April 6, 2004

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THE FACTS
The No. 15-ranked USC men's volleyball team (6-19 overall, 4-14 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation)--hoping to stay alive in the race for the final MPSF tournament berth--goes to Northern California to face Pacific (7-18, 3-15) on Friday (April 9) and then No. 9 Stanford (8-15, 5-13) on Saturday (April 10). Both MPSF matches start at 7 p.m.

ON THE AIR
All of USC's home matches are broadcast live over the internet on www.usctrojans.com.

RANKINGS
USC is ranked 15th in the current USA Today/AVCA Division I-II coaches poll. Pacific is not ranked, while Stanford is ninth.

OPPONENTS
USC leads its series with Pacific, 21-7, and beat the Tigers earlier this season ,3-0. The Trojans hold a 46-21 edge over Stanford, including a 3-1 victory earlier this season. Stanford hosts Pepperdine on April 9 before facing USC.

LAST MATCHES
No. 15 USC lost at No. 3 UCLA, 30-21, 27-30, 30-25, 30-23, on March 30 in an MPSF match. Blake Tippett had 13 kills and 5 digs, Joao Grangeiro added 12 kills (hitting .320) and 11 digs and Chris McKniff had 11 kills (hitting .444) with 3 blocks. UCLA outhit USC, .429 to .278, and had more blocks (12.0 to 8.0), digs (34 to 29) and aaces (7 to 4). Then, on April 3, No. 10 UC Irvine swept the Trojans, 30-28, 30-22, 30-27 in an MPSF meeting in USC's Lyon Center. Tippett had a match-high 17 kills, while McKniff added 10 kills. The Anteaters outhit (.392 to .264), outblocked (14.0 to 9.0) and outserved (6 aces to 2) the Trojans.

TOUGH AT HOME
USC is 218-92 (.703) in home matches in the past 28 years. 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 6 national volleyball titles. USC's women won the AIAW trophy in 1976, 1977 and 1980, and the NCAA crown in 1981. Then, coach Mick Haley's 2002 and 2003 Women of Troy squads captured the NCAA titles.

COACH Turhan Douglas
Second-year USC head coach Turhan Douglas, an Trojan assistant the previous 3 seasons, was promoted to interim head coach in May of 2002. Then, in Marchof 2003, he had the interim tag removed from his title. Being a head coach is nothing new to the 34-year-old Douglas. In fact, he exhibited his head coaching ability at USC while an assistant. When Pat Powers-his predecessor at Troy-missed USC's home match against BYU in 2001 to be with his ill mother, Douglas stepped in and directed the Trojans to a 3-1 upset over the top-ranked, undefeated Cougars. Douglas was a successful junior college and club coach before he came to USC for the 2000 season. He was the men's head coach at Pierce Junior College in Woodland Hills (Calif.) for 2 seasons (1998-99) and guided his squad to the South Coast Conference title both years while going 43-9. His 1999 team was the state runner-up and he was named the conference's Coach of the Year. He also was the head coach of Pierce's women's team for 6 seasons (1993-98). He also spent 6 years (1996-2001) as the director and coach of the Santa Monica (Calif.) Beach Club. In 1998, his team won the USA Junior Olympics Boys 17-and-Under championship. He was an assistant with the Santa Monica Junior College men's team for 4 years (1992-95). Douglas was a reserve middle blocker on the 1991 Long Beach State team that won the NCAA title (defeating USC in the final). He also played 2 seasons at Pierce (1987-88). The 1987 Pierce squad won the state crown and the 1988 team was the state runner-up.

RETURNING STARTERS
USC returns 4 starters from 2003: outside hitter Joao Grangeiro, opposite hitter Ian Gallagher, middle blocker Chris McKniff and libero Evan Burden. Gone from last year are a trio of 3-year starters-outside hitter Mark Dusharme, middle blocker Josh Day and setter Miles McGann-and a trio of part-time starters in middle blocker Phil Small and outside hitters Derek Otte and Peter Jordan.

Joao Grangeiro
USC's top returnee in 2004 is 6-2 sophomore outside hitter/libero Joao Grangeiro of Brazil. He currently leads USC in digs (207) and aces (36), and is second in kills (272). He was named to the 2004 UC Santa Barbara Collegiate Invitational All-Tournament team. An All-MPSF second teamer last spring, he began that year as Troy's libero, then moved to outside hitter by midseason (where he starts in 2004). Overall, he posted 170 kills, 299 digs (2 shy of the Trojan season record), 27 blocks and 13 aces in 2003. He was third nationally in dig average (2.56).

--He had 18 kills vs. UC Irvine (1-9).
--He had 9 kills and 4 digs vs. UCLA (1-10).
--He had 8 kills and 6 digs vs. Long Beach State (1-10).
--He had a team-best 8 kills and 4 digs vs. Long Beach State (1-16).
--He had a team-high 18 kills (hitting .314) and 9 digs vs. UC San Diego (1-17).
--He had 7 kills and 6 digs at Pepperdine (1-24).
--Playing libero for the first time in the 2004 season, he had a team-best 7 digs vs. UCLA (1-29).
--He had 20 kills (hitting .342), 12 digs and 4 aces at UC Irvine (1-30), beginning the match at libero and then moving to outside hitter.
--He had 10 kills, 5 digs and 2 blocks vs. Cal Baptist (2-3).
--He had 15 kills (hitting .400), 4 digs and 2 blocks vs. Stanford (2-5).
--He had 6 kills and 5 digs vs. Penn State (2-7).
--He had 16 kills, 16 digs and 3 aces vs. Lewis (2-7).
--He had 10 kills (hitting .444)8 digs and 2 aces at Cal State Northridge (2-11).
--He had 10 kills at UC Santa Barbara (2-13).
--He had 7 kills, 11 digs and 4 blocks at Long Beach State (2-19).
--He had 10 kills (hitting .400), 12 digs and 3 aces vs. Pacific (2-27).
--He had 19 kills and 11 digs vs. Lewis (3-1).
--He had 16 kills (hitting .429), 14 digs and 4 blocks at UC San Diego (3-4).
--He had 11 kills and 11 digs vs. Hawaii (3-8).
--He had 7 kills, 2 aces, 2 digs and 2 blocks vs. Hawaii (3-9).
--He had 9 kills, 16 digs and 4 aces vs. Pepperdine (3-20).
--He had 6 kills, 3 aces, 13 digs and 3 blocks vs. Cal State Northridge (3-24).
--He had 11 kills, 5 aces, 8 digs and 3 blocks vs. UC Santa Barbara (3-27).
--He had 12 kills (hitting .320) and 11 digs at UCLA (3-30).
--He had 9 kills and 7 digs vs. UC Irvine (4-3).

VETS IN THE MIDDLE
Two experienced juniors start at the middle blocker spots: 6-10 Chris McKniff and 6-8 Jeff Bailey. McKniff currently leads USC in hitting percentage (.331) and blocks (101). Bailey is second on USC in blocks (53). He had 82 kills (hitting .335) and 51 digs last year, while Bailey had 52 kills and 23 blocks. Coming into 2004, McKniff had 19 career starts (including 14 in 2003) and Bailey had started 6 times.

--McKniff had 5 kills and 4 blocks vs. UC Irvine (1-9).
--McKniff had 5 kills vs. UCLA (1-10).
--McKniff had 8 kills (hitting .538) vs. Long Beach State (1-10), while Bailey added 5 kills.
--McKniff hit .400 with 5 kills and added 3 blocks vs. Long Beach State (1-16).
--McKniff had 13 kills (hitting .545) with 3 blocks vs. UC San Diego (1-17).
--McKniff had 7 kills (hitting .333) and 4 blocks at Pepperdine (1-24).
--McKniff had a match-best 6 blocks vs. UCLA (1-29), while Bailey had 5 kills.
--McKniff had 14 kills (hitting .385) and 5 blocks at UC Irvine (1-30), while Bailey had 4 kills.
--McKniff and Bailey each had 7 kills vs. Cal Baptist (2-3), with Bailey hitting .500 and adding 2 blocks.
--McKniff had 10 kills (hitting .381) and 9 blocks vs. Stanford (2-5), while Bailey also had 10 kills.
--McKniff had 4 kills (hitting .364) and 4 blocks vs. Penn State (2-7).
--McKniff had 7 kills and 7 blocks vs. Lewis (2-7), while Bailey added 4 kills and 2 blocks.
--McKniff had 4 blocks at Cal State Northridge (2-11).
--Bailey had 9 kills while hitting .500 at UC Santa Barbara (2-13).
--Bailey had 4 kills and 5 blocks at Long Beach State (2-19), while McKniff added 5 kills and 4 blocks.
--McKniff had 14 kills (hitting .520) and 4 blocks vs. Pacific (2-27), while Bailey added 7 kills (hitting .500) and 2 blocks.
--Bailey had 12 kills and 4 blocks vs. Lewis (3-1), while McKniff added 10 kills and a match high 6 blocks (each hit .333).
--Bailey had 13 kills and 8 blocks at UC San Diego (3-4), while McKniff added 7 kills and 4 blocks.
--Bailey had 9 kills and 4 digs vs. Hawaii (3-8), while McKniff added 5 kills (hitting .364) and 3 blocks.
--Both McKniff and Bailey had 6 kills vs. Hawaii (3-9).
--Bailey had a career-high 19 kills (hitting .457) vs. Pepperdine (3-20), while McKniff added 13 kills (hitting .400) and 5 blocks.
--Bailey had 12 kills (hitting .308) and 5 blocks vs. Cal State Northridge (3-24), while McKniff had 7 kills and 8 blocks.
--McKniff had 12 kills (hitting .474) and 4 blocks vs. UC Santa Barbara (3-27), while Bailey had 11 kills and 6 blocks.
--McKniff had 11 kills (hitting .444) and 3 blocks at UCLA (3-30).
--McKniff had 10 kills (hitting .368) and 3 blocks vs. UC Irvine (4-3), while Bailey had 4 kills and 5 blocks.

Blake Tippett
Another tested junior, 6-4 Blake Tippett, starts at outside hitter. He currently leads USC in kills (328) and is third in digs (122). A 7-match starter coming into 2004, he had 64 kills and 34 digs last year. He was a member of the 2002 USA men's junior national team.

--He had 20 kills (hitting .343), 4 aces and 15 digs vs. UC Irvine (1-9).
--He had 5 kills, 5 digs and 3 blocks vs. UCLA (1-10).
--He had 5 kills vs. Long Beach State (1-10).
--He had 8 kills vs. Long Beach State (1-16).
--He had 5 kills and 5 digs vs. UC San Diego (1-17).
--He led USC with 14 kills vs. UCLA (1-29).
--He had 16 kills (hitting .300) and 7 digs at UC Irvine (1-30).
--He had 4 kills and 3 digs vs. Cal Baptist (2-3).
--He had a match best 20 kills (hitting .385) and 10 digs vs. Stanford (2-5).
--He had 15 kills and 3 digs vs. Penn State (2-7).
--He had 18 kills and 6 digs vs. Lewis (2-7).
--He had 17 kills and 4 digs at Cal State Northridge (2-11).
--He had 9 kills at UC Santa Barbara (2-13).
--He had 10 kills and 2 blocks at Long Beach State (2-19).
--He had 7 kills and 6 digs vs. Pacific (2-27).
--He had 18 kills (hitting .324) and 6 digs vs. Lewis (3-1).
--He had 19 kills (hitting .333) and 9 digs at UC San Diego (3-4).
--He had 9 kills vs. Hawaii (3-8).
--He had 14 kills (hitting .308) and 2 aces vs. Hawaii (3-9).
--He had 19 kills (hitting .389) and 6 digs vs. Pepperdine (3-20).
--He had 16 kills, 5 digs and 4 blocks vs. Cal State Northridge (3-24).
--He had 26 kills (hitting .429) with 11 digs and 3 aces vs. UC Santa Barbara (3-27).
--He had 13 kills and 5 digs at UCLA (3-30).
--He had 17 kills and 5 digs vs. UC Irvine (4-3).

Ian Gallagher
Ian Gallagher, a 6-6 junior, is the team's top opposite hitter and could be in the lineup if he's healthy (he has been bothered by shoulder and knee injuries throughout his career). He had 272 kills, 104 digs, 69 blocks and 17 aces last year while starting 27 matches, first at outside hitter before moving to opposite by midseason (he had 50 career starts coming into 2004).

--He had 11 kills (hitting .435) vs. Long Beach State (1-10).
--He came off the bench to get 7 kills (hitting .583) and 4 digs vs. UCLA (1-29).
--He had 9 kills and 5 digs at UC Irvine (1-30).
--He had 6 kills (hitting .308) vs. Cal Baptist (2-3), but suffered an eye injury that sidelined him for the next 5 matches.
--He had 26 kills, 4 digs and 4 blocks off the bench vs. Cal State Northridge (3-24).

THE SETTERS
A pair of high-potential players are available at setter: 6-7 junior J.T. Gilmour, who won the starting job, and 6-0 redshirt freshman Gio Altamura. Gilmour currently leads USC in assists (787) and is third in blocks (43). Gilmour started 13 times coming into 2004 (including 11 matches in 2002), while Altamura transferred from Ohio State after a stellar career at powerhouse Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach (Calif.), the 2001 national prep champion.

--Gilmour had 41 assists and 2 kills vs. UC Irvine (1-9), while Altamura added 14 assists.
--Gilmour had 24 assists vs. UCLA (1-10).
--Altamura had 32 assists, 3 kills and 4 digs vs. Long Beach State (1-10).
--Altamura had 28 assists and 2 kills vs. Long Beach State (1-16).
--Altamura had 57 assists, 8 digs and 2 kills vs. UC San Diego (1-17).
--Gilmour had 23 assists, 2 kills, 3 digs and 2 blocks at Pepperdine (1-24), while Altamura added 11 assists.
--Gilmour had 31 assists, 3 blocks and 2 kills vs. UCLA (1-29).
--Gilmour had 51 assists, 8 digs and 5 blocks at UC Irvine (1-30).
--Gilmour had 39 assists, 2 kills and 4 digs vs. Cal Baptist (2-3).
--Gilmour had 53 assists, 7 digs and 5 blocks vs. Stanford (2-5).
--Gilmour had 26 assists and 2 blocks vs. Penn State (2-7).
--Gilmour had 53 assists, 2 kills, 6 digs and 4 blocks vs. Lewis (2-7).
--Gilmour had 45 assists, 5 digs and 3 blocks at Cal State Northridge (2-11).
--Gilmour had 37 assists and 4 kills at UC Santa Barbara (2-13).
--Altamura had 21 assists and 4 digs off the bench at Long Beach State (2-19) in relief of Gilmour, who had 10 assists and 2 blocks.
--Gilmour had 45 assists, 2 aces, 3 blocks and 3 digs vs. Pacific (2-27).
--Gilmour had 55 assists, 3 kills, 2 blocks and 3 digs vs. Lewis (3-1), while Altamura came off the bench briefly to steady the team and posted 10 assists.
--Altamura came off the bench at UC San Diego (3-4) to get 42 assists, 5 digs, 2 blocks and 2 kills, while Gilmour had 14 assists.
--Gilmour had 29 assists and 3 kills vs. Hawaii (3-8).
--Gilmour had 23 assists and 2 kills vs. Hawaii (3-9), while Altamura added 10 assists.
--Gilmour had 53 assists, 8 digs, 2 blocks and 4 kills vs. Pepperdine (3-20).
--Gilmour had 24 assists and 3 digs vs. Cal State Northridge (3-24), while Altamura came off the bench to get 23 assists.
--Altamura came off the bench vs. UC Santa Barbara (3-27) to record 44 assists, 6 digs and 2 blocks, while Gilmour had 13 assists, 2 kills and 2 digs.
--Gilmour had 49 assists, 4 blocks and 3 digs at UCLA (3-30).
--Gilmour had 40 assists, 4 kills, 6 digs and 3 blocks vs. UC Irvine (4-3).

EVEN BURDEN
Evan Burden, a 5-10 sophomore, returns as USC's libero. He currently is second on USC in digs (141). He had 185 digs while starting the last half of the 2003 season. He is the younger brother of USC's former 3-year starting libero, Greg.

--He had 7 digs vs. UC Irvine (1-9).
--He had 6 digs vs. UC San Diego (1-17).
--He had 7 digs at Pepperdine (1-24).
--He had 6 digs at UC Irvine (1-30).
--He had 6 digs vs. Cal Baptist (2-3).
--He had 9 digs vs. Stanford (2-5).
--He had 7 digs vs. Lewis (2-7).
--He had 7 digs at Cal State Northridge (2-11).
--He had 7 digs at UC Santa Barbara (2-13).
--He had 5 digs at Long Beach State (2-19).
--He had 5 digs vs. Pacific (2-27).
--He had 12 digs vs. Lewis (3-1).
--He had 6 digs at UC San Diego (3-4).
--He had 15 digs vs. Pepperdine (3-20).
--He had 9 digs vs. Cal State Northridge (3-24).
--He had 5 digs vs. UC Santa Barbara (3-27).
--He had 6 digs vs. UC Irvine (4-3).

NEWCOMERS
USC went outside the country to land a pair of players who are available at outside hitter: 5-10 junior Pedro Leal of Brazil via Pierce Junior College in Woodland Hills (Calif.), who has emerged as a starter, and 6-3 freshman Fernando Barron of Puerto Rico. Leal--who currently is second on USC in aces (20)--helped lead Pierce to the 2002 and 2003 California J.C. crowns, while Barron was a four-time Puerto Rican high school all-star who competed at the 2003 Youth World Championships. Adding depth in the middle are 6-9 sophomore Danny Newman, who missed the past two seasons with a knee injury, and a pair of freshmen in 6-7 Matt Mosko, a 2003 All-CIF Division V first team pick at Viewpoint High in Calabasas (Calif.), and 6-5 Josh Feldman from Greenhill High in Dallas (Tex.). Another pair of freshmen provide depth at setter: 6-5 Jim Stein of St. John Bosco High in Bellflower (Calif.) and 6-3 Andrew Biernat from Crespi High in Encino (Calif.), who transferred to USC after a semester at Pierce. Brian Selogie, a 6-2 freshman from Peninsula High in Rolling Hills Estates (Calif.), is a reserve libero. He spent the fall semester at Colorado. Two freshmen outside hitters-6-5 Matt Anderson, who was a two-time All-CIF Division II first team selection at Laguna Beach (Calif.) High, and 6-4 Mike Terrill, who didn't play volleyball last year while at USC-likely will redshirt in 2004.

--Barron had 12 kills (hitting .450), 4 blocks and 6 digs vs. UC Irvine (1-9), while Mosko had 4 kills.
--Mosko had 6 kills (hitting .500) and 3 blocks vs. UCLA (1-10).
--Leal had 4 kills and 4 digs vs. Long Beach State (1-16), while Mosko added 4 kills.
--Mosko had 10 kills (hitting .400), 4 blocks and 2 aces vs. UC San Diego (1-17), while Leal added 8 kills, 5 blocks, 4 digs and 2 aces and Barron came off the bench to get 8 kills.
--Leal led USC with 12 kills at Pepperdine (1-24) and added 3 digs.
--Leal had 7 kills and 5 digs vs. UCLA (1-29), while Mosko started at opposite hitter and had 2 kills, 2 blocks and 2 digs.
--Leal came off the bench vs. Cal Baptist (2-3) to post 10 kills (hitting .562) and 2 aces.
--Leal had 7 kills (hitting .400), 8 digs and 3 blocks vs. Stanford (2-5).
--Leal and Mosko each had 4 kills vs. Penn State (2-7).
--Leal had 15 kills, 4 blocks and 3 digs vs. Lewis (2-7), while Mosko had 2 aces.
--Leal had 17 kills (hitting .467), 5 digs and 2 blocks at Cal State Northridge (2-11).
--Leal had 5 kills at UC Santa Barbara (2-13).
--Leal had 8 kills (hitting .438), 2 aces, 5 digs and 2 blocks at Long Beach State (2-19).
--Leal had 14 kills (hitting .571) vs. Pacific (2-27).
--Leal had 10 kills, 5 digs and 2 blocks vs. Lewis (3-1).
--Leal had 5 kills, 4 aces, 8 digs and 3 blocks at UC San Diego (3-4).
--Leal had 6 kills, 5 digs and 3 aces vs. Hawaii (3-8).
--Leal had 6 kills, 5 digs and 3 blocks vs. Pepperdine (3-20).
--Leal had 6 kills and 8 digs vs. UC Santa Barbara (3-27).
--Leal had 9 kills (hitting .421), 4 digs, 2 blocks and 2 aces at UCLA (3-30), while Newman saw his first career action while getting 7 kills and 4 blocks.

NOTES
Several USC players have Trojan relatives: Evan Burden's brother, Greg, was USC's libero for 3 seasons (2000-02). Several dozen of J.T. Gilmour's relatives attended USC, including his brother, Marcus, who was an outside hitter at USC (2000-03), and his mother and father. Blake Tippett is a third generation Trojan (his uncle, Hunt Williams, played soccer at USC). Jim Stein's father, as well as several aunts, uncles and cousins, attended USC. Brian Selogie's father is a USC alum. Assistant coach Tom Black's grandfather, Tom Nickell, was a USC vice president...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...Joao Grangeiro's father, Joao, played volleyball for Brazil in the 1980 Olympics...Matt Mosko's father, Steve, played football and lacrosse at Delaware, while his mother, Marianne, was on Delaware's basketball and volleyball teams... Andrew Biernat's brother, Matt, plays volleyball at Newman...Josh Feldman's father, Robert, played tennis at Tufts...Pedro Leal participated in Brazil's 1994 sailing (laser boats) national championships.