No. 3 USC Beach Volleyball Hosts Quartet in Battle For Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – No. 3-ranked USC (4-2) co-hosts the Battle for Los Angeles this week and will play its only two days on home sand when Concordia (3-1), Pepperdine (1-3), No. 16 Washington (2-2), and No. 8 Long Beach State (2-0) visit Merle Norman Stadium. The Women of Troy are 91-11 all-time on home sand and have won 26 consecutive duals dating back to the 2021 season. The three-site tournament is also joint-hosted by UCLA and Loyola Marymount.

The Trojans take on the Golden Eagles (10 a.m. PT) and longtime archrival Waves (12 p.m.) on Friday (Feb. 28). Prior to the start of the first match, USC will unveil its 2024 NCAA championship banner. CUI and Pepperdine will also meet in a neutral dual at 2 p.m. On Saturday, March 1, the Trojans take on the Huskies (10 a.m.) and the Beach (12 p.m.) on Senior Day. Washington and LBSU will meet in a neutral-site dual at 2 p.m. USC will honor graduates Maya Gessner and Ella Larkin and graduating juniors Bailey Showalter and Gabby Walker in pre-match ceremonies.

BATTLE FOR LOS ANGELES
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.
TV/STREAM: Big Ten Plus / B1G+

MATCH #7 • Friday, Feb. 28 • 10 a.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. Concordia (3-1)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 5-0 (1.000)
STREAK: Won 5 • LAST 10: 5-0
LAST MEETING: W 5-0 (March 19, 2024 • MNS)

MATCH #8 • Friday, Feb. 28 • 12 p.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. Pepperdine (1-3)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 20-13 (.606)
STREAK: Won 8 • LAST 10: 9-1
LAST MEETING: W 4-1 (April 12, 2024 • San Luis Obispo)

MATCH #9 • Saturday, March 1 • 10 a.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. No. 16 Washington (2-2)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 10-0 (1.000)
STREAK: Won 10 • LAST 10: 10-0
LAST MEETING: W 5-0 (March 9, 2024 • Tempe, Ariz.)

MATCH #10 • Saturday, March 1 • 12 p.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. No. 8 Long Beach State (2-0)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 17-5 (.739)
STREAK: Won 16 • LAST 10: 10-0
LAST MEETING: W 5-0 (April 12, 2024 • San Luis Obispo)

BARE E-SAND-SHELLS • TL;DR

USC has won the last four NCAA championships and owns seven national titles including the first NCAA crown awarded in 2016 (AVCA '15, NCAA '16, '17, '21, '22, '23, '24).
The Trojans own five Pac-12 titles (2016, '17, '19, '22, '24).
USC is 146-22 (.869) under sixth-year head coach Dain Blanton.
The Women of Troy are ranked No. 3 in the AVCA poll. It is the 114th time (of 114) USC is ranked; its 113th time among the top 5. The Trojans have also held the No. 1 spot a record 50 times and are 159-20 in duals when they are the top-ranked team.
USC holds a 91-11 record at Merle Norman Stadium and has won its last 26 duals on home sand. The Trojans' last home loss was to LSU on April 4, 2021.
The Trojans are 12-1 in home openers with the only loss to UCLA on Feb. 28, 2018.
USC has celebrated 15 AVCA All-Americans and 32 individual certificates.

LAST TIME OUT: In Honolulu for the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic, USC opened the season with a 3-2 win over 12th-ranked Hawai'i to improve to 14-0 all-time in season openers. As the top-ranked team in the tournament, the Trojans were upset by seventh-ranked Loyola Marymount—the Lions' first-ever win over USC—and then fell to fifth-ranked Stanford by a 3-2 count. USC turned its fortunes around when it picked up a 5-0 sweep of No. 11 Arizona State and then closed out the weekend with a pair of 3-2 wins over No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 TCU. Madison White was chosen for the tournament's Best Blocker award. The Trojans emerged from the islands with a 4-2 mark to open the year and moved to 31-6 all-time in the state of Hawai'i and settled at 159-20 when ranked No. 1 in the AVCA poll.

OPENING UP: USC improved to 14-0 in season openers with a win over No. 12 Hawai'i at Queen's Beach in the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic.

NEW DIGS: USC will play its first season as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 2025. The Trojans were members of the Pac-12 from 2016 through 2024 and won five conference titles (2016-17, '19, '22, 24) including the final crown awarded in 2024. With the dissolution of the league, USC moved to the MPSF and is joined by UCLA, California, Stanford, Oregon, Washington, and Grand Canyon. The first MPSF beach volleyball tournament will be played April 23-25 on Spiker Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif. The champion of the seven-team league will receive the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA championship.

OLD DAWG: When the Trojans host 16th-ranked Washington on March 1, sophomore Zoey Henson will face her former team. The Southern California native (Cypress) transferred to USC following a freshman campaign with the Huskies in which she produced a 26-9 record and was chosen for Pac-12 All-Conference second-team laurels. She was also a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team after she went 4-1 at the top court and was 22-8 in the No. 2 position with partners Lauren Wilcock and Magdalena Rabitsch.

A B1G DEAL: USC's home duals will be shown live on Big Ten Plus streams this spring. As part of a new agreement between the MPSF and the Big Ten Network, beach volleyball and men's volleyball contests at member schools will be carried on Big Ten Plus and are available inventory for BTN linear broadcasts. Check USCTrojans.com for links to live streams and broadcast information.

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Players Mentioned

Maya Gessner

Zoey Henson

Ella Larkin

Bailey Showalter

Gabby Walker

Madison White