Fountain of Youth : Coach Rick McLaughlin’s enthusiastic approach Is Helping to Revive Loyola’s Volleyball Team

Members of the Loyola Marymount men’s volleyball program use youth and enthusiasm to describe this year’s team.

Only two seniors start for the Lions, first-year Coach Rick McLaughlin is 25-years-old, and assistants Chuck Donlon and Mike Longacre are each 24.

The three coaches were teammates at Loyola. McLaughlin, a 1990 grad, was a setter who was an assistant at Pepperdine the past two seasons.

“It really is nice to come back and see if we can get this team in the championships,” McLaughlin said. “It definitely can be done.”

Donlon, a graduate of Bishop Montgomery High, was a middle blocker and Longacre was an outside hitter from 1988-91.

McLaughlin is coaching three of his former teammates, including junior middle blocker Deke Kilpatrick.

“(McLaughlin is) a fantastic coach, but it’s great because he’s also a peer,” Kilpatrick said. “We’re very optimistic because we have a new coach and new talent. Besides, we can’t do worse than we did last year.”

The Lions were 3-24 last season under former coach Mike Normand.

McLaughlin, a part-time coach who often works full-time hours, has ambitious plans. He wants to make Loyola an NCAA championship contender within four years.

“We’ll be competitive right away,” said McLaughlin, who lives in Playa del Rey. “I know I can do it. There’s great potential here. I don’t know why it hasn’t been done in the past.”

One reason the program has struggled is financial. Loyola funds only 2 1/2 scholarships compared to the NCAA limit of 4 1/2 for Division I programs.

McLaughlin says next year Loyola will have 3 1/2 scholarships and by 1995 the program will be fully funded.

“When I took the job I knew it would be a challenge,” said McLaughlin, whose brother Rick is the USC men’s volleyball coach. “But that’s what I wanted. I’d rather go into a program that I can take from the bottom to the top. A program at the top has nowhere to go.”

The Lions are led by senior middle blocker Andy Zimmerman (6-foot-7, 200 pounds) and senior outside hitter Wayne Seligson. Zimmerman is the team captain and a four-year starter.

“Andy is one of the top middle blockers in the (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation),” McLaughlin said. “He’s very good, so other teams have to prepare to play against him. He plays at a higher level and his work ethic is above anybody else on the team.”

Sophomores Jason McEntee and Charlie Mattson start at outside hitter, sophomore Rick Humphreys is the setter and freshman Steve Gable (Peninsula High) is a blocker.

Outside hitter Darren Gable, Steve’s twin brother, is Loyola’s top reserve.

“We have a lot of young guys, but we also have a lot of fire on this team,” Humphreys said. “Hopefully, Rick will be able to attract more players. He’s very respected.”

At Pepperdine, McLaughlin worked under Marv Dunphy, one of the nation’s top coaches.

“Rick comes in here with drills I’ve never even seen before,” Kilpatrick said. “You’ve got to respect what he knows. He’s brought a lot of excitement to this team.”

But Loyola will have to battle the likes of 13-time NCAA champion UCLA, USC and Pepperdine in the MPSF.

The Lions (2-2) play at San Diego State (5-3, 2-2) tonight.

“We can only get better,” Humphreys said. “We haven’t even played our best yet. I can tell that we’re going to have a good season.”