No. 20 USC is set to kick off its 2026 season with a tough opening weekend at the State Farm Volleyball Showcase, where the Women of Troy will see two ranked opponents right away at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The Trojans open against No. 12 Arizona State on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 2 p.m.
CT/12 p.m. PT.
That match will air on FS1. USC then turns around to face No.
13 Creighton on Sunday, Aug. 30, at noon CT/10 a.m. PT, with Big Ten Network carrying the broadcast.
USC enters the weekend with a 0-0 record and plenty of proven pieces back in the fold. Seventh-year head coach Brad Keller leads the program, bringing experience from coaching both men’s and women’s teams at USC and UCLA. Keller is 110-64 as the Trojans’ head coach.
The Women of Troy have been reliable in season openers, going 40-10 all-time and 3-3 under Keller. They’ve also handled neutral and road openers well, posting a 27-8 mark in those settings. This weekend carries another first: USC will play in South Dakota for the first time.
A strong returning core headlines the roster. USC brings back six starters, including unanimous All-Big Ten outside hitter London Wijay, who led the team last season with 3.48 kills per set and 3.87 points per set.
Libero Taylor Deckert is back after leading the Trojans in digs at 3.25 per set and earning freshman All-Big Ten second team honors. Middle blocker Leah Ford, a 2025 All-Big Ten selection, paced the conference in blocks at 1.35 per set while hitting .378 in her redshirt sophomore year.
Outside hitter Abigail Mullen, now a sophomore, also returns after ranking third in the Big Ten in aces at 0.45 per set and finishing second on the team in points at 3.78 per set. Redshirt senior outside hitter Adonia Faumuina is the lone senior on the roster and has already been named to the All-Big Ten Preseason Team for the second time.
Last season, USC was one of the Big Ten’s best blocking teams, reaching double-digit blocks in 18 matches and finishing first in the conference with 322.5 total blocks and 2.76 blocks per set. The Trojans also made the second round of the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year in 2025, marking their 41st all-time NCAA tournament appearance.
The matchup history gives USC some comfort, too. The Trojans lead Arizona State 76-15-1 and have won eight of the last 10 meetings, including a 3-0 win on Nov. 5, 2023, at Galen Center. Against Creighton, USC holds a 7-4 series edge and has taken six of the last 10, with the most recent meeting a 3-0 victory on Sept. 7, 2025, at Galen Center.
In Other News...
USC Fans Are Getting A Very Different Coliseum Experience In 2026
USC spent the offseason listening closely to its crowd, gathering fan feedback after the 2025 season with an eye toward making Saturdays at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum feel fresher in 2026. The result is a noticeable push to upgrade the entire game day atmosphere, from a new pregame fireworks show to a more active in-stadium host and a family ticket package designed to make coming to games a little easier and a little more appealing.
There will also be a more ambitious food-and-fun element around the venue, including new concession items and a rotating "Dog of the Game" promotion, plus additional game day experiences whose proceeds will support the Trojan Athletic Fund. USC is also planning select home-game tributes to championship-winning Trojan teams and student-athletes, a reminder that the Coliseum experience is being built not just around entertainment, but around the program's history and the people who helped shape it. [Read more 🡒]
USC Has A Defensive Newcomer Who Already Looks Ready To Matter
USC wrapped up a practice session with the opener against San Jose State looming, and the focus on the defensive side has started to sharpen. Alex VanSumeren, Jide Abasiri, Chasen Johnson and Jontez Williams all offered their thoughts on where the unit stands, with the general tone pointing toward a group that feels more settled and more invested in the work it has put in during camp.
Williams, a fifth-year senior and former Iowa State transfer, is one of the more interesting pieces in that mix because of how much ground he has already covered in his college career. He talked about his growth as a player and his first game in USC colors now drawing close, which gives the Trojans another newcomer to watch as the season begins and the defense starts to show what kind of role he might be ready to play. [Read more 🡒]
USCs New Defensive Duo Faces Immediate Pressure To Deliver
Gary Patterson and Paul Gonzales have picked up where they left off at TCU, only this time the reunion is unfolding at USC as the Trojans get ready for their season opener against San Jose State. Patterson is running the defense, Gonzales is helping shape the safeties and pass game, and the early sense around the program is that the familiarity between the two coaches is already paying off in how smoothly the unit is being put together.
Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson have both pointed to that chemistry and leadership as reasons for confidence heading into the opener, and the pressure is immediate because USC does not have much time to wait for the defense to show it can hold up. The schedule offers a bigger measuring stick soon enough, too, with the Oct. 10 road trip to Penn State set for a 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff on NBC and Peacock, a game that will say a lot about how far this new-look defensive setup has come. [Read more 🡒]