Reaching the NCAA tournament is a major accomplishment for most college volleyball programs. 

At the University of San Diego, it has become the standard.

The Toreros enter the 2026 season after reclaiming the West Coast Conference championship, completing a perfect conference campaign and returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their historic Final Four run in 2022. 

Now, head coach Jennifer Petrie must lead another evolution. 

USD returns reigning WCC Player of the Year, Nemo Beach and back-to-back WCC Setter of the Year Kylie Munday, but it must replace three significant contributors from its 2025 championship team: WCC Libero of the Year Olivia Bennett, graduate middle blocker Kali Engeman and All-WCC outside hitter Isabel Clark. 

Petrie addressed those losses with experienced transfers, including former Washington outside hitter Kierstyn Barton and former DePaul middle blocker Meghan Scholz. Their ability to settle into the rotation could determine whether USD merely defends its conference title or moves closer to the national heights it reached four years ago. 

“We couldn’t be more excited for this season,” said Petrie. “This team has put in the work, embraces the challenge, and is hungry to compete.”

USD’s recent history helps explain why the expectations surrounding the program extend beyond simply earning another postseason berth. 

Petrie enters her 28th season as the Toreros’ head coach. Under her leadership, USD has made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances and won 10 WCC championships. The program has advanced to five Sweet 16s and reached the national semifinals in 2022. 

The Toreros’ consistency was evident during the unusual 2020 season, which was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and played during the spring of 2021. USD went 12-2 during a conference-only regular season, received one of only 16 at-large NCAA Tournament bids and advanced to the second round. 

That season offered just one example of the program’s ability to remain nationally relevant despite difficult circumstances. USD followed it with a 20-8 record and another NCAA Tournament appearance in Fall 2021, setting the stage for the greatest season in program history. 

The 2022 Toreros did more than win another conference championship. They changed what appeared possible for the program. 

San Diego finished 31-2, rose as high as No. 2 in national rankings and captured the WCC title. After receiving a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Toreros defeated Northern Colorado and Washington State at the Jenny Craig Pavilion before sweeping Kentucky in the Sweet 16. 

USD then defeated Stanford in five sets on the Cardinal’s home court, earning the first Final Four appearance in program history. 

That roster featured one of the most accomplished groups in USD history. Gabby Blossom earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First Team All-America honors, Grace Frohling was named to the second team and Katie Lukes earned third-team recognition. Lukes was also selected as the WCC Player of the Year, Blossom was named the conference’s Setter of the Year and Annie Benbow earned Libero of the Year honors.

Petrie was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year and the unanimous VolleyballMag.com National Coach of the Year.

The seasons that followed required USD to replace that veteran core and develop a new generation of contributors. The Toreros did not return to the NCAA Tournament in 2023 or 2024, but those seasons allowed players such as Beach, Munday and Clark to grow into leading roles.

The payoff arrived in 2025.

After two seasons just outside the postseason, USD returned to the NCAA tournament with one of the most dominant conference campaigns in program history.

The Toreros went 25-5 overall and a perfect 18-0 in WCC play, winning their 13th conference championship and securing the program’s 27th NCAA Tournament bid. The championship marked the third undefeated WCC season in USD history.

“Defending a West Coast Conference championship is an incredible opportunity,” said Petrie. “We’re looking forward to seeing what this group can accomplish together,”

USD navigated a demanding nonconference schedule with a 7-4 record before winning 18 consecutive matches to close the regular season. The Toreros clinched the WCC title by sweeping Pepperdine in front of a season-high crowd of 1,103 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Beach emerged as the face of that resurgence. 

The outside hitter led the conference with 467 kills and 527 points while hitting .261. She recorded 208 digs, 41 blocks, 36 service aces and nine double-doubles, including one in the NCAA Tournament. Beach’s season earned her WCC Player of the Year, All-WCC First Team and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention recognition. 

Munday directed the offense with 1,108 assists, 273 digs, 65 blocks, 65 kills and a team-high 47 aces. She recorded 13 double-doubles and became the first player in program history to earn WCC Setter of the Year honors in consecutive seasons.

The Toreros’ championship was also built around Bennett’s defensive consistency, Clark’s production from the opposite pin and Engeman’s presence in the middle.

That balance helped USD earn the No. 8 seed in the Nebraska portion of the NCAA Tournament bracket. The Toreros’ season ended in Lincoln with a narrow five-set loss to Kansas State in the first round.

USD won the opening set and pulled ahead 2-1 after claiming a 28-26 third set, but Kansas State rallied to take the match, 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12. Beach and Clark combined for 42 of USD’s 67 kills, Munday distributed 55 assists and Bennett led all players with 25 digs in her final collegiate match.

The loss ended the season earlier than USD hoped, but the 25 victories were the fourth-most in a season in program history and restored the Toreros as the team to beat in the WCC.

USD’s attempt to defend its championship begins with Beach, who enters her senior season as one of the country’s most productive returning outside hitters.

Opposing teams will again build their defensive plans around slowing her down. Beach’s challenge will be sustaining her efficiency while likely receiving an even larger share of the attention after Clark’s departure.

Barton’s arrival may prevent opponents from committing too heavily to Beach.

The former Washington outside hitter earned AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2025 before transferring to USD. Barton is listed as a 6-foot-1 senior on the Toreros’ 2026 roster, giving Petrie an experienced attacker who has already competed against high-level opposition.

If Barton can become a consistent second option, USD could again force opponents to defend both pins rather than loading their block toward Beach.

Munday’s return should ease that transition. Her experience, serving ability and familiarity with USD’s offense give the Toreros continuity at arguably the most important position on the court.

Senior setter Tatum Lane also returns, providing another experienced option as the coaching staff experiments with lineups and rotations.

The three most important offseason questions are closely connected to the roles Bennett, Engeman and Clark filled last season.

Bennett finished 2025 with 440 digs, 146 assists and 20 service aces. She became only the second Torero to be named WCC Libero of the Year and surpassed 1,000 career digs late in the regular season.

Her departure leaves more than a statistical vacancy. The libero often organizes the back row, stabilizes serve receive and communicates defensive adjustments throughout a rally.

Sophomore Lauren Lynch appears positioned to take on a larger role, while senior Reese Bates gives USD an experienced libero and defensive specialist. Freshmen Kalli Lipo and Addy Wiese add further competition in the back row.

Engeman leaves a similarly significant opening at the net. In her final collegiate season, she led the Toreros with 110 blocks during the regular season, added 227 kills and hit .390. She finished her career with eight kills and four blocks against Kansas State.

Scholz, a 6-foot-3 senior transfer from DePaul, is the most direct veteran addition to the middle. She joins a group that includes returning players Eloise McGibben and BayLea Sparks, along with freshman Ella Fulton.

Sparks already demonstrated that she can be an efficient front-row contributor. She recorded 115 kills, 99 blocks and a .448 hitting percentage in 2025, earning All-WCC honorable mention recognition.

Ava Durgan provides another major returning piece, although the 2026 roster lists her as an opposite after she played middle blocker during her freshman season. Durgan recorded 116 kills and 43 blocks across 22 matches in 2025, earning All-WCC honorable mention and All-Freshman Team honors

Clark’s absence may be the most difficult production to replace directly.

As a sophomore, she totaled 377 kills, 200 digs and 51 blocks while earning All-WCC First Team honors. She was Beach’s primary attacking counterpart.

Barton is the natural candidate to absorb much of that workload, but USD may also look to players such as Durgan, freshman Ryann Knuth and freshman Emma Brewer for additional offense.

Barton and Scholz provide immediate college experience, but Petrie also added several freshmen who could influence the rotation.

Canadian setter Jocelyn Guo brings international experience and adds another option behind Munday and Lane. Lipo and Wiese strengthen the defensive group, while Brewer and Knuth increase USD’s depth on the outside.

Fulton and Allie Dunnion join the front-row group as freshman middle blockers, giving the Toreros developmental depth at a position undergoing significant change.

Not every newcomer will need to take on a major role immediately. That may be one of USD’s advantages. With Beach, Munday, Sparks, Durgan and several other experienced players returning, Petrie can allow younger players to develop while relying on Barton and Scholz to provide more immediate help.

USD will learn quickly how well its rebuilt rotation fits together.

Over the summer, the Toreros represented Team USA at the 2026 FISU America Games in Peru. The team faced collegiate teams from other countries and went undefeated in the games. The Toreros took down Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Argentina and swept Chile for the gold medal.

The Toreros open the season Aug. 28 against Baylor in Honolulu before facing Georgia Southern and host Hawaii on consecutive days. Playing Hawaii at the Stan Sheriff Center should provide one of the season’s first major tests, particularly for a back row adjusting to life without Bennett.

USD then returns home for matches against SMU on Sept. 4 and USC on Sept. 6. The USC match should be one of the most anticipated home dates of the season and an early opportunity for the Toreros to measure themselves against Big Ten opposition.

Another challenging stretch follows in Tempe, where USD will play UC Davis, Arizona State and Oregon on three consecutive days. The Toreros then host Arizona on Sept. 17 and crosstown rival San Diego State on Sept. 19. Six of USD’s 10 nonconference matches are against teams from power conferences.

Those matches offer NCAA Tournament resume opportunities, but they may also expose early growing pains. USD will be working to establish its serve-receive formation, develop connections between Munday and the new hitters and rebuild its blocking communication against a demanding slate.

The Toreros begin their WCC title defense Sept. 24 at home against Saint Mary’s.

The first major conference measuring stick may come Oct. 8 and Oct. 10, when USD hosts Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine in consecutive matches. Pepperdine remains one of the most important dates on the schedule after USD clinched the 2025 championship with a home sweep of the Waves.

The return matches could be even more consequential. USD plays at Pepperdine on Nov. 12 before traveling to LMU on Nov. 14, creating a difficult late-season road swing that may affect the championship race.

The Toreros also face a demanding finish, playing four of their final six matches away from home. After hosting Portland and Seattle U for the final home weekend, USD closes the regular season at Santa Clara on Nov. 23 and San Francisco on Nov. 25.

That road-heavy final month could test the team’s depth and consistency, especially if the conference standings remain tight.

USD enters 2026 seeking its 14th WCC championship as a program and the 11th of Petrie’s head-coaching tenure.

That goal is realistic.

The Toreros return the conference’s reigning Player and Setter of the Year, add two experienced transfers and retain several young players who contributed to an undefeated WCC season.

There are still meaningful questions. Barton must help replace Clark’s attacking production. Scholz and the returning middles must compensate for Engeman’s blocking. Lynch, Bates and the incoming defensive players must rebuild the stability Bennett provided in the back row.

The non-conference schedule offers little time for a gradual adjustment.

But USD’s history suggests the program is equipped to navigate roster turnover. The Toreros reached the NCAA Tournament during the disrupted 2020-21 season, developed into a Final Four team in 2022 and rebuilt around a different core that produced a 25-win championship season in 2025.

The 2022 team remains the benchmark. Its Final Four run showed USD could compete with—and defeat—the most accomplished programs in the country.

The task for the 2026 Toreros is to move another generation closer to that standard.