By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
In volleyball’s equivalent of taking a mid-term examination immediately after returning from a vacation, the sixth-ranked University of Hawai‘i officially ends a two-week hiatus by serving as host to fifth-ranked Stanford tonight and tomorrow night.
First serve is at 7:05 for both matches in the Stan Sheriff Center.
The teams are tied for third place, at 5-2, in the Pacific Division of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
The Cardinal, which was ranked No. 1 early in the season, offers a menu of poisons. Setter Josh Lukens leads the nation in assists with 13.97 per game. Curt Toppel, a 6-foot-8 opposite hitter, is averaging 5.28 kills per game. Brett Youngsberg, a 6-foot-8 middle blocker, is hitting .503.
More than half of the Cardinal’s sets go to Toppel and 6-foot-5 outside hitter Marcus Skacel.
The return to health of UH setter Kimo Tuyay and outside hitter Costas Theocharidis should boost the Warriors.
Tuyay, who missed the previous two matches with the flu, is not only the Warriors’ best choreographer but also a strong second blocker.
Theocharidis, an All-American last season, was supposed to be the workhorse this year. But he entered the season with a sore right shoulder sustained from playing too much tennis, and his workload was reduced to front-row hitting.
UH coach Mike Wilton reconfigured the offense to give Theocharidis swings from all six positions, but the plan was put on ice when Theocharidis suffered from food poisoning on the last road trip and did not play in the previous two matches.
Now apparently healthy, Theocharidis will be the featured hitter again. "He’s such a good hitter, we like having him available at all six rotations," Wilton said.
Wilton has not decided on whether to start Torry Tukuafu or Tony Ching at opposite. Tukuafu is an accurate server — a team-high 0.58 aces per game — and a powerful hitter from the corners. Of the two, Ching is a better third passer and defensive player.
"The decision is up in the air," Wilton said. "Right now, they’re both having a nice little battle."
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