The world can change so fast. On August 7 last year, Mia Tuaniga posted a carousel of snapshots on her Instagram account. The pictures framed her multiple moods, donning her USC Trojans jersey or in formal attire. She captioned the post, throwing a question. It read, “cuz im what?” The snapshots seemed to promote her actual self in a nutshell. However, in a few of those visuals, one face was common except Tuaniga. Later, the individual put three lines in the comment box: “obsessed with u.” After nearly 150 days, Tuaniga finds herself at a different intersection. Meanwhile, her “obsessed” friend has positioned herself on another side. Can you figure out who we are talking about?

Well, in 2024, the USC Trojans volleyball program witnessed a perfect story of friendship in Ally Batenhorst and Mia Tuaniga’s bonding. The duo ended their collegiate careers in the same game in the NCAA Road of Roses and bid each other goodbye after promising to continue their friendship. But in the coming days, the turns of events might make them face each other on the volleyball court. But what happened in between to bring about such a situation? Let us see!

Mia Tuaniga gives official confirmation of her entry

On November 25, the USC Trojans’ website sealed the news. Ally Batenhorst and Mia Tuaniga earned their calls from the Professional Volleyball Federation squads. Ally was picked by Omaha Supernovas in the seventh pick of the second round. Tuaniga, on the other hand, found her place in Atlanta Vibe in the third pick of the fourth round. That set the ground for them in their upcoming professional careers.

On Friday, Atlanta Vibe’s Instagram handle dropped another update. The post explained that Tuaniga has officially signed the deal with Atlanta Vibe. Now, there’s no formality left in Tuaniga’s route to join the camp. But doesn’t that signify her possible match against Ally in the PVF league someday? 

In the upcoming spring, PVF will kick off its second season. Expectedly, Batenhorst and Tuaniga will grace the volleyball court. But like their past days in the USC Trojans, the duo will not start any game from the same side. Instead, in the league, they will lock horns with each other. The result? In her stint with the Trojans, Mia amassed 1,200 assists in the Big Ten. Also in last year’s regular season, she took the title of the Big Ten Setter of the Week two times.

Ally also had a similar recognition. In her graduate year, the 6’5” outside hitter was named Big Ten Player of the Week. Therefore, in their matches against each other, the fans might expect some high-quality ball play. But what would these two players feel? A deafening silence between themselves? Remember the moment when they parted ways with each other? 

Ally Batenhorst made the goodbye memorable 

The climate in California treated Ally Batenhorst well. Furthermore, companions like Mia Tuaniga and Adonia Famunia made her feel at home in the Golden State. So every good thing comes to an end. The trio had to say goodbye to each other after the season. Among them, Tuaniga had to rush before because of her journey to Atlanta to join the club. Ally had her moments, as she would have to go to Nebraska, her old home. However, both Ally and Mia decided to make their last moment of togetherness in California memorable. 

On December 11, the former Husker shared a clip on TikTok, capturing Tuaniga’s final exit from the apartment they used to live together in during their stints with the Trojans. Ally captioned the post with the lines, “Replying to @mia this girl spammed all of our phones and said, “come to the window.”

But it was Tuaniga who made it an emotional affair. How? In the clip, the setter was seen waiting beneath the apartment to spill her final message for Batenhorst. All she said before moving away was, “I wanted to be extra dramatic.” Now, things are shaping in that way only. They might meet each other on the opposite court someday, “dramatic.”