Freshman phenoms are a dominant duo

Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, Brady and Gronk, even Shaq and Kobe; a number of players have made their mark on their respective sports as individuals, but their legacy together as teammates is far greater. 

At USC, there is a Trojan duo that may too come to demonstrate the unique dominance of all-time teammates. Freshman outside hitter Dillon Klein and freshman setter Ryan Sprague have developed competitive chemistry beyond their years, and it has shown on the court this season. It’s clear that the two freshmen have special talent individually. 

Klein has exploded onto the men’s volleyball scene this season. He is fourth in the MPSF with 298 kills and is a frontrunner for MPSF freshman of the year. With freak athleticism and one of the most powerful right arms in the sport, Klein has developed into the primary scorer on offense for the Trojans, despite being only a freshman. 

“Klein embraced the role that we gave him to be the go-to guy,” said Head Coach Jeff Nygaard. “I think that’s a role that he not only wants, we all recognize that it’s the right fit.”

Sprague hasn’t been an instant star to the same degree partially because he is still waiting his turn to be a full time starter behind USC’s other extremely talented setter, junior Nate Tennant. However, he has still seen plenty of game action, often checking into the match in some of the Trojans’ most high pressure situations and providing an offensive spark off the bench. 

In those moments, his passion for the game has shined through tremendously. There may be people who love the game of volleyball as much as Sprague, but you probably won’t find anyone who loves it more than him. 

“I love every moment I get to be out there in Galen,” Sprague said. “It’s awesome, there’s literally nothing like it.” 

The pair are great players, and if they had gone their separate ways in college, they probably would have still seen great success. But together as Trojans, they have a chance to be something even more special for two reasons. 

For one, their positions make developing their skills together a necessity. Being a setter, Spague’s primary responsibility is to rack up assists, dishing perfect sets to his teammates who can then score points. Klein, being a starting outside hitter and the go-to guy on offense, is who Trojan setters look to the most to convert those scoring opportunities. It’s in their best interest to learn how to play well together and depend on one another, because it will maximize their potential and help the team have the greatest level of success. 

The second reason they seem headed for greatness is because they have already built that togetherness. It’s something they’ve been building for years: The two are great friends and have played for years together, including in high school and on their club team. 

The Trojan family may just now be getting to know them, but their coach at Loyola High School, Michael Boehle, knew they were special from the moment he first started coaching them. 

“[Klein] and [Sprague] were both ahead of their time because they were both gifted in certain aspects,” Boehle said. “Dillon was freak-athletic, jump out of the gym guy, and Ryan was competitive, gonna win however we can win, and even from an early age demanded a lot [from] his teammates.” 

Boehle added that they stood out for their competitiveness and ability to take constructive criticism in order to get better. 

They also became natural friends who enjoy many off the field activities together, including golf, which they play together often. While golfing over the summer this past year, Klein hit a hole in one on the 18th hole at a resort in Cabo San Lucas, which the two of them said is one of their favorite memories together. 

It seems as though, because of their volleyball skills, competitiveness and friendship, they were always destined to become a dynamic duo on the court. 

Two years ago, they settled into their current positions, setter and outside hitter, while at Loyola High School. Having worked on their chemistry as teammates for two years prior to USC, they have a head start on other teams in the conference.

“[Sprague] set me for the past two years, and building a setter-hitter connection can take a while, but coming into the program already having that connection down is really beneficial,” Klein said. 

Their experience playing together has allowed them to know one another’s tendencies and way of thinking inherently. The result has been an incredible on-court connection that has impressed everyone. 

“There’s a lot of non-verbal communication,” Nygaard said. “Something will happen, Ryan will throw a ball up, DK just knows it’s coming.” 

It’s also made their transition from high school to college easier and more fun. 

“I feel like I’m pretty comfortable on the court with him because I’ve just done it before,” Sprague said. “When I’m getting thrown into a game or something it’s not a big deal because it’s like okay, I’m just playing with Dillon, it’s not anything too crazy.” 

USC has two extremely talented freshmen who play volleyball at a high level and are also elite at being teammates, to the point where they already have an unspoken understanding of one another and inherently know how to play together. The rest of the MPSF should be very afraid. 

Even watching from a distance, Boehle is a huge believer in their future, and in the team’s future. 

“A few times, I’ve got to see my guys that I coached at the national championship … I hope [Klein and Sprague] get an opportunity to do that,” Boehle said. “I think they are very capable with the coaching staff that’s in place to make a run at that [in] their next three years, 100%.” 

Fortunately for Trojan fans, that belief is echoed by Klein and Sprague themselves. 

“Every year I want to win the conference tournament and I want to win an NCAA championship,” Sprague said. 

Even this year? 

“As soon as possible,” Klein said. “Ryan and I want to win for this team … sure, we might have three more years of eligibility, but we’re really focused on this year.” 

Regardless of what the results are in the next few years, they’re definitely going to exemplify teamwork and excellence. If they’re already playing at a high level now, their potential for growth individually and as teammates is sky-high.

By the time they’re done, Sprague and Klein could be an iconic, all-time volleyball duo. Current and future Trojans should make sure to watch them on the court before their jerseys are already in the rafters.