Warriors warming up for NCAA semifinals

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	NCAA volleyball championships Hawai'i times At University Park, Pa. Thursday's games Semifinals Pepperdine (28-4) vs. Ball State (23-7), noon Hawai'i (22-8) vs. Penn State (25-3), 2 p.m. Radio: Live on KCCN 1420 AM TV: delayed on ESPN2 on Friday at 7 a.m. Saturday's game Championship Semifinal winners, 1 p.m., ESPN2

The mercury dropped into the 30s, and every spoken word turned into a steamy billow.

"I hate the cold," growled University of Hawai'i volleyball player Dejan Miladinovic, who was raised in Serbia.

"It's perfect weather," added UH libero Vernon Podlewski, "for ice hockey."

But instead of spending the evening in their hotel beds with the covers pulled to their chins, the Warriors were race-walking toward Rec Hall for what would turn into a two-hour practice.

Penn State conducted a light workout yesterday. Top-ranked Pepperdine opted to rest after spending the day traveling from California, where it defeated UH in the title match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament Saturday. The other semifinalist, Ball State, will arrive today.

Wilton said the Warriors needed to adjust to the time difference and a new ball. Throughout the season, the three NCAA conferences used a Molten ball, which is considered to be a "hitter's ball" because of its rubber-based interior.

But Spalding secured the equipment rights to the NCAA tournament. The Spalding ball is softer and has deeper seams — designs that appear to dull a hitter's impact.

"It's terrible," UH outside hitter Costas Theocharidis said. "I hate it."

The Warriors spent most of last night's practice working on serving and passing. "The ball has a different feel to it," UH setter Kimo Tuyay said. "It will take some time to get used to it, but we're fortunate we have the time. We'll be used to it by the time we play."

Because a quarter-inch-thick synthetic surface will be installed at Rec Hall this afternoon, the Warriors made sure to reserve two hours of practice this morning. With the six-hour time difference, the Warriors will practice at 4:30 a.m. Hawai'i time.

"That won't be a problem," Wilton said. "We're not on Hawai'i time or California time right now."

"We're on championship time," Podlewski said.

This is the Warriors' first appearance in the final four since 1996. Only the UH coaches have experience in the so-called "Big Dance."

During the 90-minute drive to State College yesterday morning, Podlewski asked Wilton, "How do we dance?"

Wilton responded: "At the Big Dance, remember the band is different but the tune is the same. You have to carry the same tune."

Later, Wilton said: "I don't want them to change the things that got them here. I want them to be focused and to play their game."

Said Podlewski: "We're happy to be here, but we want to do well. We don't want to go out there and lose. Our motivation is to play the best we can."