University Southern California Trojans
Jack Wyett Bounces Back
March 14, 2018 | Men's Volleyball, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.
That's definitely the case for redshirt junior Jack Wyett, who returned to the USC men's volleyball team this season after taking two years off from the program.
Wyett grew up in Laguna Beach, Calif. and started playing volleyball at the age of 13. Despite an initial aversion to the sport, Wyett stuck with it and improved throughout the years to the point where he started being recruited by USC, UCLA and Pepperdine.
During his high school years, he caught the eye of now-USC head coach Jeff Nygaard.
"I liked how he played the game," Nygaard said. "He would get blocked or there would be some type of an error, and you get to see a little bit of the character and intangibles of a person, and he responded by just going again. He just kept going and going and going. The setter would go back to him, and he'd just keep going until he got the kill. He demonstrated some character at that point."
That resilient spirit has come in handy in more ways than one throughout Wyett's college career.
As a freshman outside hitter in 2015, Wyett appeared in nine matches, posting 9 kills (hitting .171), 5 digs and 4 blocks. But a month before his sophomore season, Wyett decided to step away from the team.
"I honestly just got pretty burned out from volleyball, and I wanted to explore other aspects that the school had to offer," Wyett said. "I felt like I was brainwashed in a sense, and I just needed something different."
During his two years off, Wyett "got to be lazy for a little bit," a welcome break from the daily grind of college athletics. The communication major placed extra emphasis on his studies during his time off, while also staying in shape by playing basketball and beach volleyball.
When Wyett quit the team, he thought he was done for good. But while playing beach volleyball, he realized that he felt more physically capable of competing than he did his freshman year. That feeling, along with some words of encouragement from his father and a close family friend, got Wyett seriously thinking about rejoining the team.
During the summer of 2017, Wyett shot Nygaard a text, asking if he could swing by his office.
"He walked in and just said, 'I'm here for academics and athletics, and this is who I am and this is what I want to do.'" Nygaard recounted. "And of course I couldn't just say, 'My man!' — I needed to know if he was any good or not. I loved the intangibles, but he had been away from the game for so long, and he was wearing sweats, so I couldn't tell if he had put on 50 pounds. But you could see the spirit in his eyes, which was something I really wanted to see."
His teammates saw that look in his eyes too, not only welcoming him back but voting him one of two team captains, alongside his roommate, Connor Inlow.
Wyett said that though he tried to take a backseat after initially rejoining the team, he has grown into the role of a leader on the court.
"My goal is just to be the best teammates and captain I can be," Wyett said. I just want my teammates to respect me, since I respect each and every one of them individually, so I hope I'm giving back to them to the extent that they give me."
Wyett has certainly earned their respect with his play this season. He currently leads the team in sets played (73), kills (275), digs (102) and points (302). His 3.77 kills per set ranks third in the MPSF and his 4.14 points per set ranks fourth. This weekend, he posted 27 kills against Harvard — tied for the most kills in a single match by an MPSF player this season.
Despite Wyett's dominance, the season has been tough for the Trojans, who are 5-14 this year. Still, Wyett has no regrets about returning to lead the USC men's volleyball team.
"It's probably been the best decision of my life," he said. "Down the road I'm not going to have any regrets about leaving the sport in the first place. I really was able to appreciate the sport for what it gave me. Now I can just put my priorities into place, focus on the season, focus on getting some wins and gaining traction heading into playoffs."
That's definitely the case for redshirt junior Jack Wyett, who returned to the USC men's volleyball team this season after taking two years off from the program.
Wyett grew up in Laguna Beach, Calif. and started playing volleyball at the age of 13. Despite an initial aversion to the sport, Wyett stuck with it and improved throughout the years to the point where he started being recruited by USC, UCLA and Pepperdine.
During his high school years, he caught the eye of now-USC head coach Jeff Nygaard.
"I liked how he played the game," Nygaard said. "He would get blocked or there would be some type of an error, and you get to see a little bit of the character and intangibles of a person, and he responded by just going again. He just kept going and going and going. The setter would go back to him, and he'd just keep going until he got the kill. He demonstrated some character at that point."That resilient spirit has come in handy in more ways than one throughout Wyett's college career.
As a freshman outside hitter in 2015, Wyett appeared in nine matches, posting 9 kills (hitting .171), 5 digs and 4 blocks. But a month before his sophomore season, Wyett decided to step away from the team.
"I honestly just got pretty burned out from volleyball, and I wanted to explore other aspects that the school had to offer," Wyett said. "I felt like I was brainwashed in a sense, and I just needed something different."
During his two years off, Wyett "got to be lazy for a little bit," a welcome break from the daily grind of college athletics. The communication major placed extra emphasis on his studies during his time off, while also staying in shape by playing basketball and beach volleyball.
When Wyett quit the team, he thought he was done for good. But while playing beach volleyball, he realized that he felt more physically capable of competing than he did his freshman year. That feeling, along with some words of encouragement from his father and a close family friend, got Wyett seriously thinking about rejoining the team.
During the summer of 2017, Wyett shot Nygaard a text, asking if he could swing by his office.
"He walked in and just said, 'I'm here for academics and athletics, and this is who I am and this is what I want to do.'" Nygaard recounted. "And of course I couldn't just say, 'My man!' — I needed to know if he was any good or not. I loved the intangibles, but he had been away from the game for so long, and he was wearing sweats, so I couldn't tell if he had put on 50 pounds. But you could see the spirit in his eyes, which was something I really wanted to see."
His teammates saw that look in his eyes too, not only welcoming him back but voting him one of two team captains, alongside his roommate, Connor Inlow.
Wyett said that though he tried to take a backseat after initially rejoining the team, he has grown into the role of a leader on the court.
"My goal is just to be the best teammates and captain I can be," Wyett said. I just want my teammates to respect me, since I respect each and every one of them individually, so I hope I'm giving back to them to the extent that they give me."
Wyett has certainly earned their respect with his play this season. He currently leads the team in sets played (73), kills (275), digs (102) and points (302). His 3.77 kills per set ranks third in the MPSF and his 4.14 points per set ranks fourth. This weekend, he posted 27 kills against Harvard — tied for the most kills in a single match by an MPSF player this season.
Despite Wyett's dominance, the season has been tough for the Trojans, who are 5-14 this year. Still, Wyett has no regrets about returning to lead the USC men's volleyball team.
"It's probably been the best decision of my life," he said. "Down the road I'm not going to have any regrets about leaving the sport in the first place. I really was able to appreciate the sport for what it gave me. Now I can just put my priorities into place, focus on the season, focus on getting some wins and gaining traction heading into playoffs."
Players Mentioned
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