March 19, 2002
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THE FACTS
Something will give this week as the USC men's volleyball team
(5-17 overall, 2-14 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation)--coming off a
week's rest from Spring Break--will try to end its 6-match losing streak
when it hosts No. 15 Long Beach State (7-15, 5-11)--riding its own
7-match losing skid--on Wednesday (March 20) at 7 p.m. in the USC North
Gym.
ON THE AIR
All of USC's home MPSF matches will be broadcast live over the
internet on
www.usctrojans.com.
RANKINGS
USC is not ranked in the latest USA Today/AVCA coaches poll or
the Volleyball poll.? Long Beach State is 15th by USA Today/AVCA
coaches, but not ranked by Volleyball.
OPPONENTS
USC is 46-30 all-time versus Long Beach State.? The
49ers, who have dropped their past 7 matches, are led by middle blocker
Tim May (269 K, .441, 90 BK) and outside hitters Scott Touzinsky (289 K,
35 SA, 127 DG) and Jeff Wootton (247 K, 17 SA, 131 DG).
LAST MATCHES
No. 10 UC Irvine beat USC, 28-30, 30-21, 31-29, 30-23, in a home
MPSF match on March 5.? Brook Billings had a match-high 17 kills for
USC and Mark Dusharme added 10 kills, 3 aces and 5 blocks.? UCI
outhit Troy, .259 to .157, and served 12 aces.? On March 7, No. 3
Pepperdine swept USC, 30-20, 30-15, 30-26.? The Waves served 14 aces
and had 10.0 team blocks while USC hit only .129.? Billings had 10
kills and Josh Day added 5 blocks.
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 213-68 (.758) in home matches in its 26-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
105-77.? 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 6-5 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 returned 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).
"POINTS SCORED" PLAYER VALUES
With rally scoring being used in the men's collegiate game, a
clear "points scored" value can be placed on each
player.?? Add a player's kills, aces, solo blocks and half his
block assists, then subtract hitting errors, blocking errors, serving
errors, receive errors and ballhandling errors.? Finally, divide
that figure by his matches and games played.? That will equal his
"points scored" per match and game (plus or minus).? Here are the
values for USC's players:
????????NAME????????????PTS/M
(M) ??????PTS/G (G)
????????Brook
Billings??+5.0
(22)???????+1.5
(73)
????????Josh
Day????????+4.4
(22)???????+1.4
(68)
????????Phil
Small??????+2.4
(20)???????+0.9
(54)
????????Mark
Dusharme???+1.3
(20)???????+0.4
(58)
????????Ian
Gallagher???+1.0
(18)???????+0.4
(48)
????????Beau
Rawi???????+0.7
(22)???????+0.2
(69)
????????Chris
McKniff???+0.6
(8)????????+0.3
(18)
????????Dustin
Avol?????+0.3
(4)????????+0.3
(4)
????????Blake
Tippett???-0.3
(12)???????-0.1
(30)
????????Miles
McGann????-1.1
(19)???????-0.3
(61)
????????Greg
Burden?????-1.3
(16)???????-0.5
(44)
????????Peter
Jordan????-1.5
(21)???????-0.6
(53)
????????Marcus
Gilmour??-1.7
(3)????????-0.6
(9)
????????J.T.
Gilmour????-2.3
(11)???????-0.9
(28)
BROOK BILLINGS
Hard-hitting Brook Billings, a 6-5 senior All-American,
starts 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 currently leads USC in kills (332), digs (106) and
aces (21).? He has been USC's kill leader in 20 of its 22
matches in 2002 (he was the match leader in 12 of those
contests).? He currently is 11th nationally in kill average
(4.55) and seventh in the MPSF (4.33).? He topped USC in kills
each of the past three years (he has 1,963 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.
????????--He
had a match-high 16 kills and 3 aces while hitting .478 vs. La Verne
(1-8).
????????--He had a
match-best 18 kills while hitting .355 vs. Pepperdine (1-12) at the
Wyndham Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He had a
match-high 20 kills, plus 8 digs, vs. UCLA (1-13) at the Wyndham
Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He had a
team-leading 22 kills, with 7 digs and 3 blocks, vs. host UC Irvine
(1-13) at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He had a
match-high 15 kills and 4 blocks while hitting .421 and adding 6 digs vs.
UC Santa Cruz (1-16).
????????--He had a
match-best 23 kills and 4 aces at UC San Diego (1-18) and added 7
digs.
????????--He had a
match-high 16 kills while hitting .423 vs. Cal Baptist (1-22).
????????--He had a
match-high 18 kills and 9 digs at BYU (1-25).
????????--He had 9
kills and 4 digs at BYU (1-26).
????????--He had a
match-best 17 kills and added 5 digs vs. UC Santa Barbara (1-30).
????????--He had a
match-high 16 kills while hitting .355 vs. Cal State Northridge
(2-2).
????????--He had a
team-high 9 kills with 3 digs at UC Irvine (2-6).
????????--He had a
match-high 16 kills with 3 digs and 3 blocks at UCLA (2-9).
????????--He had a
match-high 15 kills (hitting .345) with 4 digs at Pepperdine
(2-12).
????????--He had a
team-best 10 kills at Long Beach State (2-16).
????????--He had 8
kills, 9 digs, 5 blocks and 2 aces vs.UC San Diego (2-19).
????????--He had a
match-high 20 kills at Pacific (2-23), plus 10 digs and 3 blocks while
hitting .300.
????????--He had a
team-best 14 kills with 4 digs at Stanford (2-24).
????????--He had a
team-high 12 kills and 5 digs vs. Hawaii (3-1).
????????--He had a
team-best 11 kills vs. Hawaii (3-2).
????????--He had a
match-high 17 kills vs. UC Irvine (3-5).
????????--He had a
team-best 10 kills with 3 blocks vs. Pepperdine (3-7).
JOSH DAY
Second-year starter Josh Day, an effective? 6-5
junior middle blocker, currently leads USC's regulars in hitting
percentage (.348) and blocks (68) and is second in kills (157).?
He led USC's regulars in hitting percentage (.406) last spring and was
second on the team in blocks (60) and fourth in kills (127).
????????--He
had 7 kills while hitting .500 vs. La Verne (1-8).
????????--He had a
match-high 6 blocks while hitting .385 vs. UCLA (1-13) at the Wyndham
Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He had
12 kills (hitting .400), 5 blocks and 4 digs vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at
the Wyndham Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He had 9
kills while hitting .533 vs. UC Santa Cruz (1-16).
????????--He hit a
match-high .750 with a career-best 19 kills and 3 blocks at UC San Diego
(1-18).
????????--He had 9
kills while hitting .571 and had a match-best 5 blocks vs. Cal Baptist
(1-22).
????????--He had
12 kills while hitting .556 at BYU (1-25).
????????--He had 8
kills vs. UC Santa Barbara (1-30).
????????--He had 8
kills and 3 blocks at UC Irvine (2-6).
????????--He had 8
kills and 3 blocks at Pepperdine (2-12).
????????--He had a
match-high 7 blocks at Long Beach State (2-16).
????????--He had a
match-best 6 blocks with 5 kills vs.UC San Diego (2-19).
????????--He had 9
kills (hitting .615) off the bench at Pacific (2-23).
????????--He had 9
kills (hitting .444) and a match-high 6 blocks at Stanford (2-24).
????????--He had 7
kills and 3 blocks vs. Hawaii (3-2).
????????--He had 9
kills and 5 blocks vs. UC Irvine (3-5).
--He had 5 blocks vs. Pepperdine (3-7).
MILES McGANN
Steady second-year starter Miles McGann, a 6-5 junior
setter, currently leads USC in assists (621) and is third in aces
(15).? He 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.
????????--He
had 40 assists vs. La Verne (1-8).
????????--He had
34 assists and 3 aces vs. Pepperdine (1-12) at the Wyndham Garden/West
Coast Challenge.
????????--He had
43 assists and 3 blocks vs. UCLA (1-13) at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast
Challenge.
????????--He had
61 assists vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast
Challenge.
????????--He had
40 assists vs. UC Santa Cruz (1-16).
????????--He had
59 assists, 7 digs and 3 aces at UC San Diego (1-18).
????????--He had
36 assists and 2 kills vs. Cal Baptist (1-22).
????????--He had
45 assists at BYU (1-25).
????????--He had
31 assists and 2 aces at BYU (1-26).
????????--He had
52 assists and a team-best (and career-high) 8 digs vs. UC Santa Barbara
(1-30).
????????--He
didn't start vs. Cal State Northridge (2-2), but came in during the
second game and had 16 assists.
????????--He came
off the bench at UC Irvine (2-6) in the second game and had 20
assists.
????????--He had
35 assists at UCLA (2-9).
????????--He had
32 assists at Pepperdine (2-12).
????????--He
played briefly at Long Beach State (2-16) before spraining his right
ankle, which has forced him out of action for the next 4 matches.
????????--He
returned to the action when he started vs. Hawaii (3-1) and he had 32
assists and 3 blocks.
????????--He had
32 assists vs. Hawaii (3-2).
????????--His only
action vs. UC Irvine (3-5) was as a serving specialist.
????????--He had
11 assists off the bench vs. Pepperdine (3-7).
BEAU RAWI
Beau Rawi, a 6-5 senior who started 51 matches at middle blocker
the past three years, is the starting opposite hitter job this
season.? He currently is tied for second on USC in blocks (49)
and is third in kills (152) and third in digs (74).? A .383
career hitter with 609 kills, 271 blocks, 143 digs and 56 aces entering
2002, 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.
????????--He
had 4 blocks vs. La Verne (1-8).
????????--He had 8
kills while hitting .417 vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at the Wyndham
Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He had 9
kills while hitting .583 vs. UC Santa Cruz (1-16).
????????--He had 8
kills, 3 blocks and 4 digs at UC San Diego (1-18).
????????--He had 8
kills while hitting a match-high .600 and getting a match-best 6 digs vs.
Cal Baptist (1-22).
????????--He had 9
kills while hitting .818 at BYU (1-25).
????????--He had
14 kills while hitting .550 with 6 digs and a team-best 5 blocks vs. UC
Santa Barbara (1-30).
????????--He had a
match-best 6 digs vs. Cal State Northridge (2-2).
????????--He had
12 kills, 3 digs and 3 blocks at UCLA (2-9).
????????--He had 9
kills and 4 blocks at Pepperdine (2-12).
????????--He had a
match-high 7 blocks, plus 4 digs, at Long Beach State (2-16).
????????--He had a
match-high 17 kills while hitting .556 vs.UC San Diego (2-19).
????????--He had
12 kills at Pacific (2-23).
????????--He had
11 kills at Stanford (2-24).
????????--He had 9
kills vs. Hawaii (3-1).
????????--He had 4
kills vs. UC Irvine (3-5).
MARK DUSHARME
Mark Dusharme, a 6-8 junior with 31 starts at middle blocker the
past two seasons, is battling for a starting outside hitter spot in 2002,
although he also has been used in the middle some this year.? He
currently is tied for second on USC in aces (18).? He
currently is fifth in the MPSF in ace average (.375).? He
entered 2002 as a .345 career hitter with 294 kills and 115 blocks.?
In 15 matches last year, he had 41 kills, 17 blocks and 16 aces.
????????--He
had 7 kills and 3 blocks vs. UCLA (1-13) at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast
Challenge.
????????--He had 8
kills while hitting .889 vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at the Wyndham
Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He hit
.429 with 7 kills, 3 aces and 4 digs at UC San Diego (1-18).
????????--He had a
match-best 3 blocks at BYU (1-25) after moving to middle blocker.
????????--He had 7
kills and 2 aces vs. UC Santa Barbara (1-30).
????????--He had 8
kills while hitting .462 and added 2 aces vs. Cal State Northridge
(2-2).
????????--He led
the team in kills (9) and hitting percentage (.400) at UC Irvine
(2-6).
????????--He had 7
kills and a match-high 7 digs at Pepperdine (2-12).
????????--He had 8
kills at Long Beach State (2-16).
????????He had 12
kills while hitting .500 vs.UC San Diego (2-19).
????????--He had 5
kills (hitting .444), 4 digs and 3 blocks at Stanford (2-24).
????????--He had 6
kills vs. Hawaii (3-1).
????????--He had 6
kills vs. Hawaii (3-2).
????????--He had
10 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs and 5 blocks vs. UC Irvine (3-5).
IAN GALLAGHER
Ian Gallagher, a 6-6 sophomore, has switched from setter to
outside hitter and is competing for the starting job there.
????????--He
had 3 kills vs. LaVerne (1-8) in his first action as a Trojan.
????????--He had 8
kills, 6 digs and 4 blocks vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at the Wyndham
Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He had a
career-high 13 kills while hitting .476 vs. UC Santa Cruz (1-16).
????????--He had a
match-high 4 blocks at UC San Diego (1-18).
????????--He had 8
digs and a match-leading 3 aces vs. Cal Baptist (1-22).
????????--He had 7
kills and 6 digs at BYU (1-25).
????????--He had a
match-high 13 kills at BYU (1-26).
????????--He had 8
kills, 6 digs and 2 aces vs. UC Santa Barbara (1-30).
????????--He had 9
kills vs. Cal State Northridge (2-2).
????????--He had 8
kills while hitting .357 at UC Irvine (2-6).
????????--He had
12 kills (hitting .348) off the bench at Pacific (2-23).
????????--He had a
team-best 5 digs at Stanford (2-24).
????????--He had 4
kills and 3 digs vs. Pepperdine (3-7).
MARCUS GILMOUR
Prior to the start of the 2002 season, Marcus Gilmour, a
6-9 redshirt sophomore opposite hitter, had yet to step onto the court
for Troy while recovering from knee surgery.? But he hoped to be a
factor for USC in 2002 as he made the move from outside hitter.
????????--In
his first-ever action as a Trojan, he had 4 kills vs. Pepperdine (1-12)
at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--He
chipped a bone in his left knee vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at the Wyndham
Garden/West Coast Challenge and has not seen action since.
FRESHMEN
Look for some of USC's new freshmen-four were named to the 2001
Volleyball Fab 50 team-to contribute in 2002.? At 6-11, middle
blocker Phil Small is the tallest Trojan volleyballer ever.?
A starter, he currently is tied for second on USC in blocks
(49).? 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.? 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.? 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.? 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.
????????--Small
had 9 kills and a match-best 6 blocks vs. La Verne (1-8) in his USC
debut.
????????--Vs.
Pepperdine (1-12) at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast Challenge, McKniff and
Gilmour saw their first action as Trojans, with McKniff getting 2 blocks
and an ace and Gilmour getting 6 assists.
????????--Small
had 9 kills and 3 blocks vs. UCLA (1-13) at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast
Challenge.
????????--Small
had a match-high 7 blocks while hitting .462 vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at
the Wyndham Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--Small
had 7 kills vs. UC Santa Cruz (1-16).
????????--Small?
had 3 blocks at UC San Diego (1-18).
????????--Small
had 3 blocks vs. Cal Baptist (1-22).
????????--Small
had a match-best 5 blocks and hit .400 with 5 kills vs. Cal State
Northridge (2-2), while Gilmour got his first career start and had 17
assists with 3 kills in a game-and-a-half of action and McKniff had a
kill and block.
????????--Gilmour
started his second consecutive match at UC Irvine (2-6) and had 14
assists in a game-and-a-half of action.
????????--Small
had 4 kills and 2 blocks at UCLA (2-9).
????????--Small
had 4 blocks at Pepperdine (2-12).
????????--Gilmour
started at Long Beach State (2-16) and had 24 assists and 4 blocks, while
Small had 5 kills and 3 blocks.
????????--Gilmour
started vs.UC San Diego (2-19) for an injured McGann and had 44 assists,
4 kills and 6 digs, while Small had 8 kills (hitting .385) and 4
blocks.
????????--Gilmour
started at Pacific (2-23) and had 57 assists and 4 digs, while McKniff
got his first career start and had 4 kills and a team-best 4
blocks.
????????--Gilmour
started at Stanford (2-24) and had 38 assists and 3 blocks, while McKniff
also started and had 2 kills and 2 digs.
????????--Small
had 5 kills and 2 aces vs. Hawaii (3-1), while Gilmour saw brief action
off the bench.
????????--McKniff
had 4 kills vs. Hawaii (3-2).
????????--Small
had 3 kills and 4 blocks vs. UC Irvine (3-5), while McKniff also had 4
kills (hitting .333) and Gilmour had 43 assists and 3 digs.
????????--Gilmour
had 16 assists and 2 blocks while starting vs. Pepperdine (3-7) and
McKniff started.
LIBEROS
There is 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 is being pushed by 6-3 sophomore Peter Jordan,
who saw brief action in seven matches in 2001 at outside hitter.?
Also available are 6-2 junior Dustin Avol, who appeared in 35
matches 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).? Tippett
has been used mainly as a serving specialist in 2002.? Burden
currently is second on USC in digs (92) and Jordan is fourth
(68).? Burden currently is second in the MPSF in dig average
(2.06).
????????--Jordan
had a match-best 6 digs vs. La Verne (1-8).
????????--Jordan
had a match-best 13 digs vs. Pepperdine (1-12) at the Wyndham Garden/West
Coast Challenge.
????????--Burden
had 5 digs vs. UCLA (1-13) at the Wyndham Garden/West Coast
Challenge.
????????--Jordan
had a match-high 11 digs vs. host UC Irvine (1-13) at the Wyndham
Garden/West Coast Challenge.
????????--Burden
had a match-high 8 digs vs. UC Santa Cruz (1-16).
????????--Burden
had a match-best 11 digs at UC San Diego (1-18).
????????--Burden
had 5 digs vs. Cal Baptist (1-22), while Tippett added 3 digs.
????????--Burden
had 4 digs at BYU (1-25).
????????--Jordan
had 4 digs at BYU (1-26).
????????--Jordan
had 8 digs and an ace vs. UC Santa Barbara (1-30), while Burden added 5
digs and Tippett had an aces.
????????--Tippett
started at opposite hitter at UC Irvine (2-6) and had 2 kills and 2 digs,
while Burden had a match-best 7 digs and Jordan had a kill while playing
outside hitter.
????????--Jordan
had a match-high 9 digs at UCLA (2-9).
????????--Jordan
had 5 digs at Pepperdine (2-12), while Avol had a kill.
????????--Burden
had a match-high 7 digs at Long Beach State (2-16).
????????--Burden
had 7 digs vs.UC San Diego (2-19).
????????--Burden
had 12 digs at Pacific (2-23).
????????--Burden
had 4 digs vs. Hawaii (3-1).
????????--Burden
had a team-best 6 digs vs. Hawaii (3-2), while Jordan had 5 kills while
playing outside hitter.
????????--Burden
had a match-best 8 digs vs. UC Irvine (3-5), while Jordan ha d3 digs
while starting at outside hitter and Tippett had 2 aces as a serving
specialist.
????????--Tippett
had 5 kills (hitting .500) off the bench as an outside hitter, while Avol
saw action in a game at libero.
OTHER OUTSIDE VETS
Also on the roster from last year are a pair of outside hitters
who didn't see any action:? 6-7 sophomore Phil Peterson and
6-4 sophomore 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, has been slowed this year
following foot surgery in early January.
SLOW START
At 5-17 overall, USC is off to its slowest start in program
history.? USC's since-broken 8-match losing streak (all MPSF
matches) was its longest overall since a 9-match skid over the 1971 and
1972 seasons (the league streak was a school record).? During that
8-match losing streak, the Trojans lost 16 consecutive games and won only
1 game out of 25.
NOTES
USC currently is first in the MPSF in ace average
(1.98)...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 Elmore, 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.
