The program began in 2012 with the construction of the university's new Merle Norman Stadium beach volleyball venue across the street from the Galen Center. USC played their first match in the stadium on March 10, 2013, and earned a 4-1 victory over Loyola Marymount.[3]
Through the 2015 season, national championship play was conducted by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The Trojans won an AVCA national team title in 2015, with a USC team claiming the AVCA pairs championship in each of the 2013–2015 seasons.