The sun was beating down on the golden sands of Spiker Beach as beach volleyball made a strong mark in the inaugural Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship, despite finishing as the runner-up after a difficult loss to Stanford.

Over two grueling days in Huntington Beach, the No. 5 Trojans (26-10) battled through the gauntlet of the MPSF’s inaugural tournament, fighting their way to the championship match before falling just short against No. 3 Stanford (31-8) in a dramatic 3-2 final.

The Trojans entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed, a position that belied their pedigree as four-time defending NCAA champions. Their opening match against No. 20 Washington (17-18) set the tone, as USC swept the Huskies 3-0 behind commanding performances from their top pairs.

Freshman Kennedy Coakley and sophomore Ashley Pater, the team’s most consistent duo this season, breezed to a 21-13, 21-15 win at the No. 2 spot. Junior Delaney Karl and graduate Ella Larkin followed with a dominant 21-11, 21-18 victory at No. 4, and the clinching point came from sophomore Zoey Henson and junior Madison White at the top court, who dispatched Washington’s top pair. It was a statement win, but the real test loomed in the semifinal against second-seeded Stanford.

The Cardinal had been a thorn in USC’s side all season, and Thursday’s matchup was no different. Stanford’s middle lineup proved too much for the Trojans, as junior Kelly Belardi and freshman Charlotta Bell overpowered graduate Maya Gessner and junior Mabyn Thomas 21-14, 21-12 at the No. 3 spot.

The Cardinal’s top pair, sophomore Ruby Sorra and senior Taylor Wilson, then delivered a decisive 21-16, 21-18 win over Henson and White, and sophomore Chloe Hoffman and freshman Logan Tusher sealed the dual with a 21-17, 21-16 victory at No. 4.

The loss dropped USC into the elimination bracket, forcing the Trojans into a must-win scenario Friday morning against No. 9 UC Berkeley (27-9)  — a team that had pushed them to the brink earlier in the season.

“We’ve been working on letting our past mistakes go,” Coakley said. “A quote that’s been passed around our team lately is ‘having the memory of a goldfish.’”

Facing elimination, the Trojans dug deep against the Golden Bears in a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final few points. Karl and Larkin set the tone early with a dominant 21-10, 21-13 win at No. 4, but Berkeley responded with a victory at the top court.

However, Coakley and Pater delivered yet again, grinding out a 26-24, 21-18 win at No. 2 to even the score. That left it all on the shoulders of sophomores Madison Goellner and Kaileigh Truslow at No. 5, who rallied after dropping the first set to win a marathon 22-24, 22-20, 15-10 thriller, sending USC into the loser’s final against top-seeded UCLA (30-6).

The crosstown rivalry added another chapter as the Trojans and Bruins clashed with a championship berth on the line. USC played with the urgency of a team that refused to let its season end, as Coakley and Pater dismantled UCLA’s No. 2 pair 21-14, 21-12. Goellner and Truslow continued their clutch run with a 21-19, 21-19 win at No. 5, and though UCLA briefly stayed alive with a win at the top court, Karl and Larkin slammed the door shut with a 21-19, 21-14 victory at No. 4.

The 3-1 win not only avenged an earlier loss to the Bruins but also set up a championship rematch with Stanford — a chance for redemption just 24 hours after the Cardinal had sent them to the brink.

The title duel was a microcosm of USC’s season to this point: moments of brilliance, flashes of dominance, but ultimately, the agony of coming up just short.

Stanford struck first with Avery Jackson and Brooke Rockwell overpowering Coakley and Pater 21-13, 21-16 at No. 2, but Karl and Larkin answered right back with a commanding 21-17, 21-14 win at No. 4.

The Cardinal’s top pair, Sorra and Wilson, then delivered a crucial 21-18, 21-15 victory over Henson and White, putting Stanford one win away from claiming the title. Goellner and Truslow refused to go quietly, battling to a 21-15, 21-17 win at No. 5 to keep USC alive, but the championship came down to the No. 3 court, where Gessner and Thomas had won the first set.

Stanford’s Belardi and Bell, however, stormed back, taking the next two frames 21-13, 15-9 to clinch the inaugural MPSF crown.

For USC, the second-place finish was bittersweet. The Trojans had fought through the loser’s bracket, toppled their biggest rivals, and pushed Stanford to the limit, but in the end, the Cardinal’s depth proved too much. Still, the performance solidified USC’s status as a national contender as they await the NCAA selection committee’s decision.

With the four-time defending champions likely to secure an at-large bid, the MPSF Championship served as important preparation for what’s to come in Gulf Shores. The conference’s first foray into beach volleyball was a resounding success, showcasing the sport’s intensity, drama and elite competition. And for the Trojans, their journey through the sand was a testament to the hearts of champions, even in defeat.

The MPSF trophy may have eluded them this time, but the NCAA Championship still looms — and if this weekend was any indication, USC isn’t done fighting yet.

“I think now, we’re super locked into the postseason, and we’re just mad,” Pater said. “We’re mad, we’re ready to go out there, ready to freaking punch some people into the ground, literally.”

The Trojans will begin their quest for a fifth consecutive NCAA Championship Friday in Gulf Shores, Alabama, when they take on North Florida (26-10) at 7 a.m.