Welch lands at USC

On one of the greatest days of Kevin Welch’s life, the Orange Coast College sophomore returned to his roots.

Excited with the news that his future was set, Welch dialed for the man who greatly helped him make it all happen.

He called his high school volleyball coach, Steve Conti. Welch had to tell Conti, his friend, the great news.

Welch, who starred at Corona del Mar, then at OCC, will continue his volleyball career at USC.

Conti has been there to see him through, helping him along the way.

“He means a lot to me,” Welch said of Conti. “He kind of sculpted me into the player I am now. A lot of what he did has helped me today. You’ve got to give a lot of credit to him.”

In between his stops at CdM and at Coast, Welch hit a rough spot.

After graduating from Corona del Mar, Welch went to play football as a walk-on at Indiana. He redshirted as a receiver his first year, but then left to come back home after one year with the Hoosiers.

“Indiana was a lot different, the whole lifestyle,” Welch said. “It was definitely a culture shock. I learned a lot from that.”

Welch returned to Newport Beach. He appeared to have been done with sports until a chance meeting with Travis Turner at a Best Buy store.

Turns out Turner was the one who ended up with the best deal.

He convinced Welch to play volleyball for the Pirates and help the coach in his first year at OCC. Conti encouraged Welch, telling him it was a good place to get back in the game and predicting that would lead to an even greater opportunity.

The coach was right.

“When things didn’t work out for him in Indiana, that was OK,” Conti said. “I just knew he was going to land on his feet.”

The Pirates benefited when that happened.

Welch, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter, made sure to leave his mark at OCC.

He left as OCC’s career record-holder for kills with 785. He also set the single-season school record for kills with 460 this past season. He was named Pacific Coast Conference Co-Most Valuable Player and he guided the Pirates to the state championship match.

Welch showcased an all-around game, finishing his career with 266 digs, seventh-best in OCC history. A two-time all-conference selection, Welch led the Pirates to the state final four in 2007 and helped OCC to a 32-11 record in the two years he played at the community college.

“Being a first-year coach at OCC and having someone like that come in, that gave the program credibility right away,” Turner said. “You can’t put a value on that.

“He’s one of those guys that makes everyone better around him.”

Conti also said Welch has a knack for getting the best out of his teammates. Turner and Conti both said Welch is a great leader with a strong work ethic.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Turner said of how he reacted when he found out Welch was headed for USC. “He’s the type of guy who’s going to mold into what they need. They’re counting on leadership and that’s where he excels.”

Welch showed his leadership when he returned to Corona del Mar High’s gym Thursday, the day after he had called Conti. He was there to help his coach during the Sea Kings’ practice as they prepared for their CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinal at West Valley in Hemet.

“Just having him there made other people act differently,” Conti said of Welch, who was the CIF Division II Player of the Year when he led CdM to the championship in 2005. “He just has that reputation of making others around him better and playing at a high level. And, he lives up to it.”

Conti has known Welch for a long time and has had a strong connection with his family. Conti said of the 13 years he’s coached at CdM, 10 has included a Welch brother or the Welch’s cousins, the Alshulers.

“I think I’ve known him since he was in diapers,” Conti said. “I remember when he was a kid and he would come by the gym. Having the opportunity to coach him and his two brothers has been a pleasure.”

It seemed natural for Welch to lend his advice during CdM’s practice. And, Welch apparently helped the Sea Kings.

On Friday, CdM beat West Valley in four games to advance to Wednesday’s semifinals at Santa Barbara. The Sea Kings are trying to repeat as CIF Division II champions and capture CdM’s seventh section crown. They boast a balanced roster of talented youth and strong, hard-hitting experienced players like senior Jeff Carlson, who will be joining Welch at USC next season.

That’s not the only connection Welch has with the Trojans.

John Hawks, a USC assistant coach, once worked with Welch, coaching him when he played for the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club.

Welch picked USC over Hawaii and Lewis University in Illinois.

Everything has seemingly fallen into place for him. While he’s quick to give credit to those who support him, he’s not shy about taking pride in what he has accomplished.

“It’s not something that just came and fell in my lap,” Welch said of going to play for USC. “I worked my butt off for that. It wasn’t just something that came my way. It’s going to be a great opportunity for me.”

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.