USC Sand Volleyball Pioneering Women’s Athletics

The USC Sand Volleyball Team is estatic for their opening weekend here at the newly designed Merle Norman Stadium. Reign of Troy had the chance to speak with Sand Volleyball Head Coach Anna Collier on the historic season ahead for USC Athletics.

The University of Southern California is truly beginning to embrace the beach-city culture, bringing the fun weekend hobby of Sand Volleyball to the NCAA Division I sports scene. Head Coach Anna Collier believes the move will spark the popularity of the collegiate sport in Southern California.

The Women of Troy begin their season as the third ranked team in the nation, coming off an impressive season in which two doubles pairs were sent to the National Championship. Collier says her team is embracing the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of the home faithful on the USC campus.

Despite the connotation of Sand Volleyball being a relaxed sport fit best for the weekend get-away, the Women of Troy are quite an athletic bunch. Players of all sizes battle it on the sand in some intense competition with Indoor Volleyball athletes like Katie Fuller, Kirby Burnham and Sydney Seau taking to the sand for the Trojans.

Anna Collier leads the Women of Troy with her own brand of championship pedigree; playing three sports throughout her career at USC and becoming a two-time All American in track. After her prolific career as a Trojan,  Collier led the first ever USA Olympic Sand Volleyball team. Despite her 30-plus year career full of success, she feels this new opportunity could be the most rewarding of them all.

The entire sand volleyball program is seizing the opportunity to place closer to home and pave the way for the next generation of women’s. Merle Norman Stadium will house all the sand volleyball action, on the corner of campus adjacent to the Galen Center.

Coach Collier believes that the Women of Troy can compete with any team in the nation as one of the top programs on the west coast. After attending practice myself, I can attest to the hard work and grueling fitness program this team embarks in on a daily basis.

Emotions are riding high as the first-ever home match begins tomorrow at 11 AM against fourth-ranked Florida State, with a second match following at 1 PM against Loyola Marymount University.

Check out the full audio from Coach Collier, listen here: USC Sand Volleyball Prospectus