With the beginning of the women’s volleyball season quickly approaching, there is certainly a lot of intrigue surrounding this year’s squad for USC. 

The Trojans’ 25 wins a season ago were their most since 2017, yet they failed to advance past the second round in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive season. 

However, with multiple standout returners, an impressive group of incoming talent and a new associate head coach, this could be the year that USC takes the next leap into the nation’s top echelon as one of the last 16 teams standing in December.

“We have a blend of size, explosion, arms everywhere, great ball control,” Head Coach Brad Keller said in an interview on Big Ten Media Day. “We had the majority of freshmen and sophomores on the floor, and so we’re returning everybody, and we have a really good recruiting class that’s coming in.” 

All-Big Ten preseason team selections headline returners

Redshirt senior outside hitter Adonia Faumuina and sophomore opposite hitter Abigail Mullen, both named to the conference preseason team, will be the focal points of the Trojan offense after breakout seasons in 2025. 

Mullen made an immediate impact in her first season and proved to be a consistent, irreplaceable asset for USC, amassing 330 kills and 3.78 points per set. 

As a Big Ten All-Freshman honoree, Mullen showed off her versatility by becoming the Trojans’ most dangerous server. After earning 52 service aces last year, good for the third-most in the conference, Mullen figures to be the team’s go-to server moving forward. 

Alongside Mullen, Faumuina can attack aggressively to create havoc on offense. Third on the team in kills and averaging nearly three points per set last season, Faumuina is capable of carrying the offensive load for long stretches on any given night. 

Heading into her fifth year with the cardinal and gold, Faumuina’s experience, leadership and poise will be crucial for a relatively young roster. 

Key contributors from 2025 campaign return

After a dominant offensive outburst last season, redshirt junior outside hitter London Wijay is expected to once again produce at a high level. Wijay earned 2025 Big Ten All-Conference First Team and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors, leading the Trojans with 444.5 points and 400 kills. She must retain similar form this season if USC looks to make the NCAA Tournament again.

Luckily for the Trojans, the team also has three elite players returning on defense, including sophomore libero Taylor Deckert. Deckert took control of the defense all season, leading the team in digs by a wide margin as a constant presence on the floor. 

Redshirt junior middle blocker Leah Ford and junior middle blocker Mia Tvrdy, the team’s two leaders in blocks per set in 2025, are slated to match up against their opponents’ best offensive threats. Ford’s height helps limit visibility near the net and reject incoming hits, while Tvrdy’s energy and acumen allow her to outsmart her opponents and quickly read plays. 

Departures leave some question marks 

While USC’s roster remains mostly intact from 2025, filling the empty voids left will be essential if the team wants to improve upon last year. 

The Trojans will need to find replacements for three graduated seniors: liberos Gala Trubint and Megan Verbiest, and middle blocker Rylie McGinest. Trubint’s knack for defense will be missed, and USC must find alternatives to make up for the absence of Verbiest’s reliable serving and McGinest’s shot-blocking ability. 

Additionally, losing sophomore setter Reese Messer to Kansas presents a difficult challenge for the Trojans, leaving them with uncertainty at the position. 

Messer was USC’s primary distributor last season, racking up the eighth-most assists in the nation with nearly 11 per set. 

Top recruiting class, new coach round out 2026 squad

This year’s newcomers include a highly-touted crop of freshmen. Chief among them: outside hitter and Gatorade California Volleyball Player of the Year Layli Ostovar. A top high school player in the state in 2025, Ostovar should find her way into the lineup and be effective. 

Keller’s lone addition in the portal was a monumental one, shoring up the setter position by landing Boise State junior Lilli Etter. During her time as a starter for the Broncos, Etter racked up 1,205 assists and averaged 5.36 assists per set. 

Due to the opening at setter, freshmen Milly McGee and Elena Baic will both compete with Etter for valuable playing time. 

While Ostovar will help USC as soon as she draws into the lineup, the Trojans’ success offensively is contingent upon which, if any, of the setters can quickly acclimate, get on the same page as the rest of the team and build a strong rapport among the hitters. 

Aside from forming connections and chemistry between hitters and setters, Keller and his coaching staff, which now includes former UC Santa Barbara head coach Matt Jones, have emphasized attention to detail and competitiveness during preparation for the regular season this spring and summer. 

“Something that the coaches brought in this past spring has been, ‘How do we get the extra point?’ or ‘How do we make that extra pass to extend the rally?’” Mullen said at Big Ten Media Day. “It’s just making sure that we know every single thing we do matters.”

Landing at No. 7 in the preseason Big Ten poll, USC women’s volleyball will begin its quest for a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth at the State Farm Women’s Volleyball Showcase on Aug. 29 in South Dakota versus No. 12 Arizona State.