Trent Kersten is reconstructing Oregon volleyball with 15 new athletes in first year

Just one athlete is returning to the Oregon women’s volleyball team this season — the 16-deep Ducks’ roster has never played together. 

Following two years at Loyola Marymount University, first-year head coach Trent Kersten added nine freshmen and six transfer students ahead of 2025, including two from LMU. For graduate outside hitter Sophia Meyers, it was a no-brainer to follow her coach to Oregon.

“Trent is someone really special to me. Same with [assistant coach] Sarah [Smevog], who is also at Oregon,” Meyers said Tuesday at Big Ten Volleyball Media Days in Chicago. “Last season as a senior, they completely changed me as a volleyball player and as a human being, and to be able to do that so late in my career is just really special. To have the opportunity to do that at the Big Ten level with Trent and Sarah has just been an amazing opportunity, and just getting the opportunity to see him transform a whole group of girls in the same way is really exciting.”

Sophomore opposite hitter Marlee Arrington also joined Meyers in following Kersten up north from LMU. Last season under Matt Ulmer, now head coach at Kansas, the Ducks finished 5th in the Big Ten with a 24-8 (14-6) overall record for their first year in the conference. 

“Can't wait to get rolling with our team this year. We've got 16 people who haven't played together before, so what a cool opportunity for us to collaborate and figure out how we can discover our best volleyball,” Kersten said. “I think a lot of people will talk about the challenges. From our end, we're looking at it as an opportunity, a blank slate for people to try and discover their best, whether they're an incoming freshman or a fifth year, and seeing how we can build and collaborate together and be playing some good volleyball during the season.” 

Redshirt freshman defensive specialist Orian Drore is joining Oregon this season following one season at Tennessee, though she didn’t see playing time there. Drore explained though the brand-new roster is challenging, the Ducks are able to rely on each other.

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“I think it also really helps that we're all going through the same situation, and so we kind of really bond over that as well,” Drore said. “I have a lot of conversations about this season and how we're all excited and just having the same opportunity I think already is such a great foundation to really connect with each other."