in the clash against USC Thursday night, along with making her debut on the starting lineup.

Duffey, who herself had been sidelined by an injury for the past two weeks, stepped up to the plate when the Bruins needed her Thursday night.

“I want to give props to this one right here,” Reft said. “I know she probably thought she could have played a better match – it’s a big platform to step on – she kept us in that match.”

A 4-1 Bruin run fell through in the first set as the Trojans propelled back with five straight points to take the lead. The inconsistent Bruin offense was powered by junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette, who reached her 19th-straight match with double-digit contributions, tallying 15 of the team’s 35 overall kills.

Redshirt freshman middle blocker Brooklyn Briscoe forced the first set to come to a temporary halt at 24-20, with a kill that slipped past the Trojans’ fingertips. USC called a timeout – but the momentous shift was short-lived. The Trojans would take the first set 25-21.

In the second set, the freshman blocked Batenhorst to even out the score at nine apiece. But the Trojans continued to shut down rallies as they fired on all cylinders against a blundering Bruin pack.

Kill contributions by junior outside hitter Grayce Olson, freshman outside hitter Kiki Horne and graduate middle blocker Anna Dodson also ignited a temporary spark in the Bruins offense – but to no avail.

Despite UCLA’s efforts, USC maintained control, limiting the Bruins to a .148 hitting percentage through the second stanza – the lowest of the match.

“It came down to things that we know how to do – and we were falling short on that,” Dodson said.

The Bruins’ hitting percentage remained at .194 compared to the Trojans’ .387 by the end of the third. A kill by Batenhorst cemented the win for the Trojans on the final whistle, with the hosts ending its series of home matches without pouching a single set.

“We’ve been in some close battles,” Reft said. “We have to assess quickly tonight and figure out where the holes are on our side and get back to finding solutions pretty quickly.”