Jan. 10, 2000

THE FACTS--The USC men's volleyball team (3-1 overall, 1-1 NCAA, 0-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Pacific Division)--ranked No. 2 in the pre-season by Volleyball magazine and coming off a second place finish in last week's season-opening UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational--heads east to meet No. 9 Penn State in a pair of matches at Pennsylvania high schools, first on Friday (Jan. 14) at Susquehanock High and then on Saturday (Jan. 15) at Council Rock High. Both matches begin at 8 p.m. (ET).

RANKINGS--USC is ranked second in the Volleyball magazine pre-season poll, while Penn State is ninth.

OPPONENT--Penn State, which advanced to the 1999 NCAA Final Four before losing in the semifinals to eventual champion BYU, returns 4 starters, including All-EIVA first team sophomore setter Jose Quinones. PSU hosted the Nittany Lion Invitational last weekend, winning all 4 of its matches (versus Niagara, Waterloo, Guelph and Montreal).

LAST WEEK--USC opened its 2000 season by finishing second at the 16-team UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational on Friday (Jan. 7), losing to No. 4 Pepperdine in the final, 15-9, 7-15, 15-6, 15-8. The Trojans were hampered by poor passing (12 receiving errors) and serving (23 serving errors) against the Waves. Brook Billings led Troy with 23 kills, while Eli Fairfield had 17 kills while hitting .344. Pepperdine's Andre Breur had a match-best 26 kills while hitting .362. USC advanced to the finals by beating Colorado State (15-11, 15-3, 15-3) and Cal Baptist (15-12, 17-16, 15-5) on Friday (Jan. 6) and then Loyola Marymount (12-15, 15-13, 15-4, 15-12) in Saturday's semifinal match.

RETURN TO GLORY?--In the 15-year span from 1977 to 1991, USC was an annual contender for the NCAA title as the Trojans won 4 NCAA crowns, finished second 6 times and were third once. After an 8-year drought, USC is on the brink of returning to national prominence in 2000. Don't be surprised if this is the season that Troy makes its first visit to the NCAA Final Four since 1991.

LAST YEAR--In 1999, the Trojans came within a victory of advancing to the NCAA tournament. USC went 24-12 overall (17-11 NCAA), tied for second place in the Pacific Division of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation at 11-8 and ranked seventh nationally. Those senior-less Trojans-who began the season with a No. 11 ranking-finished 1999 on the upswing by knocking some gorillas off their back. They closed the regular season with a win at No. 7 Hawaii (snapping a 9-match losing streak to the Rainbows and beating them in Honolulu for the first time since 1991), then won at No. 4 Pepperdine in the MPSF tourney's first round (ending an 11-match losing skid to the Waves and posting Troy's first win in Malibu since 1991), then beat No. 2 Long Beach State in the MPSF semifinals (breaking a 7-match losing streak to the 49ers). Only a 4-game loss to eventual NCAA champ and No. 1-ranked BYU in Provo in the finals of the MPSF tourney kept USC from garnering an automatic berth to the NCAAs. USC hadn't even qualified for the MPSF playoffs the previous 3 years.

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. Incidentally, USC leads the nation in NCAA men's team titles in all sports, with 70 (plus 8 unofficial football crowns), and the women have added 15 national titles.

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 fourth year, his career mark is 62-44. 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. Last year, the 24-12 Trojans advanced to the finals of the MPSF tourney and earned a No. 7 national ranking. The 6-foot-5 Powers is regarded as 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, the 1985 World Cup and the 1986 World Championships.

DONALD SUXHO--The team's only senior is 6-5 captain Donald Suxho of Albania, who is starting at setter for the fourth year. One of the premier setters in college, he is also a blocking force at the net and possesses a lethal jump serve. He made the All-Tournament team at the 2000 UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational (for the second consecutive year). He was named to the 1999 AVCA All-American first team when he led USC in aces (a USC season record 63), digs (199) and assists (1,871). He was second nationally in ace average in 1999 (.658, tops in the MPSF). He was an All-MPSF third teamer in 1998 when set a since-broken NCAA record for most assists in a match (129 versus Ohio State in 1997).

BROOK BILLINGS--USC sports perhaps the top young player in the game in dominating 6-5 sophomore opposite hitter Brook Billings, who is in the starting lineup for his second season and could be in line for All-American honors. In the finals of the 2000 UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational against Pepperdine, he led USC with 23 kills and 9 digs. In 1999, he was the Asics/Volleyball National Co-Freshman of the Year and the MPSF Freshman of the Year as he led USC in kills with 640, the fourth most ever in a season by a Trojan (more than any USC freshman), while hitting .317. He was sixth nationally in kill average (6.17) and added 169 digs (second on USC) and 92 blocks (fourth on USC). He showed just how precocious he was during USC's final 4 matches of 1999 (all against Top 7-ranked squads) when he had an amazing 30-plus kills in each outing (and he had 20-plus kills in the last 9 matches of 1999).

ELI FAIRFIELD--Back for his third year starting at an outside hitter spot is junior Eli Fairfield. In the finals of the 2000 UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational against Pepperdine, he had 17 kills and hit. 344. Last season, the 6-7 Fairfield was second on USC in kills (501) while hitting .283 and in aces (30) and fourth in digs (139) and blocks (83). He was a Freshman All-American in 1998.

TREVOR JULIAN--Also returning for his third year starting at outside hitter is junior Trevor Julian. Last season, the 6-5 Julian was third on USC in kills (269), aces (24) and digs (154) in 1999, and also had 80 blocks.

BEAU RAWI--Beau Rawi, a 6-5 sophomore middle blocker, is USC's fifth returning starter. He made the All-Tournament team at the 2000 UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational (he hit .313 in the final against Pepperdine). He was second on USC in blocks with 114 in 1999, and also had 235 kills while hitting .358, 18 aces (fourth on USC) and 104 digs.

MARK DUSHARME--The only new starter in USC's lineup is 6-7 freshman Mark Dusharme, a 1999 Volleyball Fab 50 pick and 2-time All-CIF San Diego Section first teamer at Bonita Vista High in Chula Vista, Calif. In the finals of the 2000 UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational against Pepperdine, he hit .615. He was a member of the 1999 USA Boys Youth National Training team and the 1998 USA Youth National team, where he was named the "Best Blocker" at the NORCECA Youth National Tournament. He's back to full speed now after being slowed in fall workouts by injuries (back stress fracture, appendectomy).

RESERVES--Providing depth at outside hitter are Ryan Thurlow, an experienced 6-2 junior, and 6-8 walk-on freshman Marcus Gilmour, USC's biggest player who has loads of potential. Thurlow was a part-time starter in 1998 and appeared in 9 matches as a reserve in 1999. Gilmour was named to the 1999 Volleyball Fab 50 team and the All-CIF Division III first team at Santa Ynez (Calif.) High, which won the CIF Division III championship last season. Gilmour played on the 1999 USA Junior Nationals Boys 18-and-Under champion. He is just coming around after knee surgery this past fall. Josh Day, a 6-6 walk-on freshman, is a reserve middle blocker. He was on the 1999 Volleyball Fab 50 team and was an All-State first teamer at Kamehameha High in Honolulu, Hi. Suxho's backup at setter in 2000 is 6-2 redshirt freshman walk-on Dustin Avol, who did not compete at USC last year after attending prep powerhouse Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach, Calif. But waiting in the wings while probably redshirting is highly-touted 6-5 freshman Miles McGann, a 3-time All-CIF first teamer (he was MVP of the 1999 All-CIF Division III team) and a Volleyball Fab 50 choice at Laguna Beach (Calif.) High. He was a 4-time All-American first team selection at the USA Junior Nationals (his team finished first twice) and was on the 1998 USA Youth National team.

LIBEROS--USC has a pair of players capable of ably filling the new libero position, a combination defensive and passing specialist: 6-0 sophomore Greg Burden and 5-10 redshirt freshman walk-on John Hinds. Burden is the more skilled passer, while Hinds is better on defense. Burden saw limited action in 3 matches last year at Troy, while Hinds sat out 1999 at USC after prepping at Santa Margarita High in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Hinds played on the 1998 USA Junior Nationals Boys 18-and-Under champion.

NOTES--Here's a rarity in the world of men's athletics. One of USC's assistant coaches is a woman, Laura Ames, who was the women's head coach at both Aurora (1993-95) and Benedictine (1996-97)...Beau Rawi's brother, Omar, started for USC's men's volleyball team in 1998 and 1999...Ryan Thurlow's father, Toby, lettered for USC's 1962 national championship football team and his grandfather, Leavitt, lettered in football from 1934 to 1936...Miles McGann's brother, Grant, played water polo at USC in 1997 and his cousin, Jeremy Laster, is a member of the USA national water polo team...Several dozen of Marcus Gilmour's relatives attended USC, including his mother and father.