Nobody wished for Mia Tuaniga’s college run to come to an end the way it did. Standing against the Longhorns was too mighty a challenge, which saw the USC Trojans bending straight out of the NCAA Volleyball Championships. But at least the graduate’s bidding farewell with a lengthy CV.

Trojans’ all-time leader in career assists, Tuaniga is sure to leave behind a legacy! Also, this season was one to remember for her. She’s started every match for the Trojans, followed by being named the Big Ten Setter of the Week twice and the AVCAVolleyball All-Pacific Region Team on Tuesday with another Trojan graduate, Ally Batenhorst. And as she moved from record to record, she made sure to honor her culture and keep her family close— the signs of a true champion.

All about Mia Tuaniga’s family and native

As it shows on the court, there’s something special about Mia Tuaniga’s skills— it runs in her family. Hailing from Long Beach, her parents, Junior and Tinei, first met while the two played open gym volleyball. On the other hand, her brother, Josh is well experienced, with a two-time All-American setter record at Long Beach State and a CIF player of the year title at Huntington Beach High. Also another brother, Gus, played volleyball at the University of Hawaii.

Thus, Mia Tuaniga agrees, “I literally grew up in the gym.” With her siblings and parents around, her heroes were always just in the next room. No wonder, growing up she learned so much from them, “My brothers were my coaches, my parents were my coaches, we were always together.” And she’s picked up selective skills from each, say hard work from her father, and discipline from her brother Josh. She agrees, “I loved being coached by my parents and my brothers. They know so much about volleyball.”

And for Tuaniga’s family too, watching her blossom in the sport was highly overwhelming. When her mother saw her moving around on the court in USC uniform, her eyes well up. And she said, “She [Mia] has come a long way because she has worked so hard just to be where she is at. This is what she deserves and this is where she needs to be.” Surely, as since 10, when Tuaniga first took the volleyball in her hand, she had been awaiting this moment.

But there’s so much more to the volleyball star’s career. A slew of notable titles and a strong drive to represent her career on the big stage!

Tuaniga’s career and love for her native culture

Mia Tuaniga is extremely blessed to have chosen sports and the opportunities that come through it. More than that, she’s proud of getting to take the legacy forward. She says, “It’s a huge blessing to be able to be here, to try and contribute to our legacy.” She continues, “The Polynesian community here is such a big one and it’s been such a comfortable experience being able to have other Polynesians trying to do the same thing that I am trying to do.”

Her years at USC have truly been exceptional. She was recently named to the 2024 Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team with the Trojans, who were also two-time Pac-12 All-Conference champions in 2022 and 2023. Excelling in assists, her career average of 9.95 per set ranks eighth in school history. Moreover, before she bows out of USC, Mia Tuaniga was recently selected by the Atlanta Vibe with the 27th overall pick of the PVF draft. How incredible is that?

Truly, she has taken forward her family legacy and how! What do you think of it? Let us know below!