Warriors silence Long Beach State
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
You've heard it on the basketball court and on the football field, that biting sarcasm, the taunting, the bullying. You've probably even heard it in your living room, during a heated game of Madden NFL 2002 on your PlayStation 2.
But smack-talking isn't confined to contact sports — or the simulation of them.
Last night's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoff volleyball match between the University of Hawai'i and Long Beach State couldn't have illustrated the phenomena better.
Twelve players on the court with everything to lose. And in the case of Hawai'i, which swept the Beach, 30-26, 30-28, 30-28, the win said more than any off-hand remark.
"It was the best way to shut them up," said senior middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic, who had eight kills and six blocks. "You make a good play, that's better than punching."
The talking began in Game 1, marked by warnings from officials. But the smack-talking began even before that, back in February when the two teams met in California.
"It's basically a head game," said assistant coach Aaron Wilton, who said the Beach was known for trash-talking even when he played for UH between 1994 and 1997. "They're trying to get you out of your game, hoping to psych you out. But sometimes it backfires on you."
That seemed to be the case in Game 3, when the 49ers took a 14-11 lead. Long Beach State middle blocker Dan Samuelson and setter Jeremy Blain combined to block Hawai'i's hot-hand Costas Theocharidis. After celebrating, Samuelson returned to the net, staring at Theocharidis with a satisfied grin. But the taunting seemed to push the Warriors, who stepped up their offense in Game 3, hitting .400 as a team and rallying from behind to win the match.
"We just played our game," said Theocharidis, who had a match-high 16 kills. "They kept trying to get in my head, trying to get me to make mistakes. But too bad."
Emotions ran high during — and after — the match, as some players refused to shake hands. One of the 49ers even flipped off a UH player.
"Emotions run high. This is a must-win situation," said 49ers coach Alan Knipe. "(Trash-talking) is fine as long as it's on the same level playing field. But it should end when the game's over."
