2003 men's volleyball final four may be here

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i is seeking to serve as host for the 2003 NCAA men's volleyball final four.

UH was the host in 1991 and 1998, setting tournament attendance records. More than 9,000 tournament packages were sold for the 1998 final four in the 10,300-seat Stan Sheriff Center, even though the Warriors were not participants.

"It was a great crowd for us not being in there," UH coach Mike Wilton said.

The championship match of this year's final four is today in Long Beach, Calif. Next year's final four will be on the Penn State campus.

Wilton said serving as host in 2003 would be an appropriate end to the collegiate careers of several Warriors, including outside hitters Costas Theocharidis, Eyal Zimet and Tony Ching. On Wednesday, the American Volleyball Coaches Association named Theocharidis as its national player of the year.

Wilton said several NCAA officials have told him they would like to see the final four played every year in Hawai'i. The Warriors again led the nation in attendance this year. But Wilton said the sites alternate between the East and West to help create interest across the country.

Wilton said he will discuss the proposal with athletic department officials before submitting a bid. "But based on what (volleyball) people have said, I think we'll be in good shape," Wilton said.