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Jonathan Bates and Brandon Johnson
The best USC players at their positions during the decade are receiving a college men’s volleyball honor.
Off the Block announced on Saturday the seven players selected to the USC All-Decade Starting Lineup presented by Off the Block.
The All-Decade Starting Lineup recognizes the best players to compete with a team since 2010. Similar to the starting lineup for a match, the All-Decade honor is comprised of a setter, opposite and libero along with two outside attackers and middle attackers.
The Off the Block staff determined the All-Decade Starting Lineup using a variety of factors including career statistical performance and the team’s overall success when a player was a member of the program.
This is also part of a series from Off the Block to celebrate the end of the decade in college men’s volleyball. Off the Block throughout the rest of 2019 will release an All-Decade Starting Lineup for every NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball team.
USC made it to the NCAA tournament three times this decade – 2011, 2012, and 2019. They lost in 2011 and 2019 in their only match, but made it to the championship in 2012.
Off the Block is a national award-winning website that was established in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball.
USC All-Decade Team Presented by Off the Block
Setter: Micah Christenson
Opposite: Murphy Troy
Outside attacker: Tony Ciarelli
Outside attacker: Lucas Yoder
Middle blocker: Robert Feathers
Middle blocker: Steven Shandrick
Libero: Henry Cassiday
Bench: Jack Wyett
Bench: Andy Benesh
Bench: Riley McKibbin
Micah Christenson (2012-15)
Awards and honors: 2012 MPSF Freshman of the Year, 2012 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2012 Second-Team All-American, 2013 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2014 First-Team All-MPSF, 2015 First-Team All-MPSF
Everyone knows that Christenson is the starting setter for the United States men’s national team, but he got his start with four outstanding years at USC. He led USC in both assists and kills in three of his four seasons at USC. In a match versus CSUN during his senior season, Christenson quarterbacked USC to a .543 attack percentage – the highest in program history during the rally-scoring era. Christenson finished his career with 4,105 assists, good for a 10.58 assists per game average.
Murphy Troy (2008-11)
Awards and honors: 2010 Third-Team All-MPSF, 2011 MPSF Player of the Year, 2011 First-Team All-American
Troy holds the program record for most kills during the rally-scoring era with 1,902 kills. He also holds the program record with most matches with double-digit kills (101), and most matches with 20+ kills (32). Troy led the 2010 and 2011 teams with 481 kills and 376 kills respectively.
Tony Ciarelli (2009-12)
Awards and honors: 2010 All-MPSF Honorable Mention, 2011 First-Team All-MPSF, 2011 Second-Team All-American, 2012 MPSF Player of the Year, 2012 First-Team All-American
Ciarelli owns the program record (rally-scoring era) with 167 career aces . During his senior season, he set the single-season record for most aces in a season with 62, and highest aces per game average for a single season at with .614 aces per game. He finished his career with 1,641 kills good for a 3.85 kills per game average.
Lucas Yoder (2014-17)
Awards and honors: 2014 MPSF Freshman of the Year, 2014 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2016 All-MPSF Honorable Mention, 2017 First-Team All-MPSF, 2014 All-American Honorable Mention, 2017 Second-Team All-American
Yoder finished his career with 1,032 kills good for a 3.92 kills per game average. He led the team in 2014 with 294 kills, in 2016 with 273 kills, and in 2017 with 359 kills.
Robert Feathers (2012-15)
Awards and honors: 2012 All-MPSF Honorable Mention, 2015 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2015 All-American Honorable Mention
Feathers’ 154 total blocks during his freshman season set the record for most blocks during a single season during the rally-scoring era. Feathers also set the program record for the highest attack percentage during a single season (minimum 100 attempts) with a .453 attack percentage during his junior season. Despite being slowed down by injury during his junior year, Feathers ended his USC career with 181 total blocks.
Steven Shandrick (2009-12)
Awards and honors: 2011 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2012 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2012 Second-Team All-American
Shandrick holds the USC record for the highest attack percentage for his career, regardless of era, with a .454 attack percentage. He led USC’s regulars in attack percentage in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and also led the 2011 team with 104 blocks.
Henry Cassiday (2011-14)
Awards and honors: 2011 All-MPSF Honorable Mention, 2012 All-MPSF Honorable Mention, 2012 Second-Team All-American, 2014 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2014 Second-Team All-American
Cassiday set the program record with most matches with double-digit digs (17 in 2014) in a single season during the rally scoring. Cassiday ended his USC career with 858 digs, good for a 2.52 digs per game average.