History was made in Milan, Italy, last month when the U.S. Women’s National volleyball team won the FIVB (International Federation of Volleyball) World Championship.
It was the first championship of any kind, including the Olympics, for the national squad. Prior to this tournament, their best finishes came in 1967 and 2002 when the team took silver.
This year, the U.S. defeated China, 3-1 (27-25, 25-20, 16-25, 26-24) to cap off a successful 11-2 record at the World Championship. For more than 30 years, Team USA has been one of the elite countries in women’s volleyball but had never won any of the FIVB Triple Crown events (World Championship, World Cup and Olympics) until now.
Making it extra special were some hometown heroes from Pepperdine University who were a part of the gold-medal-winning team. Pepperdine men’s volleyball coach Marv Dunphy, assistant coach David Hunt and Waves alum Kim Hill played integral roles for the American squad.
Dunphy was selected by head coach Karch Kiraly to serve as assistant. Dunphy had coached Kiraly and the U.S. to gold at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Hunt served Team USA as a consultant coach.
Hill, a three-time All-American for the Pepperdine women’s indoor volleyball team from 2008-2011, led the national team with 20 points in the championship match and was named championship MVP.
“Getting MVP was an absolute surprise and such a huge honor, but definitely the best moment was stepping onto the platform with my entire team, arms raised high to accept our gold medal,” Hill said. “Those girls have become like sisters to me. We’ve been through a lot together so accomplishing something so huge with them was an incredibly proud moment.”
Watching Hill, 24, perform at a level of competitive greatness was inspiring to Dunphy.
“Kim is a wonderful, kind person and now she is the MVP,” Dunphy said. “She was great throughout the tournament. The whole world now knows about her. It’s great for her and for Pepperdine.”
Hill recorded 19 kills along with 13 digs in the final as she totaled 159 points during the course of the 13 matches in the championship.
After the U.S. captured the title and celebrated with a dog pile on the court, Hill described the emotions and feeling to be a world champion.
“It’s almost indescribable. It is months of hard work culminating into this one moment, a close match where every point counts,” said Hill. “And when we finally put that last ball away all I can say is that it was pure joy.
“It’s really quite remarkable that a strong program like USA Women’s Volleyball had never won gold. It just shows how difficult it truly is. Winning gold made me feel more connected than ever to all of the other women who have come through the program since its start. Many others before me worked so incredibly hard that actually being one of the individuals on the podium with the medal made me feel so proud to be a part of the legacy of USA Women’s Volleyball—its past, present and all that’s still to come.”
Dunphy, who began his 32nd season at Pepperdine this year, has been a part of USA Volleyball since 1988 when he coached the Men’s National team to the gold medal in Seoul. He has also been an assistant coach for the men’s team at the 2000 Olympics and a consultant coach at the 1996, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. The Americans also captured gold in 2008.
Twenty-four teams compete at the World Championships in comparison to 12 at the Olympics. Each team has its own identity and dynamic. To be a part of this American gold-medal-winning team and historic moment meant a lot to Dunphy.
“This was pretty special. People don’t realize how hard it is to win that championship,” Dunphy said. “We were tested in every match. It was a battle. You have to overcome some adversity to achieve success. I told the team afterwards, ‘You’re the best at what you do.’ They took it to heart. This was a triumph.”
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