Take a look at the words that appear on the home page of the Pepperdine University web site and it's easy to see why Kyle Gregan chose the California-based university.

"Pepperdine University is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership."

Gregan is a 6-foot-7 senior at North Allegheny High School who is considered one of the top volleyball players in Pennsylvania.

"It was the perfect fit for me and my family," said Gregan, who recently accepted an athletic scholarship to play volleyball at Pepperdine. "We are a very religious family and I wanted to attend a Christian school. I knew when I visited the campus that this was the place for me."

It doesn't hurt that Pepperdine has one of the most celebrated coaches in NCAA history. Marv Dunphy has coached 26 years at Pepperdine and has led the Waves to four NCAA championships. Dunphy has been on five Olympic coaching staffs, and in 1988 was the head coach of the United States men's volleyball team that won an Olympic gold medal.

"Marv Dunphy has been described as a 'maker of men,' " said Tom Gregan, Kyle's father. "His teams are always among the top two or three in the country."

In fact, Pepperdine was the NCAA runner-up during the past season. The Wave dropped a 3-2 decision to the University of Southern California in the title match.

"Pepperdine is a Christian university that has a family oriented philosophy," Tom Gregan said. "It gives Kyle the opportunity to continue his athletic and academic career at a school that shares the same beliefs we have. It also allows Kyle to continue doing what he loves the most, serving God and helping people. It's one of his passions."

Gregan serves as a youth leader at New Community Church in Wexford. He has made several mission trips with members of his church.

"Kyle has been on a mission trip every year since his freshman year," Tom Gregan said. "On one trip, he spent time at a jail in Costa Rica. He played soccer with the inmates and passed on the message of God."

Gregan's most recent mission trip was last spring where he spent his Easter vacation serving at an orphanage in Haiti.

"It's amazing to see how little these people have," Kyle Gregan said. "They are desperate for everything. I gave them almost all of the clothes I took with me. It felt so good to help them."

Gregan could have had his choice of any Division I college, but believed Pepperdine was the perfect fit.

"I could have played at Penn State, but it just wasn't the right fit," he said. "Pepperdine and Hawaii were my final two choices, but Hawaii wasn't the right fit either."

Gregan made a name for himself at the Junior Olympic championships in Atlanta in July.

"I was on a team that had mostly players from North Allegheny," Kyle Gregan said. "We finished fifth in the tournament and I was named to the all-tournament team."

That elevated Gregan's status as one of the top middle hitters in the country.

"After the tournament was over, my coach told me there were some college coaches who wanted to talk to me," Kyle Gregan said. "The coaches from Pepperdine, Hawaii, George Mason and Lewis College and all wanted to talk. It was kind of intimidating to have so many coaches interested just from one tournament."

And that was just the start of the recruiting process.

"I received a lot of letters, e-mails, and phone calls from various coaches," Kyle Gregan said. "It was actually a lot of fun."

North Allegheny coach Dan Schall was thrilled with the news.

"This would be our sport's equivalent of going to [North Carolina] or Duke to play basketball," Schall said. "It's a great opportunity for Kyle."

North Allegheny has won three consecutive WPIAL Class AAA titles, the past two with Gregan in the starting lineup.

"I will probably not play during my freshman year [at Pepperdine]," Kyle Gregan said. "Coach Dunphy wants me to be with the team all season, then play as a sophomore."

Gregan is the second North Allegheny volleyball player to receive a scholarship from a California university. The first was Nikki Otto, a 1993 graduate who played at Stanford.

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