Returning from the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic in Hawaii, where the No. 5 USC beach team had some big wins and even bigger losses, the Trojans were looking to reassert dominance at their home opener at Merle Norman Stadium. 

On a sunny day that could not be more perfect for beach volleyball, the Trojans (8-2) did just that, sweeping all four duals in the Battle for Los Angeles.

Dominance on Day 1 

USC opened the tournament with dominant sweeps against No. 17 CSU Northridge (0-5) and No. 7 Pepperdine (2-6). 

Following some lineup changes from the opening tournament, the pair of junior Ashley Pater and sophomore Kennedy Coakley moved from the No. 1 pair to the No. 2 pair for this tournament. They swiftly defeated CSUN’s duo of senior Tia Mendiola and sophomore Dylan Hall.

Fellow Trojans and the new No. 4 pair of graduate student Kerry Keefe and junior Kaileigh Truslow also swept their Matador opponents. Keefe, in her Trojan debut, went undefeated on the weekend. 

USC’s No. 3 and No. 5 pairs both defeated CSUN with confidence. No. 5 duo freshman Kyra Zaengle and sophomore Calinda Kok went undefeated, while senior Alana Embry and sophomore Quincy Stephens stayed consistent in their No. 3 matchup, holding the Matadors below 10 points in their first set and finishing the fourth sweep of the day. 

Junior Zoey Henson and freshman Sarah Wood, promoted to the No. 1 pair after playing at the No. 2 spot in Hawaii, fought back despite losing the first set. After a slow and steady comeback in the second set, there was no stopping them, and they secured the match 15-5 to finish the day undefeated.

“Sometimes they were up, and then sometimes they let off the gas,” said Head Coach Dain Blanton in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “It’s really important that they got back to playing the volleyball that they are capable of playing.” 

The lineups remained the same for Pepperdine, and though the Trojans swept the Waves 5-0, there was some more fight and extended matches. 

The exception was Embry and Stephens, who swept their opponents with their consistent blocking and aggressive swings. 

Pater and Coakley beat freshman Maddy Snow and senior Gabbie Perez to get USC on the board first, and although they won in straight sets, it was much closer than their previous Matador matchup. 

Keefe and Truslow fought back and forth with freshman Ginevra Merlini and senior Emi Erickson, and ended up losing the first set thanks to a kill and a solo block in extra points. However, Keefe and Truslow bounced back almost immediately, winning the next 2 sets convincingly. 

Henson and Wood won their second match of the day, dominating the first set and going into extra points to secure the point for the Trojans. That initial success and second-set struggle continued into the Zaengle and Kok’s match: After obliterating the Waves’ No. 5 pair in the opening set, they started the second set down 9-12, and slowly but surely fought their way back into the match, eventually ending on a kill from Zaengle. 

All gas, no breaks on Day 2 

The Trojans took on No. 3 Cal Poly SLO (6-2) and Concordia University Irvine (3-4), continuing the momentum they had from day one. 

The Trojan pairs of Keefe and Truslow swiftly defeated the Mustangs to start off the duels, and Pater and Coakley followed suit in their win as well, with the second set ending in an absolute battle in extra points, 34-32.

Zaengle and Kok started the day continuing their winning streak. Embry and Stephens also dominated on their court, taking the win. 

“It’s a young team all the way around, and so the freshmen are stepping up,” Blanton said. “You’re starting to see who’s a gamer and who’s really coming to play.” 

Henson and Wood were the only pair to lose the entire weekend, but they did not go down easily. The first set of their match ended in extra points, and although they put up a hard-fought performance, Mustangs redshirt senior Ella Connor and junior Erin Inskeep took the set 30-28. Despite that fight, the Trojans lost again in straight sets.

With that blemish on their minds, the Trojans were looking to stay consistent and finish the tournament strong against Concordia. 

Concordia’s No. 2 pair of juniors, Gabrielle Reinking and Lexi Godbey, battled with Pater and Coakley, bringing the first set to extra points, but the Trojans secured the win and dominated the Eagles in the second set. Freshman Bella Satterwhite debuted with Keefe at the No. 4 pair, and they swiftly defeated their Eagle opponents.

Sophomore Macy Bolyard and junior Madison Goellner followed suit, sweeping their match as the No. 3 pair. Zaengle and Kok also continued their undefeated record of 9-0 with their commanding win. Finally, despite the loss to Cal Poly, Henson and Wood came back storming, defeating the Eagles and confirming a dominant performance in their first home trip. 

The Trojans return to Merle Norman Stadium on Tuesday for a rematch against CSUN at 10 a.m. and a match with Stetson at 12 p.m.