After a disappointing finish to the 2025 season that ended USC beach volleyball’s four-year national championship streak, the Trojans entered this season with dreams of redemption — and there was no better place to start that pursuit than their opening tournament: the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic in Honolulu, an annual invitational filled with upsets and top-ranked competition. 

The tournament boasted an impressive array of teams, featuring six opponents all ranked in the preseason top 16. Those teams included 2025 national semifinalists No. 7 Loyola Marymount University and No. 1 UCLA, as well as No. 16 Hawaii, No. 2 Stanford and No. 9 UC Berkeley.  

For the Trojans, this tournament was about setting the scene for 2026 and redeeming some of their most heartbreaking losses from last year.

Trojans outlast familiar competition

USC (4-2) opened tournament play Thursday with a 3-2 victory over Stanford (5-1), with the win coming down to its final two pairs. USC won the first two matches of the day, headlined by No. 1 pair junior Ashley Pater and sophomore Kennedy Coakley defeating Cardinal senior Kelly Belardi and junior Ruby Sorra in both sets.

The No. 5 pair, freshman Kyra Zaengle and sophomore Calinda Kok, finished next, keeping Stanford redshirt freshman Elena Fisher and junior Chloe Hoffman at bay despite a tight second set. USC swept the match, marking Zaengle’s first two career wins. 

“I’ve looked forward to this moment for so long, so it feels special to have SC on my jersey and represent the team,” Zaengle said in an interview posted to the team’s Instagram account. “This team means so much to me. I’m grateful to be here, and I’m excited for the days to come.” 

Despite a strong comeback from USC’s No. 4 pair, sophomore Quincy Stephens and junior Kaileigh Truslow, to extend their match to three sets, the effort was not enough as Stanford sophomores Charlotta Bell and Logan Tusher won the tiebreaker 15-11 for the Cardinal’s first point of the day. However, the No. 2 pair of junior Zoey Henson and freshman Sarah Wood defeated Stanford in the first set, then won an extended second set to secure the overall win for the Trojans against the Cardinal.

Later that day, USC was faced with a 2025 NCAA Championship quarterfinal rematch against LMU (1-4), which bounced the Trojans from last year’s tournament. This time, however, the Trojans came out on top. The No. 5, 2 and 4 pairs secured the win fairly comfortably, with all three taking home straight-set wins against their opponents.

USC’s victory marked a noticeable improvement from last season’s quarterfinal loss, where the No. 3 and 5 pairs were both swept in a quick 3-1 defeat.

Pater and Coakley had a back-and-forth battle, losing the first set before winning the second to force a winner-take-all tiebreaker. The No. 1 pair eventually fell to redshirt sophomore Tanon Rosenthal and senior Anna Pelloia.

The No. 3 pair did not finish their match; the point was given to USC, securing a 4-1 win over the Lions. 

Domination on day two

The Trojans continued their momentum throughout the second day, where they faced Hawaii (1-4) and Cal (1-4). 

Pater and Coakley were the first to win their match, keeping the Bows at bay; they won the first set and dominated the second 21-13. Zaengle and Kok won their match in a bit of a battle, barely winning the first set and the second in extended time. 

The No. 3 pair of senior Alana Embry and junior Madison Goellner finished third and got their first win of the weekend, clinching the win for the Trojans. Despite a brutal loss in the first set, they refused to go down without a fight, storming back to win the match 11-21, 21-13, 15-13. 

USC’s No. 4 pair also had a large loss in the first set before fighting to force a third, but ultimately it was not enough; they were defeated by Hawaii. Meanwhile, the pair of Henson and Wood dominated their first set 21-13, then lost to extended points in the second but finished strong. 

Following their win over Hawaii, the Trojans had to face the Golden Bears. Zaengle and Kok led the campaign, keeping Cal under 11 points in each set for an easy win. Henson and Wood dominated their match as well, including a crushing 21-10 first-set victory. 

No. 4 pair Stephens and Truslow swiftly defeated Cal sophomore Elle Evers and junior Grace Hong — the latter being a former Trojan who transferred to the Bears last fall. 

The No. 1 and 3 pairs finished their matches last, both ending in the loss column. Each had sets go in the extra points, but that extra fight wasn’t enough to secure the win.

USC sputters at tournament finish line

Following a weather delay Saturday morning, the Trojans took on crosstown rival UCLA (3-2), as well as Texas (4-2), a team competing in its first Outrigger tournament. Despite making some lineup changes from the previous days, USC lost both duels for its first defeats of the season. 

UCLA’s No. 1 and 3 pairs dominated the Trojans, with the No. 3 pair keeping them under 15 points in both sets. Bruin sophomore Sally Perez and senior Maggie Boyd handed Pater and Coakley their third loss of the weekend. 

Henson and Wood fought hard against the Bruins and won their match. Zaengle and Kok’s match was left unfinished after they split the first two sets with the Bruins. 

Following the rivalry loss, the Trojans faced the Longhorns in their tournament debut. Zaengle and Kok won their match, ending the weekend 5-0. Henson and Wood also finished the weekend undefeated as a pair with a three-set win over the Longhorns, earning them Most Outstanding Pair honors for the tournament. 

“We face a lot of adversity back at home, and that training has prepared us to just come out here and fight,” Henson said in an interview posted to the team’s Instagram account. “It means so much to do it with someone that I consider my sister.”

A new No. 4 pair started the match for the Trojans against the Longhorns: sophomore Macy Bolyard and freshman Bella Satterwhite, who lost their only match of the weekend, despite an extended fight in the second set. The No. 1 and 3 pairs didn’t fare much better, leaving USC with a 3-2 overall loss to drop to 0-2 on the day.

After returning home from Honolulu, the Trojans are set to host their home opener on Friday and Saturday in the Battle For Los Angeles, where they will face four different California squads. USC will play against CSUN at 10 a.m. and Pepperdine at 2 p.m. on Friday, followed by Cal Poly SLO at 10 a.m. and Concordia University Irvine at 2 p.m. on Saturday.