Before she’d even finished her senior year of high school, London Wijay was already planning her next challenge. When USC found itself in need of an outside hitter after Jordan Wilson transferred to Arizona, Wijay made the bold decision to reclassify — completing her coursework early and enrolling at USC a full year ahead of schedule. Having grown up in Southern California, it felt like a familiar move for Wijay.
“I think life becomes really repetitive at times,” she said. “So I felt like I had an opportunity and you’re not really blessed with an opportunity like that … So I just thought I should take it and try something new. I kind of wanted to spice up my life a little bit. I didn’t really fully think it through. I just followed my heart, not anything else.”
That choice propelled Wijay into college volleyball as a 17-year-old freshman in the fall of 2023.
“When I came here, I actually think about it almost every day,” Wijay said. “I was so immature, and not in a bad way, just really young. I was a fresh 17 and super oblivious.”
That leap of faith paid off.
In her first collegiate season, Wijay earned Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors and All-Pac-12 honorable mention recognition. She started 18 of 22 matches, recorded 191 kills and 169 digs, and earned four Pac-12 freshman of the week awards. Her breakout moment came in a rivalry win at UCLA, where she posted a career-high 24 kills.
“It was definitely a difficult transition for me, but also very fulfilling,” said Wijay. “I learned a lot, and if I met myself today, they’re two different people.”
The next year, though, brought a new challenge. Her 2024 season was cut short due to injury.
Wijay still produced 55 kills and 48 digs in 24 sets, including a 15-dig effort at Pepperdine, before being sidelined.
Instead of losing momentum, she used the time to reset, study the game and prepare for her return.
“It was honestly very difficult mentally,” she said. “You’re literally going to practice, waking up early, doing the same things, but just doing nothing and not getting better and not getting anything really out of it.”
Wijay only played seven matches, which proved tough for the sophomore who just had a 22-match freshman season.
“It was very defeating for me,” she said. “There’s not really a solution to it. I tried to find extra hobbies outside, but just to go through it and really feel that feeling — it makes you more thankful for when it’s not like that.”
In 2025 Wijay has come back strong, already earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors twice with season highs of 25 kills and 26.5 points in a road win at Minnesota. She’s also shown her all-around game with 13 digs vs. LSU, four aces at LMU, and four blocks against Oregon.
Her drive comes from deep roots. Wijay’s mother, Morgan (Wallen) Wijay, was a setter at Houston, and her father, Indhika, ran track and field for the Cougars. Her brother Indiana is a quarterback at Houston, continuing the family’s Division I legacy.
“It honestly was hard because my parents expect a lot from me, especially my dad,” said Wijay. “They’re both D-I athletes, so they know what it took to get to that level. A lot of pressure, a lot of workouts, everything.”
The love of competition began at a young age for Wijay. Though she dabbled in basketball, soccer, field hockey, tennis, and even pickleball, Wijay discovered her true passion for volleyball at just four years old, guided early on by her mother, Morgan, founder of Supernova All-Stars Volleyball Club, who coached her through much of her development.
“[Playing volleyball] was very much the goal when I was younger — and it was something I wanted to do,” said Wijay. “It wasn’t just something my parents wanted me to do. I very much enjoy volleyball.”
That upbringing taught her balance: discipline without burnout, competitiveness with compassion.
“I don’t like to say I’m a leader,” Wijay said. “It’s hard to be a leader because you’re kind of looked at in a different way. I just want to make sure I can encourage my teammates and build them up, not necessarily get on them.”
Wijay’s young leadership style functions on understanding and relatability.
“On past club teams, I was getting on my teammates, and it wasn’t something I truly enjoyed,” Wijay said. “[Now] I’m more like, ‘Hey, you got it, we’re good,’ because I go through it too. I still get aced — it’s life, you know? The sport is errors.”
Togetherness has been the connection that runs through this Trojan team.
“I try to make sure I have a connection with almost everybody on the team, and make them feel comfortable to talk to me about anything,” she said. “That’s what I want to be.”
Under head coach Brad Keller and the Trojan staff, Wijay has found the right space to grow into that version of herself.
“Getting coached by all my coaches has been honestly familiar,” Wijay said. “[Associate head coach] Spencer [McLachlin]’s one of the most uplifting people. [Associate head coach] Megan [Moenoa]’s super wise. Brad is also super wise. [Assistant coach] Blossom Sato is just great. I think all of them have played a great part in my journey.”
Keller sees something rare in Wijay: a competitive instinct that’s both fearless and self-driven.
“London is a … and I mean this in all positivity, she is an assassin,” Keller said. “She’s gonna figure it out. You can tell her no, she can’t do something and she’s gonna figure out a way to make it a yes. And then she’s gonna make sure that she struts in front of you afterwards — like she’s going to make sure you know it.”
Wijay has four double-doubles on the year and has hit double-digit kills in 17-of-24 matches.
“I love that mentality,” he continued. “I love who that is. I love that there’s that competitor that is no quit – all gas, no brakes.”
Wijay, born in Houston, comes in at 5-foot-10, two inches under the NCAA outside hitter average.
“She’s an undersized outside hitter,” Keller said. “She’s not 6-foot-3, and she’s not all these things that people have told her that she needed to be – including me. And she’s proven everybody wrong.”
Their connection goes back to her club days: Keller coached Wijay at age 13 while he was with Supernova.
“She’s doing it because she grew up in the game,” he said. “She understands the game, she understands the touch, she’s incredibly bright, she’s a great competitor, and she’s not afraid. And I love that.”
For Keller, watching Wijay’s comeback unfold has been just as much about patience as performance.
“I’m still going through it as far as processing and watching her, because she’s in the middle of [recovery] still,” he said. “She still is the player that’s getting back from injury, but she’s finding her stride right now.”
The progress is tangible.
“She was good, but now she’s starting to really play,” Keller said. “There’s a major difference in how she’s performing – her confidence, her ball strike, how she commands, her digging, how she talks.”
Even so, he sees more growth ahead. “I think we’re in the middle of this transition of the real London, or the peak London that we’re going to see here. I don’t think we’re close to where she’s going to be. I think we’re in transition right now.”
That evolution isn’t happening unprompted. Keller credits the team culture for providing the environment for players like Wijay to thrive.
“It’s just a really healthy environment,” he said. “That’s the job, to make sure that you provide a service that’s elite, but also provide a healthy environment. They get to grow and become the very best versions of themselves. That’s what’s going on here, and that’s what I want to continue to push.”
For Wijay, that connection — between player, coach and team — has anchored her comeback. Her focus remains simple: improve every day, stay aggressive and trust her game.
“I want to be more consistent with my approaches–making sure I have a fast arm swing, fast step-close, and that it’s consistent,” she said. “Also being super aggressive and working on shot selection and vision.”
And her mindset, grounded by perspective and experience, keeps her steady.
“To not stress out – calm down, chill out,” she said when asked what she’d tell her younger self. “Life plays out the way it’s supposed to play out. Everything’s meant to happen for a reason.”
At just 19, Wijay has already seen both sides of the journey — early success, setback, and renewal. With the final games of the season ahead, Wijay had only one thing she’s looking forward to.
“To win,” Wijay said, smiling.