Post by My2Sense on Mar 8, 2004 21:28:43 GMT -5
This appears today in the L.A. Times OC Edition of the Daily Pilot:
www.latimes.com/news/local/pilot/sports/la-dpt-curci08mar08,1,491235.story
ANTHONY CURCI
Volleyball
<br> ANTHONY CURCI
Steve Virgen, Daily Pilot
There was a moment when Anthony Curci wanted to transfer from UCLA because he did not feel he fit into the plans of the Bruins' men's volleyball team.
But that was just a moment. For the most part, Curci, a volleyball standout from Newport Beach, became motivated and wanted to fulfill his potential. He wanted to do all he could to prove to Coach Al Scates that he could be depended upon.
"I spent the first few years frustrated," Curci said of his time at UCLA. "There was a lot of talent in front of me and I even thought of transferring at one point. But a guy named Mark Slevcove convinced me I needed to stick it out."
Curci started playing at UCLA in 1985. He was a redshirt his sophomore year and played sparingly when he came back. That's when Slevcove, a former Bruins' player and standout from Orange County, gave Curci a pep talk.
Curci earned a starting position in 1988, then in 1989, he was captain of the UCLA team that won the NCAA championship. He entered UCLA as a setter, but in 1989, he played opposite and helped lead the Bruins defeat Stanford, which featured former Olympian Scott Fortune, in the title match.
The Bruins also won the national championship in 1987, when Curci was a redshirt sophomore.
"You get committed," Curci said, explaining his improvement at UCLA. "You get to a point where you are just committed. You spend five or six hours a day, just working at it. When you win, it makes it all worth it. It was a great ending."
In the beginning, Curci played volleyball in Newport Beach and learned from Coach Charlie Brande. Curci grew up in Newport Beach and his brother, Mike, and sister, Sienna, played at Newport Harbor High.
"Charlie was a very principled coach," Curci said of the coach who is now the head man for the UC Irvine women's volleyball team. "Many of the things he taught me stuck with me. He really provided me with good principles."
For his high school education, Curci went to Cate, a boarding school in Carpenteria, which had about 220 students at the time. He competed in lacrosse, soccer and volleyball. The volleyball team did not win many matches, just one in Curci's senior year. But Curci still stood out, so much so that he earned a scholarship to play for UCLA and Scates.
"It was a situation where he expects to win, so whoever shows up that night gets to play," Curci said. "It's a pretty cutthroat system. You make a few errors and you're done. He's going to win because he has a lot of talent. If one of his players goes into the tank, he has enough talent to go on."
After UCLA, Curci played beach volleyball on the AVP Tour for four years. He said he realized it is difficult to retire financially as a pro volleyball player and he eventually stopped playing.
While at UCLA, Curci earned undergraduate degrees in psychology and business. He gained his master's degree in psychology and an MBA in finance at Pepperdine.
Now, he is a consultant at a private equity investing firm. He continues to play volleyball for recreation.
"The competitiveness is still there," he said. "Especially when I play USC guys around town."
Curci, the latest honoree of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame, lives in Newport Beach with his wife, Erin, and their daughter, Eva, who will be 4 next month. They are expecting a new addition to the family, as Erin is pregnant and due in September.
www.latimes.com/news/local/pilot/sports/la-dpt-curci08mar08,1,491235.story
ANTHONY CURCI
Volleyball
<br> ANTHONY CURCI
Steve Virgen, Daily Pilot
There was a moment when Anthony Curci wanted to transfer from UCLA because he did not feel he fit into the plans of the Bruins' men's volleyball team.
But that was just a moment. For the most part, Curci, a volleyball standout from Newport Beach, became motivated and wanted to fulfill his potential. He wanted to do all he could to prove to Coach Al Scates that he could be depended upon.
"I spent the first few years frustrated," Curci said of his time at UCLA. "There was a lot of talent in front of me and I even thought of transferring at one point. But a guy named Mark Slevcove convinced me I needed to stick it out."
Curci started playing at UCLA in 1985. He was a redshirt his sophomore year and played sparingly when he came back. That's when Slevcove, a former Bruins' player and standout from Orange County, gave Curci a pep talk.
Curci earned a starting position in 1988, then in 1989, he was captain of the UCLA team that won the NCAA championship. He entered UCLA as a setter, but in 1989, he played opposite and helped lead the Bruins defeat Stanford, which featured former Olympian Scott Fortune, in the title match.
The Bruins also won the national championship in 1987, when Curci was a redshirt sophomore.
"You get committed," Curci said, explaining his improvement at UCLA. "You get to a point where you are just committed. You spend five or six hours a day, just working at it. When you win, it makes it all worth it. It was a great ending."
In the beginning, Curci played volleyball in Newport Beach and learned from Coach Charlie Brande. Curci grew up in Newport Beach and his brother, Mike, and sister, Sienna, played at Newport Harbor High.
"Charlie was a very principled coach," Curci said of the coach who is now the head man for the UC Irvine women's volleyball team. "Many of the things he taught me stuck with me. He really provided me with good principles."
For his high school education, Curci went to Cate, a boarding school in Carpenteria, which had about 220 students at the time. He competed in lacrosse, soccer and volleyball. The volleyball team did not win many matches, just one in Curci's senior year. But Curci still stood out, so much so that he earned a scholarship to play for UCLA and Scates.
"It was a situation where he expects to win, so whoever shows up that night gets to play," Curci said. "It's a pretty cutthroat system. You make a few errors and you're done. He's going to win because he has a lot of talent. If one of his players goes into the tank, he has enough talent to go on."
After UCLA, Curci played beach volleyball on the AVP Tour for four years. He said he realized it is difficult to retire financially as a pro volleyball player and he eventually stopped playing.
While at UCLA, Curci earned undergraduate degrees in psychology and business. He gained his master's degree in psychology and an MBA in finance at Pepperdine.
Now, he is a consultant at a private equity investing firm. He continues to play volleyball for recreation.
"The competitiveness is still there," he said. "Especially when I play USC guys around town."
Curci, the latest honoree of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame, lives in Newport Beach with his wife, Erin, and their daughter, Eva, who will be 4 next month. They are expecting a new addition to the family, as Erin is pregnant and due in September.