USC-bound Sam Lewis helping Poly volleyball reach new heights

Poly junior middle blocker Sam Lewis stands 6-foot-11, just a little more than a foot shorter than the top of a volleyball net. When he rises up, he reaches 11-8. Those attributes are a big part of why Lewis is a top five recruit in the junior class, committed to USC.

With physical tools like he has, it would be easy for a volleyball player to coast on size and athleticism, but for Lewis, that isn’t enough.

“Compared to the volleyball greats in the past, I don’t want be just another tall guy, another face,” said Lewis. “I want to be the best volleyball player I can be.”

Opposing teams always have to account for Lewis on the other side of the net because of his overwhelming presence. He always has to swing over double and triple blocks, but his top reach allows him to do so with ease. Lewis attracts so much attention from the defense and that opens things up for his teammates around him.

“He’s dominant out there and I’m lucky to have him,” said Poly boys volleyball coach Justin Oleole. “He’s so physically and athletically gifted, but he never takes that for granted.”

Lewis comes from a very large, and very athletic family, all of whom push him to be the very best player that he can be.

“There’s definitely a competition between the family,” said Lewis about the friendly rivalry. “We like to have fun and throw back witty banter about who has the best sports stories.”

Lewis is in good company. His cousin Landry Fields played basketball at Los Al and Stanford and had a stint in the NBA with the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors. His brother Cameron Jones played basketball at Northe Arizona and just finished up this last season playing professionally overseas in Greece.

Their careers and stories are tough to live up to, but Lewis started his own chapter last summer after the High Performance National Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, where he caught the attention of USC. Lewis says he was about a phone call away from committing to cross-town rival, UCLA, but on Sept. 1, USC made it clear that it wanted Lewis.

“They didn’t want me committing anywhere else,” said Lewis. “I liked that it’s a very family-oriented program and I felt like I was needed.”

Lewis will be starting his career with the Trojans in the 2018 season, but he still has business to take care of in the Moore League before he graduates from Poly in 2017. Lewis and the Jackrabbits are 9-1 in league with their only loss coming in late March to the defending Moore League champion Lakewood Lancers. Poly lost to Lakewood in three sets, but the loss was a wake-up call and it has been dominant ever since, including a thrilling revenge win over the Lancers.

Advertisement

“Since the loss we’ve been really working on our team chemistry,” said Oleole. “Sam’s been willing to be our leader and he’s really brought the competitive spirit.”