University Southern California Trojans
Players Mentioned
Two More High School Players Sign With USC Men's Volleyball
May 08, 2020 | Men's Volleyball, Features
LOS ANGELES--Two more high school volleyball players—6-6 setter-opposite hitter Kyle Paulson of Millikan High in Long Beach (Calif.) and 6-7 middle blocker Christian Thomas of Redondo Union High in Redondo Beach (Calif.)—have signed with the USC men's volleyball program and will join the team in the fall of 2020, Trojan head coach Jeff Nygaard announced today (May 8).
They join a trio of previously-announced prep standouts who signed with USC in late 2019 and who also will come aboard this fall: 6-7 Peter Brown of New Trier High in Winnetka, Ill., 6-8 Jack Deuchar of Punahou School in Honolulu, Hi., and 6-1 Jackson Reed of Cathedral Catholic High in San Diego, Calif.
Paulson made the 2019 Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team second team as a junior at Millikan. He was a member of 2019 USA Volleyball Boys Youth A1 National Training team. He played for the Pinnacle Athletic Club. He also played soccer at Millikan and plays beach volleyball.
Thomas played for the Southern California Volleyball Club that won a gold medal at the 2019 USA Volleyball Junior Olympics U17 Open. He also played basketball at Redondo Union and plays beach volleyball.
Brown was a 2020 vollleyballmag.com Fab 50 selection as a senior at New Trier High in Winnetka (Ill.). He helped New Trier finish third in the 2019 Illinois High School Association state championship as a junior, when he had 360 kills and 151 digs. As a 2018 sophomore, New Trier was fourth in the state tourney. Current Trojan Billy Fauntleroy also prepped at New Trier. He played for the Chicago Bounce Volleyball Club in the 2019 Junior Olympics 17 Open Division and with the Great Lakes Region at the 2019 USA Volleyball High Performance Championship (placing third in the National Division).
Deuchar was a 2020 vollleyballmag.com Fab 50 selection as a senior at Punahou School in Honolulu (Hi.). He made 2019 Volleyballmag.com All-American second team, Hawaii All-State Fab 15 and All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I first team as a junior. He helped Punahou to 3 consecutive state Division I championships as a freshman, sophomore and junior (2017-18-19). He also played beach volleyball at Punahou, placing second at the 2018 state 18-and-Under championship. Current Trojan Jameson McKibbin also prepped at Punahou. He played for the Spike and Serve Volleyball Club, competing in the 2019 Junior Olympics 17 Open Division (placing 11th) and also making the All-Tournament team at the 2018 Junior Olympics as his team won the Boys 16 USA Division. He played with the Aloha Region at the 2018 USA Volleyball High Performance Championship, finishing second in the Boys Youth International Division.
Reed was a 2020 vollleyballmag.com Fab 50 selection as a senior at Cathedral Catholic High in San Diego (Calif.). He made 2019 All-Western League first team and San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic as a 2019 junior, getting 178 kills (hitting .307), 189 digs, 16 aces and 16 blocks. He helped Cathedral Catholic win the 2018 CIF San Diego Division I championship as a sophomore. He had 67 digs and 11 aces as a 2017 freshman. He played for the 949 Black Volleyball Club, making the 17 Open All-Tournament team at the 2019 Junior Olympics as his team placed third in the 17 Open Division. He made the U16 Open All-Tournament team at the 2018 Junior Olympics as his team won the U16 Open bronze. He also played beach volleyball, earning 2019 CIF San Diego Section Open Division Player of the Year and All-Western League MVP as a senior (Cathedral Catholic won the 2019 CIF San Diego Section Open Division and Western League team titles and he was the doubles champion in both) and he was the 2017 San Diego Section Open Division doubles champ as a sophomore.
In the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, USC was 5-14 overall and 1-6 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play.
In its history, the USC men's volleyball program has captured 4 NCAA championships while appearing in 15 NCAA tourneys and has produced 20 Olympians, 34 All-Americans and 7 College Players of the Year.
