University Southern California Trojans
USC Men's Volleyball 2007 Season Review
April 19, 2007 | Men's Volleyball
April 19, 2007
From one perspective, it's easy to say that the 2007 season was an unspectacular one for the USC men's volleyball team.
But from another perspective, it's equally easy to say that 2007 was triumphant. That's because it was the Trojans' most successful season in 6 years.
One has to go back to 2001 to find the last time USC advanced to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs or had as many overall (12) and MPSF (9) wins or had a higher league finish (eighth), all accomplishments of the 2007 Trojans. The last time Troy had a longer winning streak than the 4-match string it had in the middle of this season was also 2001.
Although that might not seem all that impressive for a program that has won 4 NCAA titles and finished second 6 other times (and third once), first-year head coach Bill Ferguson righted a listing Trojan ship in 2007 that had won a total of just 36 matches and finished no better than 11th in the MPSF in the previous 5 seasons.
USC--playing its inaugural season in the luxurious new Galen Center--posted a 12-16 overall record in 2007 (9-13 in the MPSF) and advanced to the MPSF play-in match.
Along the way, USC collected some impressive victories. The Trojans went to Pauley Pavilion and beat UCLA there for the first time since 2000, doing so in 3 games (it was USC's first 3-0 sweep over the Bruins since 1991). That gave Ferguson a victory in his debut against legendary UCLA head coach Al Scates.
USC also snapped a 12-match losing streak to Hawaii by going to Honolulu and claiming a 5-game win over the Warriors. It was Troy's first win there since 1999. And the Trojans also swept their MSPF matches over Long Beach State, Pacific and Stanford.
So, 2007 will be remembered as a big step in the right direction for the Trojan program. Optimism for the future abounds.
USC's entire starting lineup will return in 2008, led by 2007 All-MPSF third team outside hitter Juan Figueroa. The senior-to-be led the Trojans in kills (505) and aces (26) in 2007 when he started for his third season. He was second on the team in digs (184) and fourth in blocks (72). In his career, he has 1,077 kills, 437 digs, 160 blocks and 50 aces.
Setter Jimmy Killian, another 3-year starter, will be back after topping the Trojans in assists (1,226), tying for second in blocks (82) and finishing fourth in digs (113). He has 3,560 career assists.
He'll be joined by fellow 2008 senior Andrew Vernon, a 3-year starter at middle blocker. Vernon led USC's regulars in 2007 in hitting percentage (.385) and blocks (105) while also notching 178 kills (third on the team). He has a .405 career hitting percentage with 578 kills and 288 blocks.
A pair of juniors-to-be will return in 2008 for their third year in the starting lineup. Opposite hitter C.J. Schellenberg was second on the Trojans in 2007 in kills (358) and aces (24), third in digs (119) and fifth in blocks (66). Libero Luke Morris led USC in digs with 249 in 2007 and now has 468 in his career.
Both of the players who shared time at an outside hitter spot--Matt Anderson, who'll be a senior in 2008, and junior-to-be Matt Pavlovich--will be back. Anderson had 126 kills, 54 digs and 24 blocks in 2007, while Pavlovich added 97 kills, 51 digs and 31 blocks.
Hunter Current will return at middle blocker after starting most of his 2007 freshman campaign. He had 143 kills while hitting .337, to go with his 82 blocks (second on the team) and 18 aces (third on the team).
Others returning who contributed significantly off the bench in 2007 include opposite hitter Jonathan Hackett (he appeared in 16 matches) and outside hitter Joey Dykstra (9 matches). The 2008 sophomores both had 14 kills and 8 digs in 2007.
Three high school standouts will come aboard in 2008 seeking to make an immediate impact: setter Riley McKibbin from Punahou High in Honolulu, Hi., outside hitter Murphy Troy from St. Louis (Mo.) University High and middle blocker Austin Zahn of Redondo Union High in Redondo Beach, Calif.
USC's only losses from 2007 are Matt Mosko, who started 52 matches in his career at middle blocker and opposite hitter, Gio Altamura, who appeared in 67 career matches in a limited role as a backup setter and serving specialist, and never-used setter Andrew Biernat.
So, with so much returning and incoming talent, it's easy to see why the perspective of the USC men's volleyball team appears to have changed for the better.
