Volleyball Warriors sweep Arizona

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

No television coverage. No radio coverage. No problem.

In a college men's volleyball exhibition witnessed only by the 3,182 in the Stan Sheriff Center last night, Hawai'i sprinted to a three-game sweep of Arizona.

The scores were 30-19, 30-28, 30-25.

The match lasted 86 minutes, extended by an eight-minute break between the second and third games and a delay-of-game penalty against Arizona.

The rest of the time belonged to the Warriors, ranked second nationally. The Wildcats compete as a club team.

The rematch is tonight, with the first serve at 7:05.

"It was a good practice," said UH outside hitter Costas Theocharidis, who threw down 23 kills and hit .450. "It wasn't such a hard (match). They're a really good team and they're experienced, but we played well, and we finished the (match) quickly. We want to save some energy."

The Warriors dominated early, weathered a challenge in the middle game, and then ruled the third. Or, as UH coach Mike Wilton said, "It was a familiar scenario."

The Warriors did not commit a hitting error in the first game; their first mis-hit came on their 36th swing. They also controlled the net, amassing 11.5 blocks. The Wildcats had one block.

The Warriors set their outside shots a few steps off the net, and the Wildcats never adjusted. Arizona's Jeff Grobe, usually a good outside blocker, appeared to be too far off the net to slow the Warriors' barrage.

"We should have moved our right block in," Arizona coach Stephen Carlat said.

UH setter Kimo Tuyay said the outside hitters called for the ball a few feet deeper than normal, but that his sets — which appeared to confuse the Arizona blockers — sailed wider than planned.

"I didn't intentionally do it, but whatever works," Tuyay said, smiling.

Tuyay has admittedly struggled with his sets since a splint, which protected a sprained left index finger, was removed two weeks ago.

"When I had the splint on, I was setting fine," he said. "I'm kind of in a funk now."

"The setter was kind of stressed," Theocharidis said, "but he'll be OK."

But Tuyay did not have to be perfect, not with Theocharidis, Brenton Davis and Torry Tukuafu booming shots from every which angle. On one play, Theocharidis slammed a shot that one-hopped into the fifth row.

Davis, in an expanded role, buried 10 kills and hit .429. He now has the green light to swing from the back row instead of exclusively from the front.

"I'm trying to get back into the swing of things," said Davis, who did not wear his trademark sweatband — a symbolic, although unintentional, statement.

Tukuafu, in his best match in weeks, had eight kills, six digs and three blocks. Tukuafu usually alternates with Tony Ching, who is recuperating from a deep gash sustained in a mo-ped accident last week.

Wilton said tonight's focus will be on improving the passing. He said that area needs to be cleaned up before next week's four-match road trip. The Warriors leave tomorrow. They play UC Irvine on Thursday.