University Southern California Trojans
Men's Volleyball Heads to Cal Baptist
June 21, 1999 | Men's Volleyball
January 11, 1999
LOS ANGELES - The USC mens volleyball team (0-1 overall, 0-0 NCAA, 0-0 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) visits Cal Baptist on Tuesday (Feb. 10) at 7 p.m., then participates in the 35th annual UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 15-16). The Trojans are young (12 of the 15 players are underclassmen and none are seniors) but return 5 starters from 1998.
OPPONENTS
Cal Baptist will be playing its first-ever men's volleyball
match when it hosts USC. This will be USC's 15th appearance in the UC
Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational, dating to 1982, and the Trojans have
won the tourney 3 times (1987, 1991, 1994). Troy finished seventh last
year. USC is seeded fourth in this 20-team tourney, behind UC Santa
Barbara, UCLA and Long Beach State. The 4 other teams in USC's Friday
pool-play division are Pacific, LaVerne, UC Santa Cruz and Fresno State.
LAST MATCH
USC opened its 1999 season with a 3-0 home loss to Alberta
(Canada), 15-10, 15-12, 15-11. Trojan freshman Brook Billings had a
match-high 23 kills and added 6 digs.
LAST YEAR
Last year while starting three freshmen, USC went 17-17 overall
(7-12 for fourth place in the Pacific Division of the Mountain Pacific
Sports Federation) and missed making the MPSF tourney by just 1 win.
COACH PAT POWERS
Legendary Olympic gold medalist, collegiate All-American
and pro beach star Pat Powers returned in 1997 to his alma mater which he
led to the 1980 NCAA championship as a player to become the USC mens
volleyball head coach and help bring the Trojans back to national
prominence. In 1997, his first season, Powers put USC back on track, with
its first winning season since 1994 at 18-14. Last year, his Trojans went
17-17 and missed the MPSF Tournament by just one win. The 6-foot-5 Powers
is regarded as one of the greatest players in international volleyball
history. He was a member of the U.S. National Team for nine years (1978-86)
and started at outside hitter on a squad that won Americas first-ever
Triple Crown: the 1984 Olympics, the 1985 World Cup and the 1986 World
Championships.
DONALD SUXHO
Setter Donald Suxho, who is starting for his third season,
is the team's veteran. Now an All-American candidate, the 6-5 junior from
Albania was an All-MPSF third teamer in 1998 while averaging 15.3 assists a
game. He also led USC in digs (214), tied for the team lead in aces (27)
and was third in blocks (103). He owns the NCAA record for most assists in
a match (129 versus Ohio State in 1997).
ELI FAIRFIELD
Another All-American candidate is 6-7 sophomore outside
hitter Eli Fairfield, who was a Freshman All-American in 1998. He was
second on the Trojans in kills (389) while starting all of last season, and
also joined Suxho in topping Troy in aces (27), plus he was third in digs
(149) and fourth in blocks (65). He played for the USA Volleyball Junior
National team in the summer of 1998.
BROOK BILLINGS Highly-regarded 6-5 freshman Brook Billings, who was the MVP of Volleyball magazines 1998 Fab 50 prep list, has earned a starting spot at outside hitter. In his first match as a Trojan, he posted a match-high 23 kills and added 6 digs. He played for the USA Volleyball Junior National team in the summer of 1998 after making the 1998 All-CIF Division II first team as a senior at San Marcos High in Santa Barbara, Calif.
TREVOR JULIAN
Trevor Julian, a 6-5 sophomore, returns as a starting
outside hitter. Last year, he was third on the Trojans in kills (275),
second in digs (172) and fifth in blocks (62).
MIDDLE BLOCKERS
Another of USC's veterans, 6-5 junior Omar Rawi is
starting at middle blocker for his second season. Last year, he was second
on the squad in blocks (104) and fourth in kills (223) while hitting .299.
Joining him in the middle is 6-7 sophomore Tony Knopp, who saw limited
action in 16 matches last spring. He had 49 kills while hitting .324 along
with 32 blocks. He'll fill the spot vacated by 4-year starter Szilard
Kovacs, who All-American honorable mention and All-MPSF third team notice
in 1998 while hitting .368 and leading Troy in kills (396) and blocks (150).
NOTES
With the emergence of Brook Billings, 2 co-starters from 1998--6-3
sophomores Ryan Thurlow and Craig Dennis--now provide USC with experienced
depth coming off the bench. Last year, Thurlow posted 181 kills and Dennis
added 180...USC sports a brother act with junior middle blocker Omar Rawi
and his 6-5 freshman outside hitter/middle blocker brother, Beau
Rawi...Here's a rarity in the world of men's athletics. One of USC's
assistant coaches is a woman, Laura Ames, who was the women's head coach at
both Aurora (1993-95) and Benedictine (1996-97)...Junior outside hitter
David Grimm has performed the national anthem on his electric guitar before
USC home matches...Freshman middle blocker Cam Land is majoring in
biochemical engineering...Ryan Thurlow's father, Toby, lettered for USC's
1962 national championship football team and his grandfather, Leavitt,
lettered in football from 1934 to 1936...Trojan greats Dusty Dvorak and
Steve Timmons (along with ex-USC women's star Paula Weishoff) were inducted
into the U.S. Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1998...USC's 3-year drought from
post-season action (1996-98) is the longest in its history.
