In a thrilling start to the 2026 season, No. 4 USC Beach Volleyball came out swinging at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic in Honolulu.
The Women of Troy made a statement with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over No. 2 Stanford, followed by a commanding 4-1 win against No.
7 Loyola Marymount. With these wins, USC extends their impressive streak to 15 consecutive season opener victories.
Their record against Stanford now stands at 18-6, and they hold an overwhelming 33-2 advantage over Loyola Marymount.
Leading the charge for USC were Kennedy Coakley and Ashley Pater, who took the top spot. They started strong by defeating Stanford's Kelly Belardi and Ruby Sorra with scores of 21-19 and 21-17.
However, they faced a tough three-set battle against LMU's Tanon Rosenthal and Anna Pelloia, ultimately falling 19-21, 21-17, 10-15. Coakley and Pater now hold a season record of 1-1, with an impressive career tally of 29-5.
Zoey Henson and Sarah Wood shone brightly at the No. 2 position, going undefeated on the day. They kicked off their partnership with a thrilling victory over Stanford's Avery Jackson and Brooke Rockwell, winning 21-19 and 28-26.
Their momentum continued as they secured the clinching win against LMU's Magdalena Rabitsch and Ines Piret with scores of 21-15, 21-18. Notably, Wood celebrated her first collegiate win against Stanford.
The third pair, Alana Embry and Madison Goellner, faced a tough start, losing in two sets to Stanford's Indigo Clarke and Clara Stowell. However, fortune favored them against LMU when their opponents couldn't finish the match, granting them the win.
Quincy Stephens and Kaileigh Truslow, playing as the fourth pair, ended the day with a 1-1 record. They dropped a close three-set match to Stanford's Charlotta Bell and Logan Tusher but bounced back to defeat LMU's Josefine Schaelkel and Anja Trailovic with scores of 21-14 and 21-12.
Kyra Zaengle and Calinda Kok, in the fifth spot, also went 2-0. They secured a win over Stanford's Elena Fisher and Chloe Hoffman with scores of 21-16 and 22-20, and continued their success against LMU, winning 21-17, 21-17. This marked Zaengle's first career victories, while Kok improved her record to 9-3.
Match Highlights:
USC vs. Stanford (3-2):
- Pater/Coakley (USC) def. Belardi/Sorra (STAN); 21-19, 21-17
- Henson/Wood (USC) def. Jackson/Rockwell (STAN); 21-19, 28-26
- Clarke/Stowell (STAN) def. Embry/Goellner (USC); 21-14, 21-18
- Bell/Tusher (STAN) def. Stephens/Truslow (USC); 14-21, 21-19, 15-11
- Zaengle/Kok (USC) def. Fisher/Hoffman (STAN); 21-16, 22-20
USC vs. Loyola Marymount (4-1):
- Rosenthal/Pelloia (LMU) def. Pater/Coakley (USC); 21-19, 17-21, 15-10
- Henson/Wood (USC) def. Rabitsch/Piret (LMU); 21-15, 21-18
- Embry/Goellner (USC) vs. Hooker/Brach (LMU); match not finished, USC earns the point
- Stephens/Truslow (USC) def. Schaelkel/Trailovic (LMU); 21-14, 21-12
- Zaengle/Kok (USC) def. Davis/McAlister (LMU); 21-17, 21-17
What's Next: The Trojans are set to hit the sand again at Queen's Beach, facing No.
16 Hawai'i and No. 9 California.
The action kicks off tomorrow at 11:45 a.m. PT, with the second match slated for 3:30 p.m.
PT. Fans can catch all the live stats action online.