Jan. 7, 2002

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THE FACTS The USC men's volleyball team (0-0 overall, 0-0 NCAA, 0-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Pacific Division) begins its 2002 season with a 7 p.m. home match against non-conference foe La Verne (0-2) this Tuesday (Jan. 8) in the USC North Gym, then participates in the Wyndham Garden/West Coast Challenge at UC Irvine by facing Pepperdine (2-0) on Friday (Jan. 11) at 5 p.m., UCLA (0-0) on Saturday (Jan. 12) at noon and UC Irvine (0-0) on Saturday (Jan. 12) at 5 p.m.

OPPONENTS USC has never lost in 11 matches against La Verne. The Leopards opened their 2002 season with losses to Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara in the Severson Tournament at Pepperdine and must face Long Beach State in the tourney on Jan. 7. La Verne returns 5 starters from 2001, including junior Jake Swann. Pepperdine holds a 40-31 series edge over the Trojans. The Waves started off 2002 by hosting the Severson Tournament, beating Long Beach State and La Verne (with a match against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 7). Four starters return from last year's 14-9, No. 6-ranked Pepperdine squad, including junior Brad Keenan and senior Chris Van Reusen in the middle and senior Lance Walker and sophomore Fred Winters on the outside. UCLA leads the series with USC, 72-29. The Bruins, who went 24-8 in2001 and made it to the NCAA final, are led by 4 returning starters: junior quick hitter Scott Morrow, senior outside hitter Matt Komer, junior outside hitter Cameron Mount and junior setter Rich Nelson. Troy is 26-2 all-time against UC Irvine. The Anteaters, 13-13 last spring, host California on Jan. 8 to open their 2002 campaign. The feature 6-8 senior middle blocker Erick Helenihi and soph outside hitter Jimmy Pelzel.

LAST YEAR In 2001, USC posted a 13-9 NCAA record (15-11 overall) and qualified for the MPSF tourney with a third place legaue finish at 10-7. The Trojans ended up ranked No. 10 nationally.

THE MPSF In all but one of the 32 years of the NCAA tourney, the national champ has come from the MPSF or its predecessor conferences.

TOUGH AT HOME USC is 209-62 (.771) in home matches in its 25-year history. From 1999 to 2001, the Trojans had a school-record 19-match home winning streak in the quaint North Gym.

VOLLEYBALL SCHOOL Besides the 4 NCAA crowns (1977-80-88-90) that USC's men have won, the Women of Troy have captured 4 national volleyball titles. USC's women won the AIAW trophy in 1976, 1977 and 1980, and the NCAA crown in 1981, all under coach Chuck Erbe. The 2001 Women of Troy advanced to the NCAA Final Four, but lost in the semifinals.

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 title as a player--to become the USC men's volleyball head coach and help bring the Trojans back to national prominence. Now in his sixth year, his career mark is 100-60. In 1997, his first season, Powers put USC back on track, with its first winning season since 1994 at 18-14. In 1998, his Trojans went 17-17 and missed the MPSF Tournament by just one win. In 1999, the 24-12 Trojans advanced to the finals of the MPSF tourney and earned a No. 7 national ranking. In 2000, USC shared the MPSF Pacific Division title and went 26-6 with a No. 4 national ranking. In 2001, USC went 15-11 overall (No. 10 final ranking) and qualified for the MPSF tourney. The 6-foot-5 Powers is 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 America's first-ever "Triple Crown": the 1984 Olympics, 1985 World Cup and 1986 World Championships.

RETURNING STARTERS USC returns 3 starters from 2001: outside hitter Brook Billings, middle blocker Josh Day and setter Miles McGann. Gone from last year are 4-year starting outside hitters Trevor Julian and Eli Fairfield, plus middle blocker Donny Killian (now a Trojan assistant coach).

BROOK BILLINGS Hard-hitting Brook Billings, a 6-5 senior All-American, will start for his fourth season, this year at outside hitter to get more involved in the passing after being an opposite hitter the previous three seasons. He topped USC in kills each of the past three years (he has 1,631 in his career), including 390 last season while ranking eighth nationally in kill average (4.88). He also led USC in blocks (68) and was second in digs (118) in 2001. A team co-captain, he spent the past summer training with the USA National Team.

JOSH DAY Two other 2001 starters return in middle blocker Josh Day and setter Miles McGann, a pair of 6-5 juniors. Josh Day, an effective 6-5 junior middle blocker, led USC's regulars in hitting percentage (.406) last spring and was second on the team in blocks (60) and fourth in kills (127).

MILES McGANN Steady Miles McGann, a 6-5 junior setter, had a team-high 990 assists in 2001 and was 12th nationally in assist average (12.69). He also had 31 kills (hitting .258), 22 aces, 62 digs and 23 blocks last season.

BEAU RAWI Beau Rawi, a 6-5 senior who has started 51 matches at middle blocker during the past three years, will compete for the starting opposite hitter job this season. A .383 career hitter with 609 kills, 271 blocks, 143 digs and 56 aces, he appeared in only 13 matches in 2001 when had 59 kills, 14 aces, 11 digs and 20 blocks. His 8 aces versus UC Irvine last spring was a USC match record.

MARK DUSHARME Mark Dusharme, a 6-8 junior with 31 starts at middle blocker the last two seasons, will battle for a starting outside hitter spot in 2002. He is a .345 career hitter with 294 kills and 115 blocks. In 15 matches last year, he had 41 kills, 17 blocks and 16 aces.

MARCUS GILMOUR Marcus Gilmour, a 6-9 redshirt sophomore opposite hitter, has yet to step onto the court for Troy while recovering from knee surgery. But he could be the X factor for USC in 2002 as he makes the move from outside hitter.

IAN GALLAGHER Ian Gallagher, a 6-6 redshirt freshman, has switched from setter to outside hitter and could make some noise there.

OTHER OUTSIDE VETS Also available from last year are a pair of outside hitters who didn't see any action: 6-7 sophomore Phil Peterson and 6-4 redshirt freshman Charley Witt. Peterson sat out the 2001 campaign after transferring from San Diego State (the school dropped the sport), where he hit .467 while starting part of the 2000 season. Witt, whose brothers played at Stanford, could be slowed this year following foot surgery in early January.

FRESHMEN Look for four new freshmen-each was named to the 2001 Volleyball Fab 50 team-to possibly contribute in 2002. At 6-11, middle blocker Phil Small is the tallest Trojan volleyballer ever. Last year, he was an All-State performer at North Penn High in Lansdale, Penn., and was a member of the 2001 USA Boys' Youth National Training Team. The 6-7 Jeff Bailey, who can play both middle blocker and outside hitter (and even libero), was a three-time All-CIF Division III honoree at Francis Parker High in San Diego, Calif. Chris McKniff, a 6-10 middle blocker, was a three-time All-Stater at Sabino High in Tucson, Ariz., whose mother was an Olympic high jumper and father played college basketball. J.T. Gilmour, a 6-7 setter and the brother of teammate Marcus Gilmour, was a three-time All-CIF first team pick at Santa Ynez (Calif.) Valley Union High. Another first year freshman, 6-9 middle blocker/outside hitter Dan Newman from Windward School in Los Angeles, Calif., will redshirt in 2002 while recuperating from knee surgery last fall. He participated in the 2000 and 2001 USA Youth Development Camps.

LIBEROS There is even depth at the libero position in 2002. Team co-captain Greg Burden capably handled that role the past two seasons. The 6-0 senior had 102 digs in 2001 after getting 183 in 2000. But he'll be pushed by 6-3 sophomore Peter Jordan, who saw brief action in seven matches in 2001 at outside hitter, 6-2 junior Dustin Avol, who has appeared in 35 matches during the past two years as a backup setter and serving specialist, and 6-4 first-year freshman Blake Tippett, a 2001 Volleyball Fab 50 and All-CIF Division III first team selection at Newport Harbor High in Newport Beach, Calif. (he can also play outside hitter).

NOTES Several USC players have Trojan relatives: Beau Rawi's brother, Omar, started for USC's men's volleyball team in 1998 and 1999. Miles McGann's brother, Grant, played water polo at USC in 1997. Several dozen of Marcus and J.T. Gilmour's relatives attended USC, including his mother and father. Charley Witt is a fourth generation Trojan: his father, Bob, played water polo at USC and his great grandfather (John Elmroe, who lettered at fullback in 1914 for the Trojan football team) and grandfather are Trojan alums. Peter Jordan's grandparents attended USC...USC assistant coach Donny Killian comes from a family of Trojans: his father, Don, was a member of the 1977 USC NCAA championship men's volleyball team (he lettered in 1976 and 1977), his sister, Lauren, is a sophomore opposite hitter for the Women of Troy (they played in the 2000 NCAA Final Four and made it to the NCAA Pacific regional final in 2001) , his uncle, Doug, lettered at Troy in 1982 and 1983 (the 1982 team finished third in the NCAAs), and his mother, Chris, is a USC graduate, along with a grandmother, two grandfathers (both played basketball at USC), a great grandfather, 2 other uncles, an aunt and numerous cousins...Charley Witt's brothers, Andy and Larry, played volleyball at Stanford...Chris McKniff's parents were athletes: his father, John, played basketball at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, while his mother, Sharon (Callahan), placed ninth in the high jump for the U.S. at the 1968 Olympics as just a 16-year-old.