Cupertino High School’s Associated Student Body 2022-2023 president Brad Pan announced his verbal commitment to men’s volleyball at the University of Southern California on Sept. 2, 2022. 

Pan’s volleyball career dates back to his middle school years when he played for fun during recess. He eventually tried out for Mountain View Volleyball Club, one of the Bay Area’s top volleyball clubs. 

Pan initially did not make it onto an MVVC team due to his lack of experience and training but received an offer from them shortly after. He spent the next four years improving his volleyball skills under MVVC. 

At Tino, Pan also decided to try out for the school team. “Freshman year was when I took it to the next level, and I dedicated maybe five hours of non-practice time to volleyball a week because the game was just so fun. I didn’t even worry about college then,” Pan said. 

Despite his goal of recruitment the following year as a sophomore, the COVID-19 pandemic halted all his practices. 

Pan used an old volleyball to play against a wall of his house, determined to maintain his touch and fitness during the pandemic. He began his recruitment process later than he intended to, which was halfway through his junior year. 

Two of Pan’s greatest supporters were his coach and mom. His coach encouraged him to always push through challenges and set big goals, whereas his mom would remind him that he has what it takes but needs to stay focused. Said Pan, “She’s kind of like my backbone, she makes sure I don’t fall apart.”

Throughout the second semester of his junior year, Pan contacted the colleges that interested him. He originally did not see himself staying in California for volleyball but ultimately chose USC for several reasons. 

Said Pan, “Los Angeles is where all the big sports are, it’s where you can find anything and where you can find opportunity,”

Aside from practicing volleyball, ASB is a top priority of his. Pan has been passionate about student government throughout high school, and he believes serving in ASB was a rewarding experience that even benefited him as an athlete.

“ASB shaped me in terms of leadership and being able to communicate to different people and trying to learn that not everyone reacts the same way to situations,” Pan said. “A lot of ASB is adapting and overcoming, so that also helped in volleyball because I’ve been in ASB for all four years of high school.”

Pan shared that he feels more pressure now than before his commitment. His teammates sometimes refer to him as “DI” or “USC” as a joke when he makes mistakes on the court. 

“The pressure comes from expectations that other people give you now that you’re a Division I commit,” Pan said. 

After graduating high school, he plans to study at the USC Marshall School of Business. Said Pan, “[USC] is good for business, so I’ll pursue business there. And if I don’t like it, then I’ll explore and figure out something that I do like.”

For coverage on other recent athletic recruits: https://issuu.com/prospector/docs/issuu_issue_4_2022-2023/26