COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW: USC PREPARED TO TAKE NEXT STEP.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Just about the time second-year USC volleyball coach Mick Haley figures out his rotation, he'll have to make adjustments.

Bibiana Candelas, a 6-foot-5 middle blocker from Mexico, is expected to join the Trojans next week after playing in the world championships with the Mexican national team.

Haley looks at the preconference schedule as a period for experimentation. He'll try players at different positions and will work newcomers into the mix.

The Trojans lost one starter from last year's team that was one match from the Final Four. And Candelas can only improve an already loaded lineup that figures to make USC a contender again.

``This senior group is absolutely dedicated to trying to win a national championship,'' Haley said. ``This program has been to the Final Four only once in the last 10 or 15 years, and we want to get it back to that point. It's awfully difficult once you get there. You have to work twice as hard. But this is our year to start getting it done.''

Most teams begin their season this weekend, and USC will be tested early. The Trojans, who play five top-10 teams this season, play No. 2 Nebraska in the Ball State Nike Classic in Muncie, Ind.

USC is picked to finish second and UCLA fourth in the Pacific-10 Conference. Stanford, which defeated Long Beach State in the NCAA final last year, is the preseason favorite to repeat as national champion.

Pepperdine is expected to have another stellar season and was picked to win the West Coast Conference, with Loyola Marymount fourth. Cal State Northridge is an unknown with first-year coach Jeff Stork, an Olympic gold medalist.

UCLA, ranked 11th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, lost four starters from last year's team but has plenty of talented starters returning, including Erika Selsor and outside hitters Ashley Bowles and Kristee Porter.

Pepperdine, seeking a sixth consecutive NCAA berth, returns seven lettermen and five starters from a team that advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament last year.

Outside hitter Katie Wilkins was the West Coast Conference player of the year last season and a second-team All-America. She had a career-high 27 kills in Pepperdine's season-opening State Farm Classic in Minneapolis, where the Waves lost to Minnesota and Northern Iowa.

Nina Matthies is in her 20th season as coach of the Waves, who are ranked eighth in the AVCA poll.

Stork was a late arrival to CSUN after he was an assistant for the Pepperdine men's team last year.

``It's been a learning experience,'' Stork said. ``We came in late in the recruiting season, and I've changed some of things the ladies were used to. But we're excited.''

The Matadors host the Fremont Investment & Loan Invitational, their first home tournament in nine years. They have four starters back, along with outside hitter Jennifer McNees, who redshirted last season. Erica Aere, Liz Naegle, Becky Moores and Nadine Nickel figure to help make Stork's transition to the Big West Conference easier.

Loyola Marymount returns six starters from a team that went 15-10 last season. LMU has advanced to the NCAA Tournament six of the past eight seasons.

Kristen Gallup averaged 4.81 kills per game last year for the Lions, second in the WCC.