Two years ago, the USC men's volleyball team entered the season unheralded, but finished as the runner-up at the 2009 NCAA Championship.
Last season, USC began 2010 ranked No. 1 in the nation, but didn't advance past the first round of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament.
The 2011 Trojans, with a 22-man roster that includes 13 players who were members of both of those teams, will draw on the experiences--good and bad--of 2009 and 2010 in their attempt to put together a successful upcoming season.
"We have many veteran players who bring lots of maturity to the court," said fifth-year head coachBill Ferguson, who was the National Coach of the Year in 2009. "We all have learned much in our journey to this point and we are ready to put those lessons into motion.
"This year, our entire focus is on the process. We are trying to reach a level of excellence every day in everything we do. To do that, we have to focus solely on the process: improving our technique, working on our mental toughness, playing the right way, achieving excellence. If we do all that, then good things will happen."
USC returns five starters and the libero from a 2010 squad that finished with a 16-11 overall record (13-9 in the MPSF for sixth place). The Trojans started off 6-1, but then played .500 ball the rest of the 2010 season to end up with a No. 7 national ranking.
The Trojans come into 2011 as the co-favorite to win the MPSF title, according to a poll of the league coaches. Voters surely took into account USC's play against MPSF competition in a pair of fall pre-season tournaments, when the Trojans went 5-0 in winning the USC Fall Tournament and 2-1 at the UCLA SAC Tourney.
Those results only heighten expectations for a USC program that has appeared in 12 NCAA Final Fours (but just once since 1991), winning four NCAA titles and finishing second seven times and third once.
USC's group of returning starters is led by its senior co-captains, 6-8 opposite hitterMurphy Troyand 6-2 setterRiley McKibbin.
Troy, a cannon-armed 2009 All-American first teamer who won second team honors last year, will start for his fourth season. In his career, he has 1,526 kills, 515 digs, 192 blocks and 105 aces. His 28 matches with 20-plus kills is a USC rally scoring era career record and he is on pace to set school career standards for kills and aces. In 2010, he notched a team-high 481 kills (hitting .255) to go along with 27 aces, 179 digs and 77 blocks while playing both at opposite and outside hitter. His 4.62 kills average was 10th in the NCAA last season.
"As good as he has been, Murphy has raised the level of his game this year," said Ferguson. "He has worked hard on improving his arm swing and blocking and the technical side of his game. He is a great senior leader for us. I think he's a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate now."
McKibbin will be in his third season as USC's steady setter, posting 3,170 assists, 501 digs and 113 blocks in his career. Last year, he topped the Trojans in assists (1,384) and digs (235) while also getting 56 blocks. His 13.06 assists average was ninth nationally in 2010. He was an All-American third teamer in 2009.
"Riley is everything you want in a setter and in a senior leader," said Ferguson. "He's ready for an All-American season. The technical part of his game has improved tremendously this year. His play and the level of maturity he brings will take us a long way."
Also back for his third season in the lineup is fiery 6-6 junior outside hitterTony Ciarelli. The 2009 All-American second teamer and National Freshman of the Year has 874 career kills, 389 digs, 148 blocks and 69 aces. Last year, he had 406 kills, 194 digs and 73 blocks while leading USC in aces (38).
"Tony did more in the off-season to improve himself than any player on our team," said Ferguson. "I expect him to have a huge year. If he keeps playing the way he did in the fall, he'll have to be considered for National Player of the Year honors."
Austin Zahn, a 6-8 senior who has a .418 career hitting percentage with 540 kills and 262 blocks, will start at middle blocker for his fourth season. Last spring, he hit at a .387 clip with 174 kills and 87 blocks. He was an All-American third teamer in 2009.
"Austin has really opened up his game now," said Ferguson. "He'll hit a greater variety of sets this year and he has really improved his blocking."
USC's two most versatile players--6-5 seniorTri Bourneand 6-5 sophomore Maddison McKibbin--will compete to start at an outside hitter spot. Both have plenty of experience. Bourne, who has 38 career starts but has battled injuries throughout his USC tenure, saw starting time in 2010 at outside hitter and libero. The younger McKibbin had 13 starts at opposite hitter and libero in 2010 while being named to the MPSF All-Freshman team.
"We always know what we're going to get with Tri, a consistently high level of play," said Ferguson. "He's one of our best all-around players and brings a lot of skill to the court. Maddison is coming off a phenomenal fall showing. He has made remarkable improvement from last year. He can do everything well."
Andrew Pizula, a 5-10 junior, started 16 matches at libero in 2010 (mostly in the first half of the season) and had 189 digs. His 3.15 digs average last year was a USC record and his 20 digs against Stanford tied a school rally scoring era match record. He helped USC average 11.50 digs per match, a school rally scoring era season mark.
But Pizula will be challenged for the starting libero role by 6-3 freshman Henry Cassiday, who made the 2010 Hawaii State Division I All-Tournament team for national champion Punahou High in Honolulu, Hi., and was the Co-MVP in the Boys International Youth Division at the 2009 USA Volleyball High Performance Championship.
"Andrew is playing his best volleyball since he arrived here," said Ferguson. "He got some great experience last season and was one of our top guys in fall practice. Henry has come in and played as advertised. He will be a factor if he continues to improve. He has a very promising future."
Also in the libero picture are 6-3 juniorBrad Keenan, who has been hampered by a pair of knee injuries while at USC (he did not see any action last year), and 6-0 redshirt freshman J.B. Green, a one-time USC football walk-on wide receiver who last played volleyball in 2009 at Newport Harbor High in Newport Beach, Calif., and was also a member of a gold medal team at the Junior Olympics.
"Brad has battled back from his injuries and is playing his best volleyball to date," said Ferguson. "When he's fully healthy, he'll compete for the libero job. J.B. is a great addition to our team and he'll help us at libero and as a defensive specialist. With his football background, he knows how to work hard and compete, and our players are feeding off of that."
USC only has to replace one player from last year's lineup, 4-year starting middle blockerHunter Current. His 395 career blocks set a USC rally scoring era record. He finished with a .367 career hitting mark along with 678 kills.
Battling to start in the middle are 6-7 juniorSteven Shandrick, who has appeared in 30 matches (starting 9) in his career and hit .430 in 2010 with a 1.25 block average (a USC rally scoring era record), 6-7 juniorIan Wright, who has seen only brief action in 4 matches at USC, and 6-9 freshmanTanner Clayton, a 2010 All-CIF San Diego Section first teamer at CIF San Diego finalist Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego, Calif., who was on the 2009 USA Boys Youth National Team and 2010 USA Junior National Training Team.
"Steven had a solid fall and has taken it up a notch this year," said Ferguson. "He has a great opportunity to win a starting job. Ian is a workhorse and has shown great improvement throughout the fall to the point where he could see some significant time this year. Tanner is a really good player as just a freshman. He has a chance to see some action for us at some point this season and will be an elite middle blocker in time."
Other outside hitters available are veteran 6-5 seniorSean Dennis, who has played in 36 matches (with 22 starts) for the Trojans, plus little-used 6-6 sophomoreSteven Mochalski, who redshirted last year, and 6-5 freshmanJoey Booth, a 2010 All-CIF Division I second team pick at Corona del Mar (Calif.) High who was named the "Best Attacker" at the 2009 USA Volleyball High Performance Championship.
"Sean is a solid player and has always been very reliable for us," said Ferguson. "He does everything well. He'll compete to get into the playing rotation. Steven is as healthy as he's been in a while and is making great strides as an outside hitter. He'll help us there and as a serving specialist. Joey improved steadily throughout fall practice and has shown that he has a nice future here."
Two inexperienced young players--6-4 sophomoreTucker Peleuses, who has gotten into just 1 match so far at USC, and 6-5 redshirt freshman Tanner Jansen--are the backup opposite hitters.
"Tucker is one of the more solid players on our team," said Ferguson. "He has shown steady improvement since he got to USC and will now compete for playing time. Tanner came on at the end of fall practice and we're looking forward to his continued progress so he can help us at opposite hitter."
A pair of relatively-green 6-3 sophomores--Jeff Carlson, who redshirted last year while recuperating from a shoulder injury after seeing action in just 3 matches in 2009, andChris Trefzger, who played briefly in 5 matches last season and then spent this past summer with the USA Men's Junior National A2 team (with Booth and Cassiday)--are battling to be the backup setter. Other setters on the roster are 6-2 redshirt freshmanTyler Hornacekand 6-2 freshman Sean Heitzler out of Palos Verdes (Calif.) High.
"Jeff has recovered well from his shoulder injury and stepped back into the mix at setter," said Ferguson. "He and Chris will compete to be the backup setter. Chris had a nice summer working with the Junior National team and looks to have a good future with us. Tyler is a great athlete who is still learning the nuances of the position and Sean is a young, developing player who is learning our system."
Helping Ferguson mold these players into a championship unit are a trio of big-name new assistant coaches:J.J. Riley,Jeff NygaardandCameron Green. Riley is a former Pepperdine star setter and then assistant with the Waves' men's and women's programs. Nygaard, a 3-time indoor and beach Olympian and 2-time collegiate MVP while playing on NCAA championship teams at UCLA, has coached with the Bruins and at Whittier. Green, USC's administrative assistant the past 2 years and a long-time successful club, prep and beach coach, moves up to the volunteer assistant role in 2011.
"I'm thrilled with these additions to our coaching staff," said Ferguson. "They complement each other very well and have great backgrounds as coaches and players. J.J.'s effect on the setters already has been profound, as has Jeff's work with our blockers and Cameron's work with our passers."
It is obvious that with such a mix of players and coaches, the 2011 Trojans indeed have the ingredients--and the "focus on the process"--to put together a championship run. Only time will tell if the lessons of 2009 and 2010 serve them well in their quest.
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