2018 USC Men's Volleyball Outlook

If the USC men's volleyball team can show as much improvement in Year Three of the Jeff Nygaard Era as it did in Year Two, good things could be in store in 2018.

In 2017, the Trojans went 14-14 overall to double their win total from Nygaard's 2016 debut season as head coach. USC, which tied for sixth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with an 8-10 mark, also advanced to the MPSF Tournament in 2017 after a year's hiatus.

Troy is hoping the momentum of the second half of last season carries over to the 2018 campaign. After dropping 7 of their first 9 matches last spring, the Trojans finished strong by winning 8 of their final 10 contests. USC gave NCAA Tournament participant Long Beach State 1 of its 4 losses of 2017 and Troy also beat 4 other Top 10 teams.

Although program stalwarts Lucas Yoder (the 3-year starting outside hitter led the nation in kills at 4.85 and points at 5.22 in 2017 while making All-American second team and All-MPSF first team) and Andy Benesh (the 4-year starting middle blocker was sixth nationally in hitting percentage in 2017 at .429) have graduated, 12 players from last year's roster return, including 4 starters and the libero. However, there are just 7 upperclassmen on USC's 21-player roster, including only 2 seniors.

"We will be a young team this year, but I expect growth and improvement similar to what we have had the past 2 years," said Nygaard. "For us, the challenge in 2018 will be cultivating experience. We will rely on contributions from many players who don't have much MPSF experience. We will improve as a team as they gain experience.

"We had a very productive fall. The entire team gained in physicality and volleyball IQ. Our players are devoted to the process of attaining success and I expect that to continue throughout this season as we make our run to post-season play."

The returning starters, who own 124 career starts between them, are skilled.

Gert Lisha, a 6-6 senior from Albania, returns as the starting setter. He started 12 matches in 2016 and 26 last year when he was second nationally in assists (10.85). He also was second among the Trojans in 2017 in digs (124), blocks (44) and aces (15).

"Gert brings international experience and great passion to our team," said Nygaard. "He has a vision for where he wants to take his volleyball career and is working hard to attain it."

Connor Inlow, a 6-6 junior middle blocker and 2018 team co-captain, had 22 starts last year, hitting .409 with 93 kills, 27 blocks and 40 digs.

"Connor earned the right to be a captain with his hard work and his actions on and off the court," said Nygaard. "He is the embodiment of the ideal Trojan."

Gianluca Grasso, a 6-2 junior outside hitter from Brazil (his parents played for the country's national teams), joined USC in late January of last season as a junior college transfer and quickly earned a starting job. A 15-match starter, he posted 189 kills while hitting .268 and added 96 digs and 24 aces. A back injury could slow him early in the 2018 season.

"Gianluca has demonstrated tremendous resiliency overcoming any obstacle in front of him," said Nygaard. "We expect big things from him."

Lucas Lossone, a 6-8 sophomore whose mother played at USC, emerged as the starting opposite hitter midway through 2017 (earlier, he had come off the bench as a middle blocker). The 16-match starter had 139 kills (hitting .259), 61 digs and 31 blocks last year.

"Lucas has embraced the challenge of becoming more consistently physical in his play," said Nygaard. "He is thirsty to improve daily and he shows the desire to have our team succeed."

Matt Douglas, a 5-10 junior who started 26 times at libero in 2017, had a team-best 233 digs and only 37 reception errors in 590 attempts last season.

"Matt brings a lot of MPSF-level experience to our team," said Nygaard. "He also now understands what it takes to get to the next level."

Five other Trojans return with some starting experience to their names. There's 6-8 junior outside hitter Ryan Moss (he also can play opposite hitter and middle blocker), who has 13 career starts, including 6 times as a middle in 2017 when he hit .330 with 53 kills and 23 blocks; 6-6 senior opposite hitter Jon Rivera of Puerto Rico, who in his career has 22 starts (mostly in 2016), 212 kills, 93 digs, 37 blocks and 11 aces; 6-4 sophomore opposite hitter Aaron Strange (his sister starred on a pair of USC's national championship beach squads), who started 13 times in the first half of 2017 and ended with 95 kills, 65 digs and 27 digs; and 6-3 soph setter Matt Faraimo, who started twice last spring.

USC also welcomes back 6-5 junior outside hitter Jack Wyett, who returned to the program after a 2-year absence (he started once in 2015) and is now a team co-captain.

"Ryan has handled more than his share of adversity and come through it with strength, consistency and maturity," said Nygaard. "I expect great things from him and he expects even more. Jon is a passionate, hard-working veteran who gives his all for our team. Aaron can be unstoppable when he puts his game together. He is a physical specimen who is learning what consistency in his play can do for the team's success. Matt is well-respected by his teammates and is learning how to be successful on and off the court the Trojan way. Jack is part of our team for all the right reasons and we're glad to have him back. He's a very physical player."

Also back from last year are 2 players who have yet to see action at USC: a 6-8 sophomore middle blocker Tyler Resnick and 5-8 redshirt freshman libero Michael Chang. Resnick could be hampered by a shoulder injury in 2018.

"Tyler has earned our team's respect with his hard work, growth mindset and ability to raise our team's culture and performance," said Nygaard. "Michael is a driven, team-oriented player who is a great role model on and off the court."

Nygaard brought in a large and talented class of 9 freshmen, including 2 players—6-10 middle blocker Sam Lewis of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High (USC's second tallest player ever) and 6-2 setter Chris Hall of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, Calif.—who were starters on the 2016 and 2017 USA Boys Youth National Teams, another—5-10 libero Cole Paxson of Laguna Beach (Calif.) High—who joined them on the 2016 USA Boys Youth National Team and another—6-4 outside hitter Christopher McBee of Palos Verdes High in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.—who was an alternate on that 2016 USA Boys Youth National Team (his brother played on a pair of USC's NCAA champion water polo teams). Lewis and Hall were 2017 prep All-Americans and Hall was the All-CIF Division 2 Player of the Year.

Two other newcomers can play multiple positions: 6-8 Kyle Gear of Gates Chili High in Rochester, N.Y., who is available at middle blocker and opposite hitter (his brother plays for Penn State), and 6-7 Billy Fauntleroy of New Trier High in Winnetka, Ill., a 2017 prep All-American who can be used at outside hitter and opposite hitter (he has 3 sisters who have played collegiately).

Mitch Haly, a 6-7 middle blocker from Corona del Mar (Calif.) High, earned 2017 prep All-American honors and was the All-CIF Division 1 Player of the Year, but a back injury could slow him in 2018. Also a football and basketball player in high school, he has a brother who played volleyball at Stanford.

Outside hitters Clay Dickinson of Corona del Mar (Calif.) High, who is 6-7, and 6-6 Noah Franklin of Huntington Beach (Calif.) High joined Lewis, Hall, Paxson, Fauntleroy and Haly on the Volleyballmag.com Fab 50 list last year.

"Sam has the potential to be a dominant middle blocker not only collegiately, but internationally," said Nygaard. "As he grows and matures as a player, the weight of expectations placed on him will get easier. Chris has a maturity and high volleyball IQ that raises the level of our team's play each day. Cole has benefited from international competition and brings great experience despite his youth. Christopher is a natural passer and a very good blocker who has a ton of upside once he embraces the level of consistency needed to succeed.

"Kyle is very coachable, has a workman's mentality and great drive and has unlimited potential. Billy also has high potential; he is all in, is our hardest worker, has a high value system and brings a great voice to the gym.

"Mitch is a multi-sport athlete with great leadership qualities. Clay's physicality has been impressive and as he is challenged more he'll rise to the level needed to succeed. Noah has one speed, all out, and he plays hard. He wants to be good and has a promising future."

The 2018 Trojans hope to add to the program's tradition of success that includes 4 NCAA Championships, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, 20 Olympians, 34 All-American first teamers and 7 College Players of the Year.

USC has attained those feats despite playing in America's toughest conference. The MPSF, celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2018, has been reconfigured this season into a 7-team league. Six schools departed for the Big West, leaving USC, UCLA, Stanford, Pepperdine and BYU along with new members Concordia and Grand Canyon.

"USC always has the ability to win a national championship," said Nygaard, who is aided by fulltime assistants Gary Sato and Todd Hollenbeckand volunteer assistant Brian Schirripa. "The league we play in prepares us for that. Even though the MPSF now has a new look, the league is still full of top tier teams, which means we will face strong competition in every match."

In addition to its 12 MPSF contests, Troy's 2018 schedule features early season appearances at the Texaco Rainbow Warrior Classic at Hawaii and the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge at UCLA (site of the 2018 NCAA tourney), where it will face defending NCAA champ Ohio State and Penn State. The Trojans also will battle some of their former MPSF foes now in the Big West, including Long Beach State, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara.

Players Mentioned

Michael Chang

Clay Dickinson

Matt Douglas

Matt Faraimo

Billy Fauntleroy

Noah Franklin

Kyle Gear

Gianluca Grasso

Chris Hall

Connor Inlow

Sam Lewis

Gert Lisha

Lucas Lossone

Ryan Moss

Cole Paxson

Tyler Resnick

Jon Rivera

Aaron Strange

Jack Wyett