Post by MossV2 on Jan 28, 2005 15:41:31 GMT -5
www.dailytrojan.com/news/2005/01/27/Sports/All-In.The.Family.For.One.Trojan-842836.shtml
Article on USC setter Jimmy Killian from the Daily Trojan
Article on USC setter Jimmy Killian from the Daily Trojan
Jimmy Killian deals with the stress of family, school and sports the way few collegiate athletes do.
He doesn't.
That's not to say the freshman setter crumbles under the pressure of fulfilling a family legacy, resurrecting a struggling program and throwing in some studying on the side. He just has his priorities in order.
"I want a ring," Killian said. "I want some bling!"
A national championship ring to be exact, an achievement that would put him in the ranks of, well, his entire family.
His father Don? A USC volleyball national champion in 1977.
His sister Lauren? Two Final Fours, including a championship in 2002.
His brother Donny? Two Final Fours at Pepperdine before transferring to USC and later becoming an assistant coach.
Uncle? Lettered in volleyball. Grandfathers? Both played USC basketball. Mother, uncles, aunt, cousins, great-grandfather? All USC graduates and bearers of the family name that Jimmy will do his best to uphold through the sport that runs through their family tree.
Naturally, Killian was brought into the sport early in his life, raised by a champion and having the luxury to play with a top recruit in the comfort of his own home.
"I got to watch my brother and my sister play, so I always grew up around the game," Killian said.
"I was really peppering in the backyard with Lauren when I was like 7 or 8 years old, and I started playing competitively when I was 10."
Unlike other family dynasties however, pursuing volleyball was strictly Jimmy's choice. This wasn't an Earl Woods situation; this was a genuine love for the game.
"I played basketball to begin with," Killian said, "but then I just kind of hung up my shoes and said volleyball was what I wanted to do and what I want to be."
Still, being the son of a champion does play a role in the development of a star athlete.
"It was one of those things that I'd always heard of like, 'Oh yeah, you know my dad won a national championship,' and at that point I didn't really know what I meant," Killian said.
"I didn't realize the hard work and dedication and everything that went into it. I knew it was a volleyball family, but I wasn't into that kind of thing, I just liked to play the game."
"But now, I know, I've got some big shoes to fill."
Those shoes got even bigger when sister Lauren helped lead the Women Of Troy to a national championship just more than two years ago as a senior. Jimmy was at the game, and although he was just a junior in high school at the time, he was already one of the top recruits in the country.
"I was there in New Orleans (for the game); it was a pretty memorable time," Killian said. "That was probably one of the most amazing things ever and I said, 'You know, this is a really cool experience.'"
And the need for some bling?
"Seeing my dad's ring when he wears it everyday and seeing Lauren's ring when she wears it everyday, it's just like, you know what, that's the next step. That's what I need to do."
For Killian, it's not just the family legacy that puts added weight on his shoulders. Coming into USC, he was regarded as perhaps the best incoming player in the nation, and his résumé was littered with accolades from his career at Loyola High School in Los Angeles.
In addition to leading Loyola to two consecutive California Interscholastic Federation Division I titles, he was named 2004 All-CIF Division I Co-MVP and Los Angeles Times All-Star Player of the Year. He played in four USA Volleyball Junior Olympics, taking home MVP honors three times.
Since the pressure doesn't seem to bother Killian, one might think all the achievements would go to his head, at least until you talk to him.
"Personally, I have so much fun, and I'm a very competitive person, and (the awards) are all fine and dandy, but this is a new page in my life, and I haven't done anything yet," Killian said.
"I'm looking to build on that because everything I did was with another team, and this is a brand new challenge."
A challenge, indeed. The USC men's volleyball team has been unable to crack the six-win barrier the past three years, in part because of an inability to lure top recruits to the school.
With Killian's arrival, this trend is already starting to change. Opposite hitter C.J. Schellenberg, referred to as the "top player in this year's recruiting class" by USC coach Turhan Douglas, is joining the Trojan family next year to join his high school teammate in college.
Apparently, the Killian name pays dividends in more ways than one, but for now the focus is on this season.
"People deem this a rebuilding year," Killian said, "and although our record doesn't necessarily show it, we are a much better team than we were last year. We're giving very competitive teams some good runs at it, like the recent loss to UCLA and the preseason win against Penn State."
"The team chemistry is awesome. We're all best friends off the court, as hokey as that sounds."
With all his abilities coming out of high school, it was tempting for Killian to go to a school with a more established program where he could succeed right away. USC's struggles with recruiting left them stuck in a pretty dire situation. Even with his USC family tradition, he had to look out for himself and make the decision that was in his best interests.
"A lot of the reason that I wasn't recruited by a lot of schools is because everybody thought that I was going to USC," Killian said.
"I told everybody I was keeping my options open, and I was recruited by UCLA and Stanford pretty well, but deep down inside after my recruiting trip I just couldn't imagine myself anywhere else."
"There are absolutely no regrets. I'm the happiest man alive right now."
It shows. When Killian walks into a room, he's all smiles and handshakes.
When he steps out on the court, it actually looks like he's having fun out there.
It's a startling sight to see in an era of temperamental athletes that sulk through similar rebuilding situations, so how does Killian stay so positive?
Family, of course.
"They're my No. 1 fans, my whole family is my No. 1 fans, and they basically say 'We want you to have fun, and if that's winning a national title to you, then that's winning a national title to you. We just want you to continue to enjoy the game, be competitive and be as successful as you can,'" Killian said.
"I just kind of took that and now I want to win a national championship."
And to further the Killian legacy through future generations, how soon until his kids start playing volleyball?
"Right out of the womb. They'll be bumping balls right out of the womb."
He doesn't.
That's not to say the freshman setter crumbles under the pressure of fulfilling a family legacy, resurrecting a struggling program and throwing in some studying on the side. He just has his priorities in order.
"I want a ring," Killian said. "I want some bling!"
A national championship ring to be exact, an achievement that would put him in the ranks of, well, his entire family.
His father Don? A USC volleyball national champion in 1977.
His sister Lauren? Two Final Fours, including a championship in 2002.
His brother Donny? Two Final Fours at Pepperdine before transferring to USC and later becoming an assistant coach.
Uncle? Lettered in volleyball. Grandfathers? Both played USC basketball. Mother, uncles, aunt, cousins, great-grandfather? All USC graduates and bearers of the family name that Jimmy will do his best to uphold through the sport that runs through their family tree.
Naturally, Killian was brought into the sport early in his life, raised by a champion and having the luxury to play with a top recruit in the comfort of his own home.
"I got to watch my brother and my sister play, so I always grew up around the game," Killian said.
"I was really peppering in the backyard with Lauren when I was like 7 or 8 years old, and I started playing competitively when I was 10."
Unlike other family dynasties however, pursuing volleyball was strictly Jimmy's choice. This wasn't an Earl Woods situation; this was a genuine love for the game.
"I played basketball to begin with," Killian said, "but then I just kind of hung up my shoes and said volleyball was what I wanted to do and what I want to be."
Still, being the son of a champion does play a role in the development of a star athlete.
"It was one of those things that I'd always heard of like, 'Oh yeah, you know my dad won a national championship,' and at that point I didn't really know what I meant," Killian said.
"I didn't realize the hard work and dedication and everything that went into it. I knew it was a volleyball family, but I wasn't into that kind of thing, I just liked to play the game."
"But now, I know, I've got some big shoes to fill."
Those shoes got even bigger when sister Lauren helped lead the Women Of Troy to a national championship just more than two years ago as a senior. Jimmy was at the game, and although he was just a junior in high school at the time, he was already one of the top recruits in the country.
"I was there in New Orleans (for the game); it was a pretty memorable time," Killian said. "That was probably one of the most amazing things ever and I said, 'You know, this is a really cool experience.'"
And the need for some bling?
"Seeing my dad's ring when he wears it everyday and seeing Lauren's ring when she wears it everyday, it's just like, you know what, that's the next step. That's what I need to do."
For Killian, it's not just the family legacy that puts added weight on his shoulders. Coming into USC, he was regarded as perhaps the best incoming player in the nation, and his résumé was littered with accolades from his career at Loyola High School in Los Angeles.
In addition to leading Loyola to two consecutive California Interscholastic Federation Division I titles, he was named 2004 All-CIF Division I Co-MVP and Los Angeles Times All-Star Player of the Year. He played in four USA Volleyball Junior Olympics, taking home MVP honors three times.
Since the pressure doesn't seem to bother Killian, one might think all the achievements would go to his head, at least until you talk to him.
"Personally, I have so much fun, and I'm a very competitive person, and (the awards) are all fine and dandy, but this is a new page in my life, and I haven't done anything yet," Killian said.
"I'm looking to build on that because everything I did was with another team, and this is a brand new challenge."
A challenge, indeed. The USC men's volleyball team has been unable to crack the six-win barrier the past three years, in part because of an inability to lure top recruits to the school.
With Killian's arrival, this trend is already starting to change. Opposite hitter C.J. Schellenberg, referred to as the "top player in this year's recruiting class" by USC coach Turhan Douglas, is joining the Trojan family next year to join his high school teammate in college.
Apparently, the Killian name pays dividends in more ways than one, but for now the focus is on this season.
"People deem this a rebuilding year," Killian said, "and although our record doesn't necessarily show it, we are a much better team than we were last year. We're giving very competitive teams some good runs at it, like the recent loss to UCLA and the preseason win against Penn State."
"The team chemistry is awesome. We're all best friends off the court, as hokey as that sounds."
With all his abilities coming out of high school, it was tempting for Killian to go to a school with a more established program where he could succeed right away. USC's struggles with recruiting left them stuck in a pretty dire situation. Even with his USC family tradition, he had to look out for himself and make the decision that was in his best interests.
"A lot of the reason that I wasn't recruited by a lot of schools is because everybody thought that I was going to USC," Killian said.
"I told everybody I was keeping my options open, and I was recruited by UCLA and Stanford pretty well, but deep down inside after my recruiting trip I just couldn't imagine myself anywhere else."
"There are absolutely no regrets. I'm the happiest man alive right now."
It shows. When Killian walks into a room, he's all smiles and handshakes.
When he steps out on the court, it actually looks like he's having fun out there.
It's a startling sight to see in an era of temperamental athletes that sulk through similar rebuilding situations, so how does Killian stay so positive?
Family, of course.
"They're my No. 1 fans, my whole family is my No. 1 fans, and they basically say 'We want you to have fun, and if that's winning a national title to you, then that's winning a national title to you. We just want you to continue to enjoy the game, be competitive and be as successful as you can,'" Killian said.
"I just kind of took that and now I want to win a national championship."
And to further the Killian legacy through future generations, how soon until his kids start playing volleyball?
"Right out of the womb. They'll be bumping balls right out of the womb."
