John Tocci/Assistant Photo Editor
Zach Englund
Staff Writer
Their reputation precedes them. Expectations follow them. And if history is any indication, Wave fans can anticipate very good things from the Pepperdine men’s volleyball team this season.
With a No. 5 national preseason rank, it’s clear that the country sees something in this team that suggests they will be in serious contention once again for the championship trophy. The organization from top to bottom will accept nothing short of winning, such has been the culture dating back to its inception, with the most recent success being a national title just two years ago.
Last year’s squad made it all the way to the MPSF semi-finals, falling to cross-town rival UCLA in what was a disappointing end to another brilliant campaign which saw the Waves finish with a record of 17-7.
A big contributer to the team’s great success over the years has been the constant presence of Marv Dunphy, who is in his 24th season as head coach. During that time, he has lead Pepperdine to four national titles, along with an Olympic gold medal he won during his four-year stint with the U.S. National team from 1985 through 1988. Dunphy knows that this year’s team has potential for great things, but that he also understands rankings mean very little and that they’re going to have some tough obstacles to overcome.
“I think a lot of the ranking is based on our history and how this program has been,” he said. “The rankings in this sport really don’t mean anything, because you can be ranked tenth and go to the final four and win it. The standard is not the ranking. The standard is the numbers on the wall, and that’s what’s important.”
Dunphy went on to explain how there are six or seven teams in their conference that have most of their players returning, so it will take a collective, focused effort to return this team to championship contention once again.
The team will look to its eight seniors for leadership and mentoring to the younger players on the staff, but as far as Dunphy is concerned, that all means nothing until adversity comes knocking.
“I don’t even look at leadership when things are going well,” he said, “And I think it’s kind of rare when people step up when things aren’t going very well. That’s the only time I even consider the thought of leadership. I like to see it in training and during practice, but more importantly is when it hits the fan.”
Everyone on the team must do their part in order for this season to be a success, but Dunphy is expecting two players in particular — Jonathon Winder and Paul Carroll — to carry a little bit more of the load than the others. A two-time All-American setter in only his junior year, Winder must be a major factor on a daily basis if the team is going to be successful.
Equally as important will be the offensive play of Carroll, who as an outside hitter in only his sophomore year is expected to lead the team in kills and help fill the gap left by the team’s middle blocker and MVP, Andy Hein, who graduated in May.
Unfortunately, Winder experienced a knee injury early on and is expected to be out of action for at least two more weeks, but according to Dunphy, freshman setter Brett Hughes has filled in admirably in Winder’s absence.
The other incoming players, along with Hughes, include Todd Dildine, Grant Hilling, Andrew Kurzeka, Patrick Powers and Brent Schirripa.
One interesting player joining the squad is Greg Gaudino. A senior transfer student who was on the basketball team at USC for four years, Gaudino is studying public policy at Pepperdine and will spend his fifth and last year of college sports eligibility as the starting middle blocker for the Waves. An extraordinary talent that Dunphy calls a “project,” Gaudino played competitive volleyball in high school and will be seen as a potential leader of the team moving forward this season.
The two assistant coaches that Dunphy will be working with are Adam Black, who is in his first year, and Gary Sato, a trusted companion who has worked with Dunphy dating all the way back to the Olympics. According to Dunphy, “Adam will be the serve, block and defense coordinator and Gary will be more all-around involved and work with our setters a little bit more.”
After beating Cal Baptist and USC in the early going, the Waves will look to add to their perfect record today as they take on UC San Diego in Firestone Fieldhouse at 7 p.m.
The potential is there to make 2007 a season to remember; now it’s just a matter of living up to the hype, something that, historically, the men’s volleyball team is accustomed to accomplishing.
01-18-2007
