USD enters the 2026 season as the defending West Coast Conference champion after finishing 25-5 overall and a perfect 18-0 in league play last season. They return one of the nation’s premier attackers in reigning WCC Player of the Year Nemo Beach alongside back-to-back WCC Setter of the Year Kylie Munday. The Toreros must replace WCC Libero of the Year Olivia Bennett and graduate middle blocker Kali Engeman and outside hitter Isabel Clark, but head coach Jennifer Petrie’s squad also welcomes one of the conference’s strongest transfer classes, headlined by former Washington standout Kierstyn Barton. After reaching the program’s first Final Four in 2022 and reclaiming conference supremacy in 2025, the expectation in San Diego is no longer simply making the postseason. It’s competing for another deep December run. 

Read our full preview of USD’s 2026 season here.

San Diego State looked like one of the hottest teams on the West Coast to begin the 2025 season. 

The Aztecs opened the year on a six-match winning streak, showcasing one of the program’s most balanced lineups under head coach Brent Hilliard. The early success hinted that SDSU could contend near the top of the Mountain West standings – and they did. 

That momentum changed once injuries began disrupting the lineup, forcing Hilliard to constantly adjust rotations, limiting the momentum the Aztecs had built during the opening weeks. Although SDSU continued to compete throughout conference play, the season became more about perseverance than building on its outstanding start. 

Despite that adversity, the foundation established during those six opening matches provides optimism entering 2026.

The biggest change isn’t just the roster. It’s the conference logo. 

SDSU officially enters the Pac-12 conference, beginning a new chapter after decades in the Mountain West. However, the transition won’t feel entirely unfamiliar. 

Several longtime Mountain West opponents like Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State also made the move into the rebuilt Pac-12, meaning many rivalries continue despite the new conference affiliation. 

One difference is in the air the athletes breathe. The 2025-26 Mountain West conference was infamous for its six universities that sit at 4500-7220 feet of altitude and higher. Moving to the Pac-12, there are only two high-altitude schools and they are both under 5100 feet. Breathe.

Another difference comes with the addition of programs like Washington State, Oregon State, Gonzaga and Texas State, creating a conference with greater national visibility and stronger NCAA Tournament implications.  

The biggest challenge facing the Aztecs is replacing nearly all of last season’s offensive production. 

Outside hitter Taylor Underwood graduated after leading SDSU’s attack throughout the 2025 season, while fellow outside hitter Madison Corf transferred to Omaha after providing another reliable scoring option for the Aztecs. Opposite hitter Natalie Hughes leaves another vacancy after transferring to Coastal Carolina University. The vacancies mean the Aztecs lost three of the team’s primary offensive weapons. 

The turnover extends to the middle as well. 

Veteran middle blockers Amber Keen and Talea Mitchell also leave SDSU without experienced front-row defenders while also sacrificing considerable size at the net. 

Replacing Keen and Mitchell won't fall on one player.

Instead, the Aztecs appear ready to lean on a younger, athletic middle blocker rotation led by Taelyn Bentley and transfer Tessa Schouten.

Bentley gained valuable collegiate experience last season at South Florida and now steps into a much larger role, while Schouten arrives from Saint Mary's bringing Division I experience and additional size to a position group that underwent the most dramatic offseason changes.

The duo will be tasked with helping replace both the blocking production and veteran leadership lost through the transfer portal while establishing a new identity at the net.

Collectively, those departures mean the Aztecs not only lose their top point scorers but also much of the height that defined last year's front row. 

So who becomes San Diego State’s go-to attacker? There isn’t an obvious answer heading into the season. 

SDSU does return two of the conference’s top players at their respective positions. 

Libero Zara Stewart returns after earning All-Mountain West honors as a freshman and will once again anchor the Aztec’s back-row defense. Her ability to control serve receive and extend rallies should remain as one of the Aztecs’ biggest strengths as the team develops new offensive chemistry. 

Setter Kendall Mairs also returns after emerging as one of the Mountain West’s top young setters. With several new attackers around her, Mairs’ ability to distribute the offense and establish rhythm early in the season may be more important than ever. 

Together, Stewart and Mairs give SDSU experienced leadership at two of the sport’s most important positions, providing a strong foundation despite the significant roster turnover.

A big question is whether SDSU can stay healthy enough to show what last year’s team hinted at during its six-match winning streak. 

SDSU must replace not only its leading scorers but also much of its experience and size at the net. If a new group of hitters can emerge early and the middle blocker rotation develops quickly, the Aztecs have the opportunity to surprise teams in their inaugural Pac-12 campaign. If not, the first season in a new conference could become one of growth rather than immediate contention.

UC San Diego continued to establish itself as one of the Big West’s most exciting programs. Although the team struggled to find its footing, going 6-24 in conference play, the team showed glimpses of promise. 

The Tritons remained competitive throughout conference play and continued building the foundation established during the Division I transition. Although they ultimately fell short of a Big West Tournament berth, the season reinforced that UC San Diego could belong at the top of the Big West’s conference. However, UC San Diego will also want to make a statement in the Big West for its final year in the conference before transitioning to the West Coast Conference with a crosstown rival with University of San Diego. 

Now the program enters another transition.

The biggest offseason storyline isn’t the roster. 

It’s with the coaching staff. 

With Spencer McLachlin taking over as head coach, the Tritons enter the 2026 season under new leadership while returning a roster that already understands how to compete in the Big West. 

The Tritons are returning an experienced core that should provide stability during McLachlin’s first season. 

Among the key returners is senior outside hitter Ireland McNees. Junior Molly McCluskey also returns as another versatile pin hitter capable of contributing offensively. 

Graduate defensive specialist Dillyn Griffin, a transfer from Pitt, adds experience and leadership in the back row.

The setter position also appears to be in good hands.

Senior Brynne McGhie, a transfer from Pepperdine, provides veteran leadership, while sophomore Maija Nepszy gives the Tritons another capable option after gaining collegiate experience as a freshman.

One area where UC San Diego could become more physical is at the net.

Redshirt freshman Kaliya Ndiaye, who transferred from Syracuse, gives the Tritons another 6-foot-4 presence in the middle. Their development will be important as UC San Diego looks to improve its blocking against some of the Big West's top offenses.

The schedule provides several early tests. 

UC San Diego opens the season at the Gael Bear Classic, where the team will face Saint Mary’s, California and Gonzaga before continuing a challenging nonconference schedule that includes tournaments at UNLV and Hawai’i. Once Big West play begins, the conference’s traditional powers again await. 

Matchups against Long Beach State, Hawai’i, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly should once again shape the conference standings, while contests against newcomers Sacramento State and Utah Valley creates additional challenges. 

The Tritons have spent the past several seasons proving they belong at the Division I level. Their next challenge is turning that foundation into consistent conference title contention while adapting to McLachlin’s system in the program’s final season before joining the West Coast Conference.

Point Loma Nazarene produced the greatest postseason run in program history in 2025, finishing 28-5, sharing the PacWest regular-season championship and capturing its first NCAA Division II West Region title. The Sea Lions then swept Bentley in the national quarterfinals before falling to Concordia-St. Paul in the semifinals, ending their season one victory short of the national championship match.

The run established PLNU as more than an annual regional contender. The Sea Lions proved they could compete on the national stage, but returning there in 2026 will require a significantly different.

No departure is larger than outside hitter Abigail Nua.

Nua completed one of the most decorated careers in program history by repeating as PacWest Player of the Year and becoming PLNU’s first four-time First Team All-PacWest selection. She was fifth in the nation for kills per set (4.78) and points per set (5.33) for Division II. After helping carry the Sea Lions to the Final Four, she was named the AVCA and D2CCA West Region Player of the Year as well as the PacWest Female Athlete of the Year. D2CCA also named Nua the Ron Lenz National Player of the Year, the first Sea Lion ever. 

Nua was the hitter Point Loma trusted in its biggest moments. She returned from injury to record 24 kills in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament and later led the Sea Lions with 21 kills in the national semifinal.

PLNU must also replace libero Macy Reynolds, the 2025 PacWest Libero of the Year. Reynolds led the conference with 476 digs and 5.01 digs per set during the regular season, providing the defensive stability that allowed Point Loma to extend rallies and run its offense.

Graduate middle blocker and right-side hitter Jill Leslie is another significant loss. Leslie led the Sea Lions with 73 total blocks late in the postseason and carried the team’s highest hitting percentage at .333. Her efficiency and versatility gave Point Loma a dependable scoring option behind Nua while strengthening the block.

Together, those departures remove Point Loma’s primary scorer, starting libero and an experienced front-row contributor. 

The most important returning player may be setter Sophia Baugh.

Baugh enters her senior season after earning All-West Region recognition and leading the region with 11.4 assists per set late in the 2025 postseason. She repeatedly delivered strong all-around performances, including 41 assists and four aces during an early-season victory and 44 assists with 18 digs in a five-set win over Chaminade.

Her experience should help stabilize an offense that no longer has Nua as its automatic first option.

The challenge for Baugh will be distributing the ball across a more balanced group. Rather than feeding one established national player, she may need to help several hitters grow into larger roles throughout the season.

Sophomore Jolyna Salas also returns at setter, giving PLNU another option after gaining collegiate experience during her freshman year.

PLNU’s returning hitters must now absorb a larger workload. Several hitters had standout performances in 2025 and those performances offer reasons for optimism, but producing occasional strong matches is different from replacing week-to-week performances from Nua. Identifying a dependable first option will be one of the defining tasks of the season. 

PLNU begins the season with an immediate West Region test at the Central Washington Invitational.

The Sea Lions faced No. 20 Western Washington on Aug. 27 and won 3-0, providing a great indication that they will be a contender this season. They then play host Central Washington on Aug. 28 and close the tournament against Simon Fraser on Aug. 29. Central Washington should be another especially revealing early matchup because it gives PLNU a road test against a program that regularly factors into the West Region postseason picture.

Conference play begins unusually early with road matches at Biola on Sept. 8 and Westmont on Sept. 12. Those contests will test whether the Sea Lions can establish chemistry quickly rather than using the first month solely for experimentation.

Two of the most significant nonconference matches arrive on consecutive weeks when PLNU hosts Cal Poly Pomona on Oct. 1 and travels to Cal State San Bernardino on Oct. 7. Point Loma defeated Cal State San Bernardino in five sets to open last year’s NCAA Tournament, adding postseason history to that October rematch.

The regular season ends with two important home matches: Biola on Nov. 4 and Westmont on Senior Day on Nov. 7. Those contests could carry major implications for seeding ahead of the PacWest Championships in Costa Mesa.

One notable absence from the current schedule is Fresno Pacific, the team PLNU faced three times with a trophy at stake late last season. Point Loma defeated the Sunbirds for the regular-season title and West Region championship but lost to them in the PacWest tournament final. Fresno Pacific does not appear on PLNU’s listed 2026 regular-season schedule, meaning another meeting may have to come in the PacWest or NCAA postseason.

Point Loma’s championship expectations remain, but the path back to the national semifinals will look very different.

The Sea Lions return an All-America-level setter in Baugh, several young hitters with postseason experience and enough size to remain competitive at the net. Scott also has a proven record of developing players into larger roles.

Still, the losses are substantial.

PLNU must replace the national player of the year in Nua, the PacWest Libero of the Year in Reynolds and an efficient, experienced blocker in Leslie. 

Point Loma no longer enters the season trying to demonstrate that it can reach the national stage. The Sea Lions already did that.

The challenge in 2026 is proving the program can remain there after losing the players who carried it to new heights.