teammates as well – knowing who needs a set to keep their game in rhythm, etc.
Where do you think you fit on the all-time USC lineup?
That’s funny because I have
been keeping up a ton on USC and college volleyball while I have been here in Italy. Based solely on my college career, I don’t think l can stack up with the all-time greats at USC. I got some individual awards, but we didn’t win a national title as a team when I was there. We got to the championship game my freshman season and that was great, but some of those guys were winning a few titles for the Trojans.
So does that mean you are going to let Dusty Dvorak start and then come off the bench?
Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean I
wouldn’t like to go to practice and compete with him for the position.
Is there an athlete in another sport that inspired you when you were younger?
Larry Bird. I was too young to see him play, but my dad was a good college basketball player
Olympic gold medalist Lloy Ball sees a lot of maturity in your game and says you’re his favorite USA player. Do you communicate with him much?
That’s a huge honor to hear that. I have
spoke with him several times but not on a regu- lar basis. He has been very gracious and will talk to me about volleyball and non-volleyball
and we watched film of Bird together. I liked his work ethic, his unique competitiveness and the way he carried himself on the court.
You played in three state high school basketball title games in Hawaii. Was your hoop game based on shooting like Bird?
If I chose to play after high school, I would
have been a 3 who liked to shoot. I was one of our taller guys in high school, so I posted a lot, but my natural position would have been more on the wing.
“
Seeing the work I’m putting in reflect on my play on the court is the rewarding part.
I’m not putting a ceiling on improvement. Micah Christenson on his solid play
all the time. Not when I’m on the court, but when I’m going through nutrition, when I’m in weight training. When I start to think that maybe I should take it easy because I have a match the next day, I go harder because I’m thinking about the primary end goal. It’s a huge motivator, and I’m always thinking about it.
”
You could probably play for another 15 years – maybe even four Olympics. What’s your game plan?
I don’t see any reason to think about not
playing right now. I can assess the situation every three or four years. It’s a big summer; I’m getting married after the Olympics (to former USC beach player Brooke Fournier), so it’s a great time in my life. The wedding is going to be amazing for us regardless, but if I could bring a shiny medal to the party that would be spectacular.
topics. I have a lot of respect for what he accomplished in the USA uniform.
Less than six months from opening ceremonies in Rio, how much are you thinking about the Olympics?
I’m thinking about that
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