UH volleyball team sweeps No. 2 UCLA

Advertiser Staff

In a pulsating hana hou performance, the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team surged to a 30-19, 30-20, 30-20 rout of second-ranked UCLA tonight in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Before 6,452 — many chanting, "Sweep! Sweep!" — the Warriors defeated the Bruins in three games for the first time since March 21, 1998, and gained the second regular-season series sweep in the rivalry's 20-year history.

"I can retire now," UH's Costas Theocharidis said.

The Warriors improved 19-6 overall and 16-4 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, vaulting into second place ahead of UCLA (23-6, 15-5) and securing a host's berth for the opening round of the MPSF playoffs. Pepperdine clinched the playoffs' top seed with a victory over UC Santa Barbara last night.

The Warriors made a subtle change, moving Theocharidis to opposite and Tony Ching to Theocharidis' usual spot at outside hitter. The move mean Theocharidis, who usually hits from the left side, to take five turns as a right-side hitter.

It also forced setter Kimo Tuyay to distribute the offense.

While Theocharidis pounded out a match-high 14 kills, Ching added 11 kills and hit .389. UH also dominated the middle with freshman Delano Thomas crushing 11 kills and Dejan Miladinovic added seven kills and six block assists.

The Bruins, playing without injured outside hitter Jonathan Acosta and quick hitter Scott Morrow, also did not start Chris Pena in the middle in the first two games. Pena is the Bruins' inspiration leader, and is charged with calling out the plays.

Instead, freshman David Russell moved from the outside to the middle. Russell struggled, hitting .167. The Bruins' best cross-court hitter, Cameron Mount, hit .038.