Warriors punch Golden Bears' ticket
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
In what could have been a disastrous night, University of Hawai'i coach Mike Wilton received a traffic citation and his top-ranked men's volleyball team escaped with a warning against Alberta before winning, 30-26, 30-27, 26-30, 30-20, in an exhibition before 2,674 fans last night.
Prior to the match in the Stan Sheriff Center, Wilton was cited after he drove his mo-ped onto a Wai'alae Avenue sidewalk near the entrance to the UH lower campus. Wilton had steered past several pickets in support of the UH faculty strike.
"I made a mistake," said Wilton, who feared being struck from behind while waiting on a blind curve on Wai'alae Avenue. "I was in a hurry. I thought I saw an opening on the sidewalk, so I scooted on the sidewalk, and there were some people around there. I steered around them, and I got cited for it. It's my bad, and I apologize for it.
"I totally support the professors. Their cause is a good one. It wasn't meant out of disrespect. I have to work. I was running late and had things to do. It was my mistake, and I'm apologetic. There's no excuse."
During warmups, Wilton again had to scramble when his best player, outside hitter Costas Theocharidis, complained of tendinitis in his left knee. UH outside hitter Eyal Zimet was not scheduled to play because of a stress fracture in his left shin.
Wilton decided to start Tony Ching for Zimet, move opposite Torry Tukuafu to Theocharidis' outside position, switch middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic to opposite and open with freshman Maulia LaBarre in the middle.
It was a gamble that nearly didn't pay off when the Warriors struggled in the first two games and lost in the third. The Golden Bears completed their Canadian college season on Feb. 17.
"We kind of faltered in Game 3," UH middle blocker Brenton Davis said. "Any time you relax, it's easy to lose momentum. It was more of a wakeup. We wanted to end it with an exclamation point."
UH finally settled down, and easily dominated the final game. Miladinovic showed he had the right stuff, amassing 23 kills and hitting .559. He also had six digs and two assists.
"Dejan is a good outside hitter," Wilton said. "He's a very versatile player. He has good all-around skills."
Said Miladinovic: "Change is good. I would say it was refreshing. It was fun. I got more sets (34) than four matches put together."
LaBarre also played well, hammering five kills in eight swings and assisting on seven of the Warriors' 10 blocks.
"Dejan and Brenton have been helping me in practice with my blocking and timing," LaBarre said.
"Obviously," Davis interjected, "I haven't tutored him in serving."
LaBarre made four service errors, receiving loud ovations when two of his serves cleared the net. Still, he has made progress, and Davis said, "He had a few good swings. He's young, but he'll grow as a player."
The 6-foot-8 LaBarre, who has played volleyball for only four years, already is starting to fill out. He weighed 165 pounds as a Roosevelt High senior last year, and 175 pounds last fall. He now weighs 197 pounds.
"I'm lifting every day," LaBarre said. "I feel more confident and more relaxed."
The rematch between the teams is tonight, with the first serve at 7:08. This will be the final in-season home match for Davis and Tukuafu.
