Dec. 4, 2003

Three top high school volleyball players-6-5 setter Jimmy Killian of Loyola High in Los Angeles, 6-8 middle blocker Andrew Vernon of Joliet (Ill.) West High and 6-7 middle blocker Chris Jones of Racine (Wisc.) Washington Park High-have signed letters of intent with USC, second-year head coach Turhan Douglas announced.

"I really believe this is one of the top recruiting classes in the nation," said Douglas. "We signed the top setting and middle blocking recruits in the country. We can't wait for them to get here next fall."

Killian earned 2003 All-CIF Division I second team honors while playing on Loyola's CIF Division I champion. He also was the MVP of the 2003 Junior Olympics Boys 17-and-Under All-Tournament team.

Killian comes from a family of Trojans: his father, Don, was a member of the 1977 USC NCAA championship men's volleyball team (he lettered in 1976 and 1977); his brother, Donny, played volleyball at USC in 2001 and then was a Trojan assistant coach in 2002 after playing three seasons at Pepperdine (twice playing in the NCAA Final Four, including on the NCAA runnerup Waves squad in 1998); his sister, Lauren, was a member of USC's 2002 NCAA championship and 2000 Final Four women's volleyball teams (she lettered from 1999 to 2002); his uncle, Doug, lettered in men's volleyball at Troy in 1982 and 1983 (the 1982 team finished third in the NCAAs); and his mother, Chris, is a USC graduate, along with a grandmother, two grandfathers (both played basketball at USC), a great grandfather, 2 other uncles, an aunt and numerous cousins.

Vernon was a member of the 2003 U.S. Youth National Team.

Jones made the 2003 All-State first team after making the 2002 All-Racine County first team when he had 144 kills, 116 blocks and 34 aces.