After following up its undefeated regular season conference campaign with a loss to Rutgers on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal, USC women’s soccer, a two-time national champion, is ready to bounce back in the NCAA Tournament.

This year marks the Trojans’ (15-1-3, 10-0-1 Big Ten) 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 23rd appearance overall. In the program’s 32-year history, USC has missed the tournament only nine times and has advanced past the first round on 14 occasions.

For the first time in NCAA Division I history, the Trojans have secured a No. 1 seed, as revealed in the official bracket on Monday. Despite not winning the Big Ten Tournament, USC’s regular season championship was enough to earn the Trojans an automatic bid and top seed. The Trojans had the fifth-highest rating percentage index in the country and lost just one game during the regular season.

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“I feel really good about it. It’s a big honor that we got the number one seed,” said Head Coach Jane Alukonis in an interview with the Daily Trojan on Wednesday. “I knew we would get a good seeding but I wasn’t sure what it would be, so [we are] super grateful to be at home, and we’ll take it game by game and make sure that we turn up, work really hard and compete every day.”

The 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship features 64 teams selected from 337 eligible programs nationwide. Thirty-one conference champions receive automatic bids, while the remaining spots are filled via at-large selections made by the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee. The tournament begins with first-round games from Nov. 15 to 17, hosted by the top seeds on their campuses.

The early action of the tournament will all lead up to the semifinals and the national championship, which will take place at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, on Dec. 6 and 9, respectively.

“Even though we feel we’ve built a great body of work throughout the season, this is the actual time that matters and shows how we stand amongst other top programs in the country,” Alukonis said.

In the first round, USC will face Sacramento State University (5-6-9, 3-2-3), who enter the tournament as Big Sky Champions. The Hornets earned their spot in the NCAA Tournament with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Idaho State University, securing the conference title and an automatic bid. This will be Sacramento State’s first appearance in the tournament since 2010.

The two teams have only met once before, in 1995, when the Trojans secured a dominant 7-0 victory over the Hornets. USC will go in as big favorites but are perfectly aware that once the team is in the postseason, it’s a different ball game. Sacramento State’s first tournament in 10 years could give the Hornets a burst of energy, so this is a game that the Trojans must not underestimate.

“When it’s tournament time, teams are going to play in the best way that they possibly can to get a result,” Alukonis said. “[During the regular season], there’s a bit more forgiveness or leeway and the game [can] end in a tie. So you might see behaviors change from a lot of teams, for instance, like a team might go extremely defensive. Teams might just be okay going to penalties.”

In the Trojans’ first-round match, it will be important to keep an eye on the goalkeeper position, as both USC and Sacramento State have strong keepers ready to make a difference.

USC graduate goalkeeper Laurence Gladu recently earned Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year honors, alongside senior midfielder Helena Sampaio who was named Midfielder of the Year and Alukonis, who was named Coach of the Year.

Gladu had an impressive season, recording 10 shutouts — the third most in the Big Ten. On the Hornets’ side, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sierra Sonko was named MVP of the Big Sky Tournament despite not playing a single minute of regulation or overtime. She was brought onto the pitch solely for Sacramento State’s three penalty shootouts, during which she made six crucial saves out of 18 attempts — helping the Hornets bring home the trophy.

The postseason brings different challenges due to the heightened intensity of tournament play. Managing and maintaining player performance throughout the NCAA Tournament is a delicate balancing act, one that USC’s coaching staff approaches with a mix of careful strategy and technology.

“It’s actually quite tricky,” Alukonis said. “Balancing player workloads becomes crucial, especially as some players have accumulated heavy minutes while others need more game time.”

The Trojans rely on a strong performance coach and cutting-edge technology to monitor each player’s load, aiming for an optimal balance to help the team succeed.

The silver lining of the tournament lies in its format alternating between one-game and two-game weekends, offering a bit of relief for the players and giving them valuable time to rest and recover. Additionally, staying at home for matches and avoiding travel adds another layer of benefit, allowing the team to maintain their physical and mental freshness.

However, USC is preparing for all possible scenarios, from lineup changes to shifts in strategy, driven primarily by player performance, health and wellness.

“We might have some changes in the lineup, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a change in strategy,” Alukonis said. “It [will be] based on performance and other variables.”

The No. 1 seeded Trojans begin their quest for a third national title this Sunday at 2 p.m., taking on Sacramento State at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.