University Southern California Trojans
USC Men's Volleyball Aim For 2001 NCAA Berth
January 05, 2001 | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 5, 2001
Geez, how close is close?
For each of the past two seasons, the USC men's volleyball team was a victory away from capturing a berth into the NCAA Championship, where the Trojans have won four NCAA crowns, finished second six times and was third once.
Fifth-year Trojan head coach Pat Powers is hoping that the 2001 season-the 10th anniversary of Troy's last appearance in the Final Four-will be the year that USC returns to the NCAA tourney.
"This will be the best team I've had here at USC," said Powers, the former USC All-American, Olympic gold medalist and pro beach star. "We're very talented, but talent alone doesn't do it. We have to practice hard every day to get better. If we do that and stay healthy, we will be right there at the end."
The Trojans proved in 2000 that the program has returned to national prominence. They had a 22-5 NCAA record (26-6 overall) and captured a share of the Pacific Division crown in the difficult Mountain Pacific Sports Federation by going 16-3 (their first league title since 1991). USC twice beat a No. 1-ranked squad in 2000 (UCLA and Long Beach State), was 14-0 at home and spent two weeks near the end of the season ranked No. 1 before finishing third. Only a close loss to Pepperdine in the semifinals of the MPSF tournament kept Troy home in 2000 (a loss to BYU in the MPSF tourney finals knocked USC out in 1999).
A lot of firepower-in the form of five returning starters-is back from last year's Trojan squad. Those starters will be joined by a talented group of newcomers, including a key transfer.
"We have five outstanding starters back," said Powers, "as well as a new setter who is very capable of running the offense. In the middle, we'll have four players who'll push each other each day to start. We have a lot of upperclassmen who will provide leadership. So far, we've shown great passing skills and we're serving the daylights out of the ball. I feel good about this team."
Tops among the returners is dominating 6-5 junior opposite hitter Brook Billings. He was a 2000 All-American and All-MPSF first team pick. A starter since he arrived at USC, he led the Trojans in kills as a freshman and sophomore (he had 601 last season while hitting .339). He was fifth nationally in kill average in 2000 (6.84)-he had 50 kills in a match last spring-and also had 160 digs and 73 blocks. Nobody in the country hits the ball harder.
"Brook is just a talented hitter," said Powers. "He's one of the best opposite hitters-and players-in the collegiate game. Plus, he's gotten a lot better as a blocker."
USC's outside hitters-6-7 Eli Fairfield and 6-5 Trevor Julian-are steady seniors who'll be starting for their fourth seasons. They are both strong hitters, accurate passers, lethal jump servers and dependable defenders. Fairfield, a 2000 All-American honorable mention selection and All-MPSF second teamer, was second last year on USC in kills (497) while hitting .323 and third in aces (42). He also had 150 digs and 77 blocks. Julian, Troy's captain, was second last spring on USC in aces (51) and third in both kills (362) and hitting percentage (.373). He also had 117 digs and 71 blocks.
"Eli is one of the top outside hitters in the nation," said Powers. "He is an experienced, complete player and is playing real well right now. Trevor is perhaps the best passer in the nation. He's a steady veteran who keeps improving each day. And he's one of our team leaders."
Beau Rawi, a 6-5 junior, and 6-7 sophomore Mark Dusharme return as the starting middle blockers, but their jobs are not guaranteed. Rawi, a two-year starter, led the Trojans last year in blocks (137) and hitting percentage (.442). He had 315 kills, 24 aces and 28 digs. Dusharme, one of the country's top young players (he captained the 2000 USA Boys Junior National team), was second on USC in blocks (98) and had 253 kills while hitting .361. He also had 20 aces and 32 digs.
But they will be challenged for their starting roles by 6-6 soph Josh Day and 6-5 senior Donny Killian, a transfer from Pepperdine. Day started 8 times in 2000, ending up second on USC in hitting percentage (.413) and had 79 kills, 45 blocks, 14 aces and 14 digs. Killian has deep Trojan roots, as his father, Don, was a member of USC's 1977 NCAA champs and his sister, Lauren, is a member of the Women of Troy team which played in the 2000 NCAA Final Four (about a dozen other relatives also attended USC). Killian was a two-year starter for Pepperdine, twice appeared in the Final Four and led the Waves in hitting percentage the past two seasons, including .465 (sixth nationally) last fall. He also had 303 kills, 47 aces (he was fifth nationally in ace average at .495), 134 blocks and 69 digs in 2000.
"We'll be very competitive in the middle," noted Powers, who said Dusharme and Killian also might be used as outside hitters. "Beau has incredible physical ability. He jumps as high and hits as hard as anyone in our league. He is a real explosive, quick player. Mark has an unbelievable work ethic. He's now much quicker than he was last year and is making much better reads.
"Josh has been the biggest surprise of this past fall. He came out of nowhere to dominate our practices in blocking and hitting. It's nice to have Donny join our team. He's someone I've always wanted. He has a super quick and strong arm, and is a great server."
USC lost only one starter from 2000, but it's a significant loss: two-time All-American first team setter Donald Suxho, the 2000 AVCA National Player of the Year and MPSF Player of the Year. He owns the USC career record for aces. The Albanian native was a four-year starter and is headed for duty with the USA National team. The difficult duty of replacing Suxho falls on 6-5 sophomore Miles McGann, who appeared in 11 matches in 2000 as an outside hitter and jump serving specialist. But he was a highly-decorated high school setter who has impressive national junior-level experience.
"Miles has great setting acumen, outstanding ball placement and arc, and a sweet set of hands," said Powers. "He's a natural leader, has an outstanding work ethic and is very even keeled. If he stays healthy and on the court, he will continue to get better each day to the point where he'll be one of the game's top setters."
Greg Burden, a 6-0 junior, is back as USC's libero. He led the Trojans in digs (183) last season. He'll be aided by 6-2 soph Dustin Avol, who was used often as a serving specialist in 2000. Avol is also available to set.
"Greg is a very good passer, and he is getting better and better on defense," said Powers. "Dustin is our utility player, able to pass, serve or set. He's a real sparkplug when he's on the court."
The wild card in the mix is 6-8 redshirt freshman outside hitter Marcus Gilmour, who redshirted last season while recuperating from knee surgery. USC's tallest player, he's just now rounding into playing form.
"Marcus has one of the strongest arms in the league," said Powers. "He hits and blocks at a different level than most players. His knee is starting to come around now, so he should get better and stronger as the year progresses."
With such a deep group of veterans, the six incoming freshmen-all with impressive credentials-should find it challenging to earn playing time. Instead, they figure to spend 2000 adjusting their skills to the collegiate level.
There are four frosh outside hitters: a pair of 6-3 players in Peter Jordan and Greg Stampley, 6-4 Charley Witt and 6-5 Michael Hickman. Jordan was the 1999 All-CIF Division II MVP as a senior at San Marcos High in Santa Barbara, Calif., but sat out the 2000 season while working. Stampley was a 2000 All-CIF Division I first teamer on CIF Division I titlist Corona del Mar (Calif.) High. Witt, whose brothers played at Stanford, made the 2000 All-CIF Division III first team at Santa Ynez (Calif.) Valley Union High. Hickman was a three-time All-State selection while at Castle Hills First Baptist High in San Antonio, Tex.
Owen Hanson, a 2000 All-CIF Division II first team pick from Redondo (Calif.) Union High, comes in as a 6-2 opposite hitter. Ian Gallagher, who sat out his 2000 senior season at Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance, Calif., with a knee injury (he was a 1999 All-CIF Division II second teamer), is a 6-5 setter. Jordan, Stampley, Hickman and Hanson all were named to Volleyball's Fab 50 prep list.
With this roster, it's no wonder that Powers feels confident about USC's chances of getting to the NCAA Final Four.
"Our lineup will be determined by whoever is playing well that week in practice," said Powers. "Our practices will be very competitive.
"They'll have to be because the entire MPSF will be very competitive. The whole league is up this year. Teams that were down last season are better now. And the traditionally-good teams are still good. It won't be easy, but we have a good chance to do some great things this year."
