Four Trojans named to All-Century team


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The Pac-12 Conference announced the official Pac-12 All-Century Men’s Volleyball Team which included four former Trojan greats: setter Dusty Dvorak, middle blocker Bryan Ivie and outside hitters Celso Kalache and Pat Powers.

USC’s nominees, while from different time periods, greatly contributed to the Trojans’ winning traditions as Powers, Dvorak and Kalache were members of the National Championship-winning team in 1980.

One-time All-American Celso Kalache, an outside hitter for the Trojans in 1973, ’74, ’75 and ’77, earned MVP honors for his performance in USC’s 1977 national championship victory. The Brazilian hitter also played for his native country during the 1972 and 1976 Olympics.

Setter Dusty Dvorak attended USC from 1977-1980, receiving All-American honors four times, National Championship MVP honors once in 1980 and took the Trojans to the NCAA Championship three times, earning runner-up honors in 1979.

Fellow outside hitter Pat Powers, a two-time All-American (1979-80), could be considered the most successful Trojan on the All-Century team as he not only won a gold medal for the United States in the 1984 Olympics, but because he also served as the Trojans’ head coach from 1997 to 2001, earning a career-best 26-6 record in the Trojans’ 1999-2000 campaign.

Powers and Dvorak earned their gold medals in the 1984 Olympics and All-American honors.

Though Ivie only obtained one bronze medal during his two stints on the 1992 and 1996 Olympic squads, he currently sits atop the Trojan’s career stats sheet with USC records in career and season kills (2,380, 770) and blocks (661, 199).

Ivie helped USC to three national title appearances, winning in 1988 and 1990, with the Trojans falling in 1991, finishing an impressive 10-year span which saw USC reach the national championship game seven times, winning twice.

Rival UCLA contributed nine of the 16 players nominated to the All-Century team, as well as the Player and Coach of the Century in Karch Kiraly and Al Scates, respectively. Stanford’s Scott Fortune, Erik Shoji and Mike Lambert also received All-Century honors.

One of UCLA’s great players has returned to USC in current head coach Jeff Nygaard. Nygaard was honored as one of four middle blockers named to the All-Century team. Nygaard played at UCLA from 1992-1995. He is in his first year as USC’s head coach.

The Trojans’ next contest will be on Sunday at the Galen Center as USC plays host to Stanford.