Aug. 29, 2006

FAIRFAX, Va. - William Price, a redshirt freshman opposite hitter for George Mason's men's volleyball team, spent his summer trying out and playing for the USA National Junior Men's Volleyball team. The team finished as the runner-up to Cuba with a 4-1 record at the NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Championship in Monterrey, Mexico. The following article written by Chay Rao and published in the Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006 edition of The Gaithersburg Gazette recaps Price's exciting experience.

William Price had played volleyball his entire life. Then, arriving at George Mason University as a highly touted recruit, Price found himself in an unfamiliar position. With senior opposite hitter and eventual first-team All-American Shaun Powell ahead of him, Price and his coach, Fred Chao, decided that Price would redshirt his freshman season last spring.

"Had I been playing, I would have had to compete with [Powell] for playing time," said Price, a 2004 graduate of Gaithersburg High. "I talked to my coach about redshirting, and he said it was something that he would prefer. It gives me a chance to have four years to play at Mason."

So, as the Patriots went 22-6, including a 12-0 record at home, and rose to No. 14 in the national rankings by the end of the season, for the first time in his life, Price was practicing, but not playing in games. To satisfy his competitive urges, Price attended the East Coast tryout that USA Volleyball organized to select the U.S. National junior men's (under-21) volleyball team in April. After witnessing tryouts in such volleyball hotbeds as Hawaii and the West Coast, the 6-foot-5 Price -- who played coed volleyball at Gaithersburg because there was no boys team during his first three seasons at the school -- impressed national team coaches with his ability.

"I wasn't at the tryout, but the coaches that recommended him [to the 18-man training roster] called him a well-rounded and complete volleyball player," U.S. head coach Andy Read said. "That's what I saw when he came out to [U.S. Olympic training complex in Colorado Springs, Colo.] to train. He is a great athlete."

Yet, when he arrived at the training complex in June, Price had some rust to knock off. After a season on the practice squad, he was going up against many players who had spent an entire season playing competitively. As the coaches spent two weeks whittling down a roster of 18 to the 12 players that USA Volleyball would take to the NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, Price spent time shaking off his nerves.

"When I first got [to Colorado Springs], it was pretty intimidating," he said. "All the guys were pretty fresh, and the games we played in practice went by fast. It took a week to get into the swing of things, but by the end of the first couple of weeks, my game had gotten better. My serve improved, and I've never had one-on-one coaching like I had then. I got so much input that really helped."

His improving play also impressed Read. Day in and day out, as the coaches tallied the wins and losses that players racked up in their practice games, Price always came out on top at the opposite hitter position. Soon, he went from intimidated youngster to starter.

"He was always the best player at his position as we went through camp," Read said. "He loves to play the game, and he loves to train. He's a good teammate as well. What really got him into the starting lineup was the way he practiced."

In addition, he played well in games. As the junior national men's team prepared to leave for Mexico, for the Continental Championships held from Aug. 8-13, they played Canada in two warmup matches on Aug. 4 and 5. In the first match, Price had 11 kills and two aces. In the second, he played just as well, totaling 15 kills and an ace. Part of the reason for his energetic play was the extra jolt of adrenaline that donning a USA jersey provided.

"When they hand you that jersey that says USA on the front and it has your name on the back, that was by far the best feeling I've had playing volleyball," Price said. "That was an unbelievable experience."

The experience got even better in Mexico, as the junior men's national team rolled through pool play, winning its three matches in straight games, before dispatching Canada again in the semifinals, 25-20, 25-16, 25-23. In the final, however, Price and his teammates ran up against an experienced Cuban team that defeated them in three straight games, 25-16, 25-20, 25-17 to claim the championship.

"Cuba trained together for a year," Read said. "They are a world-championship-caliber team. We have significant strides to make by next summer."

By virtue of its 4-1 record in Mexico, though, the USA will get that chance, as it qualified for the 2007 FIVB Under-21 World Championships, to be held in Morocco next summer. Price hopes to be part of that squad -- USA Volleyball selected players this year that will be eligible to play next year -- and contribute to a medal-winning team. Read thinks his future can be even brighter.

"Will has the skills to be a good passer," Read said. "I think for his long-term career, if he could become a better passer, and move to outside hitter, it will open more doors for him. He's going to get bigger and stronger. If he can move to outside hitter, it will allow him to be more dynamic in the international game."

For the time being, though, he returns to George Mason with some simple goals. After his experiences this summer, Price is ready to get on the court and help the Patriots win matches. And, he's ready to improve his game for the international competitions yet to come.

"I just want to be the best player I can individually," Price said. "If I work as much as I can on my game, that is going to benefit my team."