Junior Pratham Kannan’s volleyball journey began when his eighth grade P.E. teacher Wade Nakamura suggested that he try out for the KMS volleyball team. Since then, Kannan has immersed himself in the sport, currently playing on Mountain View Volleyball Club 17 Red and the Monta Vista Varsity Boys Volleyball team.
After his sophomore year, the college recruitment process began, and Kannan received three emails from D1 volleyball schools. Later that summer, a University of California, San Diego scouting representative attended one of his club volleyball team games. The representative messaged him on Instagram shortly after, expressing his interest in Kannan by organizing a dinner with his parents and a campus visit. In January, the coaches flew Kannan and his parents out to stay on the campus for three days, allowing Kannan to shadow the volleyball team’s practices and games.
“When I visited the campus, I was rooming with a player on the team for two days,” Kannan said. “It instantly hooked me because UCSD had a really good campus. It’s by a beach and they’re building new dorms, so everything’s fully new. Their academics are all good too.”
Throughout his three days at the campus, Kannan notes that he instantly connected with the members on the team and enjoyed being in their company at games and practices. Months later, after evaluating all his other options, he said UCSD’s strong academics, supportive team environment and school environment made it impossible to pass up.
MVHS Head Coach Paul Chiu began coaching Kannan when he was in eighth grade on the Kennedy Middle School boys volleyball team. He notes Kannan’s rapid growth, from a “tall, skinny kid” starting volleyball much later than most Division 1 recruits into a large contributor on the MVHS Varsity team.
“In one short year, he developed physically as well as skill-wise to start getting noticed by teams like UCSD,” Chiu said. “I think he’s only just showcasing his volleyball potential. I expect him to play at UCSD and also keep up his academic commitments and do well there as well.”
As Kannan transitioned from a new member to a key player on the court, senior and captain Praneel Shah says Kannan also matured in other ways. Shah believes Kannan’s character and skill set are vital to the team’s success.
“From a skill standpoint, he’s one of the best players I have seen,” Shah said. “But more than just skill, I’ve seen his leadership grow as well on the court. He’s become more than just a funny dude that goes with the flow — I’ve seen him grow as a leader who uplifts all of us.”
Kannan’s attention remains on the current season and shooting for a national title with his club team in their tournament in Orlando. As he is looking to close out his high school career successfully with MVHS and MVVC 17 Red, Kannan ultimately credits much of his progress to the mentorship and support he received from his coaches.
“Coach Chiu taught me a lot of the basic skills,” Kannan said. “In ninth grade, he made me improve exponentially by full-on training with me because he saw my potential. He and the coaches would do 6 a.m. training with me and the setters to get more reps and get better. This year, we even have a specific third coach at MVVC who played at USC just to help train my position.
Kannan’s four-year journey beginning with a simple suggestion from his eighth grade P.E. teacher is now something far bigger. Shah says this has been something he and his teammates noticed from the start.
“Pratham is always funny, humble and just overall a good teammate — the kind of person you want on your team no matter what,” Shah said. “He will be the best player to come out of MVHS, and I can’t think of another person I would have liked to spend my years at MVHS playing with.”
