:Former Sea King tries for Olympic dream

When you’re shooting for the stars, it helps to have some assistance to keep you focused on what you’re doing.

In the case of Kevin Hansen, a Corona del Mar High product trying out for the U.S. men’s national volleyball team with hopes of playing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he has had a bit of inspiration: his two older sisters.

“Both [Erika and Kristin] played at Princeton, so I had something to shoot for as I was growing up,” said Hansen, 24. “They’ve been supportive of me, as have my parents.”

After a four-year volleyball stint with the Sea Kings, Kevin Hansen wound up having a tremendous career at Stanford. In four seasons with the Cardinal, the setter became one of the school’s career leaders in assists.

He graduated with a degree in economics and then stayed an extra year in Palo Alto in order to pursue his master’s degree in communications.

With two degrees behind him, Hansen had a choice to make: Go into the corporate world or continue playing volleyball. Wanting to “see how far I could go,” and with dreams of continued success in volleyball still with him, the opportunity to continue his volleyball playing days presented itself. So, after graduation, he went off to Portugal, where he played professionally for eight months.

He then decided to come back home and try for a spot on the national team and go for Olympic glory.

After weeks of hard work with the squad, he was selected to go on a 10-day tour of Argentina last month, which he considered a major honor.

“A lot of these guys have been playing with the team for five years now,” Hansen said. “This is my first year, so I was glad I had a chance to represent the U.S. in a foreign country. It was really an honor.”

Hansen said playing in five cities in 10 days was physically demanding. The U.S. team went 4-1 against a typically very strong Argentina team and played in big cities and small towns throughout the country.

“Everywhere we went, the fans were very supportive of both teams and were very nice,” Hansen said.

Hansen, one of three setters on the squad, said he was nervous when he was thrown into a contest during the third game of the first match of the tour.

It didn’t take long for Hansen to regain his rhythm. Hansen said playing at this level has caused him to change his game a bit.

“In college, the game is a lot more emotional. On this level, it’s definitely more physical,” the 6-foot-6 Hansen said. “You also have to be more disciplined, both physically and mentally, playing at this level.”

Off the court, one thing Hansen will take from his trip to Argentina was the passion the citizenry has for the sport of soccer.

“When the Argentina [World Cup] soccer team was playing, there was no one on the streets because everyone was watching the team,” Hansen said with a laugh. “When the game was over and Argentina had won, there were traffic jams and people everywhere. It was riotous.”

The team is now back on American soil and practices twice a day, five days a week in Anaheim at the American Sports Center. Practices are open to the public.

Preparing for a possible Olympic spot while being so close to home has given Hansen resolve to fight his way onto the squad. “It’d be great to be from this area and qualify for the team,” Hansen said.

“I would be very proud to represent my country at that (Olympic) level. Having friends and family in the area supporting what I’m doing is giving me an edge mentally.”

He realizes others are in the same boat, however.

“I’m trying to get used to the speed and power of the game at this level,” Hansen said. “I’m working hard every day in practice, but those games in Argentina really helped me as a player.”

Hansen’s potential future teammates have been very receptive to his play as they prepare for a World League schedule that will have the squad playing matches in Spokane, Wash., Salt Lake City and Minneapolis, as well as around the world over the next month. Before league play begins, however, a finalized U.S. team is expected to be chosen, which Hansen hopes to be on.

“If the opportunity presents itself, it will be a huge honor,” Hansen said. “It’s definitely one of my dreams to make the team and I’ll find out sometime [this] week whether or not I made it.”

In the last few days before the team is announced, Hansen said he’ll continue to do what has gotten him to this point, which he said he believes should be enough to get him on the team ? and off on the thrill of a lifetime.dpt.12-hansen-1-kt-BPhotoInfoJ51SROCL20060712j29xn1ncKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Corona del Mar High graduate Kevin Hansen is gunning to earn a spot on the United States men’s volleyball team. Hansen, who has two older sisters who played at Princeton, said he has hopes of playing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.