The Media's New Darling - David Smith!

Article from "The Signal", captured from http://volleytalk.net
By Grant Marek
Signal Staff Writer

Monday June 4, 2007

David Smith is a civil engineer at UC Irvine. He is an All-American for the Anteaters volleyball team.

He is an NCAA champion.

He is a record holder.

And of late, he has become somewhat of a media darling.

He counts 10 newspaper stories in all, a handful of television interviews and countless mentions from commentators during Irvine's 2007 NCAA title run.

The Angels had him out for a baseball game in May.

The President of the United States has plans to meet the Saugus High grad in the middle of June, as does the mayor of Irvine later this week.

"I was part of five titles at UCLA and I've never seen something like this," says Anteaters men's volleyball coach John Speraw, a former player and assistant coach for the Bruins. "There's been a flood of e-mails, news crews. ... I did it five times and I never once met a president."

But then, he never did it the way David Smith has.

Smith, the nation's top hitter in 2007, helped the Anteaters to their first-ever NCAA title on land - and he did it without the benefit of his hearing.

Smith was born with mild-to-severe hearing loss - he's not deaf, but without the hearing aids he wears in both ears, he's close to it.

"That's the big story with David - he gets a lot of human interest stories because of it," Speraw says.

But after four years coaching the Anteaters' only first-team All-American this season, Speraw shies away from contributing to another one.

He's more father than coach.

He'd sooner tout Smith as a future Olympian than a human interest story.

"We're going to miss David because he hit for a real high percentage and he's a great teammate," he says. "He's going to be hard to replace.

"He's one of the more unique players I've ever coached - he has a rare combination of speed and athleticism."

During an interview that lasts almost a half hour, Speraw deflects more questions about Smith's disability than Smith does balls as a middle blocker.

He briefly explains how the Anteaters first dealt with Smith's lack of hearing.

"I came up with the 'David Smith' rule pretty quickly - if he wants a ball he can go get it," the U.S. National Team assistant coach says.

But no sooner does he breach the subject than put an end to it.

"In the end, we all functioned like David did," he says.

Playing like him was another thing altogether.

Smith became the fourth first-team All-American in school history while setting UCI hitting percentage records for a game, season and career.

And the fact that he did it with a hearing impairment is more of a sidenote to the 6-foot-7 senior.

"Being an All-American doesn't really need much else to inflate it," says Smith, who also set career Anteater records in blocks and block assists. "It is an honor, and to me, being hearing impaired is just who I am. I still had to play the same guys as everyone else, and I earned it on the same playing field that everyone else played on.

"I think I am just a regular Joe who plays volleyball well and has a national championship ring on his finger."

But that's not to say he isn't all for the media attention.

"If it's something that will help inspire a kid to change his or her outlook on life and pursue things that others don't exactly think they can do, then I'm all for it," he says. "And I am excited that people have an interest in my hearing disability. Even guys on the team, they really want to know what I deal with on a daily basis."

As do perfect strangers.

His television appearances have earned Smith minor celebrity status on the UCI campus.

"I have had a lot of people in my classes introducing themselves," he says.

But as Smith and his coach point out, the senior's hearing impairment is still a mystery to most.

"I still struggle with hearing more than everyone else does," Smith says. "But, I would be able to carry on a conversation and most people wouldn't know I am hearing impaired until they actually see the hearing aids, which is kind of my goal in a sense - just fit right in."

And never is it easier to do so than on the court - a fact that has created more than a few memorable moments for Smith and Speraw.

"I've been on the bench, sitting next to my assistant coaches and heard someone trying to heckle David," says Speraw with a smile. "I'd whisper under my breath to my assistant coaches, 'Yeah, keep it up buddy.'"

The hecklers have, but to no avail.

Two years after sporting a 9-20 overall record, the Anteaters - led by their first team All-American - are NCAA champions.

And David Smith is on his way to future greatness.

"The national team now trains in Anaheim," Speraw says. "He can be one of those guys. He can be an Olympian - he can do that.

"I think he should."

Smith considers the National and Olympic teams to both be options.

"I would love to play volleyball for as long as I can," he says. "And I know I can."

After the initial media blitz, he certainly isn't the only one.