As No. 20 women’s volleyball heads into the 2026 season, exhibition bouts against UC Irvine and Loyola Marymount University were perfect learning opportunities for a squad in hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season under Head Coach Brad Keller.

The two low-stakes preseason matches on Aug. 15 and 19 resulted in a win against the Anteaters in USC’s first match and a loss to the Lions in the second.

While most of the starters only played the first half of each match, the Trojans’ bench showed a lot of promise in both games. With the regular season less than a week away, Keller is looking to fine-tune his squad before they set their sights on their first tournament of the year.

Keller, now in his seventh season at the helm, holds a 110-64 all-time record at USC. He celebrated his 100th win with the team last fall en route to a 25-win season — the largest win total since 2017 — and will look to build upon his success after the two preseason matches.

Trojans earn preseason victory in Irvine 

The first match of the year for women’s volleyball came at Bren Events Center, where the Trojans took on UC Irvine on Aug. 15. USC ended up taking the match in four sets, winning 25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 25-19 in a strong showing by the returning starters.

Junior middle blocker Mia Tvrdy headlined the success, posting 11.5 points with nine kills. Tvrdy, who projects to crack the starting lineup for good in 2026 after appearing in 26 of the team’s 32 matches last season, continued to show her dominance on offense and defense against the Anteaters. After being second on the team in blocks last season, she tied for a match-high four blocks en route to the 3-1 win.

Redshirt junior outside hitter London Wijay, redshirt senior outside hitter Adonia Faumuina and redshirt junior middle blocker Leah Ford were equally effective, totaling eight kills each in the win. Wijay added a block and a pair of digs, while Faumuina contributed five digs and three assists in the effort. Ford, meanwhile, recorded two digs, rounding out a successful first start for three of the Trojans’ top returners.

One newcomer who found success was junior setter Lilli Etter. The Boise State transfer earned the start, playing in the first two sets while recording 25 assists, which was the most on the team, along with one block and five digs. Etter will compete for the coveted starting setter spot after the Trojans lost Reese Messer, USC’s primary setter last season, to Kansas in the transfer portal.

While the fourth set was back and forth, the Trojans prevailed behind one of USC’s newest players, freshman outside hitter Riley Malloy, along with the veteran Tvrdy to secure the 3-1 win. Malloy secured eight kills and two blocks as the freshman looks to make a name for herself.

Final exhibition match ends in tough loss

Coming into the match against Keller’s alma mater, LMU, USC was undefeated against the Lions all-time during the regular season. However, a very tight match ended with LMU finally claiming its first win — despite it being preseason — against USC in five sets.

The majority of USC’s starters played the first three sets, which surprisingly put them down by one set early. It was not until the bench came in that the struggling Trojans got a much-needed spark.

In the end, though, the effort was not enough, as LMU ended up winning 25-23, 17-25, 16-25, 25-16, 16-14 in a tightly contested match from start to finish.

Two successful newcomers were redshirt freshman outside hitter Quinn Loper and Malloy once again. Loper and Malloy started a rally in the fourth set, helping USC tie the match. The two outside hitters collected four kills each in the set, giving the Trojans momentum going into the final set and, more importantly, a chance to win.

The Trojans led by as many as 4 points in the fifth set, largely thanks to freshman setter Milly McGee. The local 6-foot-1 product from Mira Costa High School had six assists and two digs in the final set; ultimately, it was not enough for the Trojans, as the Lions came back to steal the win away from the young USC squad on the floor.

The Trojans will head to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the State Farm Women’s Volleyball Showcase, where they will face off against No. 12 Arizona State and No. 13 Creighton on Aug. 29 and 30, respectively, for their first matches of the regular season.