The sun-bleached sands of Huntington Beach will bear witness to history this week as the USC beach volleyball team begins its quest for a seventh NCAA Championship by way of the inaugural Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Beach Volleyball Championship. Having won the last four NCAA national championships, the Trojans have established themselves as the premier program in collegiate beach volleyball.

Now, as the No. 3 seed, the Trojans (23-8) face a new challenge — navigating a stacked conference bracket that could serve as either a springboard to another national title or an unexpected stumbling block.

The MPSF Championship represents more than just another postseason event in its first year — it is a proving ground for the conference’s best teams. In this battleground, Olympic-caliber athletes clash for supremacy. Unlike the NCAA Tournament, where USC has already cemented its legacy, this event is uncharted territory. 

The Trojans enter with a good record, which includes victories over elite programs like No. 8 Florida State (23-10, 4-1 Coastal Collegiate Sports Association) and No. 6 Cal Poly (26-6), but also narrow losses to No. 1 UCLA (29-4) and No. 2 TCU (25-5). Each of these matches has tested USC’s resilience, revealing both the team’s championship pedigree and areas where they must sharpen their focus heading into the postseason.

“I think we got a little excited and hyped up, you know, when you’re playing a cross-town rival, and they’ve been ranked number one the last couple weeks. So I think maybe we might have played a little tighter than we normally would have,” said Head Coach Dain Blanton on their most recent loss to the Bruins. “The players recognize that and are going to make those adjustments to play a little bit looser. They were a little too focused on the outcome rather than the process.”

USC’s MPSF journey begins Wednesday against No. 6 seed Washington (16-16, 1-0 MPSF), a team they have dominated for nearly a decade. The Huskies have not beaten the Trojans since 2017, and USC’s 5-0 sweep of them earlier this month suggests another commanding performance could be in store. However, postseason play brings heightened stakes, and past dominance doesn’t guarantee future success. When the teams met in early April, the Trojans delivered a clinical performance, dropping just one set across all five matches. 

But the Huskies have shown flashes of brilliance this season, particularly in their defensive resilience. Washington’s No. 5 pair of junior Alina Uraua and senior Hannah Doyle pushed the Trojan duo of sophomore Zoey Henson and junior Madison White to three sets in April before ultimately falling 30-28, 17-21, 15-12. If Washington can steal a point at the top of the lineup and force USC into uncomfortable situations, this could become a tighter match than expected. 

The Trojans must avoid complacency; their four-peat was built on treating every opponent like a threat, and this mentality will be crucial as they navigate the MPSF bracket.

“Our team standard is just, our opponents are faceless,” said freshman Kennedy Coakley. “No matter if they’re Washington or UCLA, they have no face. We’re just out there to play our game and dominate.”

This mentality thrives because, for the Trojans, dominance begins long before the first serve — it’s built on trust that turns teammates into family. Sophomore captain Ashley Pater, who helped forge the team’s bond, described it as “unlike any other.”

“I have so many best friends on this team. We hang out outside volleyball — coffee dates, group outings — and it translates to the court,” Pater said. “No matter who’s starting, we’re all here to support each other.” 

Coakley, who chose USC for its team culture, echoed the sentiment.

“I love how our captains hold us all accountable, even for [the] littlest, tiny things that other programs might call it nitpicky, but that’s what makes us better,” Coakley said. “We’re gonna prove it in the postseason.”

Should USC advance to the quarterfinals, a potential showdown with No. 2 seed Stanford (27-8) or No. 7 seed Oregon (8-18, 0-6 MPSF) awaits. If the seeding plays out as expected, the Trojans would face the Cardinal — a team they went 2-2 against this season. 

Recently, USC notched a commanding 4-1 win in early April, but Stanford responded just over a week later with a narrow 3-2 victory. In that loss, the Trojans dropped three straight matchups, revealing some weaknesses in the lower end of their lineup.

However, if Oregon manages to upset Stanford, the Trojans could find themselves with a more favorable matchup. The Ducks have struggled against USC this season, suffering a 5-0 sweep. 

If the Trojans advance to the later quarterfinals, their path to Gulf Shores will likely go through top-seeded UCLA — a team they narrowly lost to in a recent 3-2 heartbreaker. The Bruins, led by the dominant No. 1 pair of junior Maggie Boyd and freshman Sally Perez, boast a deep and balanced lineup that poses the toughest challenge in the conference. 

The rise of Coakley and Pater as one of the nation’s premier pairs has been a cornerstone of USC’s success this season. With a 24-3 record, including a dominant 20-match win streak that was eventually snapped by rival UCLA, the duo has brought consistency and firepower to the No. 2 spot. Pater’s commanding presence at the net, combined with Coakley’s relentless defensive grit, has made them a formidable force in high-pressure moments. 

“That [loss] was definitely heartbreaking … We put a lot of pressure on ourselves because UCLA is a really good team, and we’ve been wanting to beat them for a while now. We just couldn’t get it done,” Pater said. “Now we know going into [the MPSF] not to overthink it and prepare better. We play better when we’re just having fun and playing like us.”

As the Trojans gear up for the MPSF Championship, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A dominant showing won’t just earn them a conference championship — it will strengthen their bid for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

USC will take on Washington in the MPSF Tournament on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at Spiker Beach in Huntington Beach.