Posted at 4:40 p.m., Wednesday, May 02, 2001

UH's Theocharidis named national player of the year

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Sports Writer

Outside hitter Costas Theocharidis, who led the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team to the conference tournament final, yesterday was named the national player of the year.

In a polling of head coaches, the American Volleyball Coaches Association selected Theocharidis as this season's top player.

The award was announced yesterday afternoon; Theocharidis was honored at the AVCA banquet in Long Beach, Calif., last night. Long Beach is the site of the NCAA final four.

Theocharidis, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Greece, averaged 5.04 kills per game, ranking fifth nationally. He hit .340.

Despite playing with tendinitis in his right (swingin) arm, Theocharidis guided the Warriors into the championship match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship match last Saturday night. UCLA won that match in four game, earning the MPSF's automatic berth in the NCAA final four.

Yuval Katz, who completed his college career in 1996, was the only other UH men's volleyball player to win the national award.

Theocharidis was the only UH player named to the AVCA first team.

UH middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic was named to the second team.