Warriors lose first in MPSF
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
It wasn't so much the loss that bothered the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team. It was how it lost.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
In a game that, on paper, they should have won, the third-ranked Warriors couldn't muster up enough intensity to play to their potential against No. 12 Long Beach State. The 49ers snapped Hawai'i's six-game winning streak by handing the Warriors their first conference loss last night, 30-26, 26-30, 36-34, 31-29, at the Stan Sheriff Center in front of 2,992 fans.
Hawai'i's Dejan Miladinovic, left, and Eyal Zimet stuffed a Long Beach State spike during last night's match.
The 49ers (7-8 overall, 5-4 MPSF) didn't come in believing the stats, the standings, the national rankings. They didn't care that Hawai'i (9-3, 6-1) was the solid favorite. Because, as any coach will preach, on any given day, anyone can win.
"We lost the game," said UH head coach Mike Wilton. "Our team is capable of beating any team in the country, no question about that. But we gotta take care of business. I'm pretty sure this was our least effective performance of the year.
"But give Long Beach State credit. They certainly played well enough to win. ... I'm just really, really disappointed that we didn't bring more (intensity) on the court tonight."
Even with several lineup changes that saw the rotation of 11 players (including two setters), the Warriors couldn't find their groove.
"I'm disappointed," said junior outside hitter Tony Ching. "We didn't play anything like we can. All around, we all played flat. There's no one person to blame."
What baffled the coaching staff was the play of setters Kimo Tuyay and Daniel Ramsay, who had successfully rotated in for each other this season. Both were inconsistent with their setting against the Beach, struggling to fake out the 49ers block and spread out the offense. Only two Hawai'i players had double figures in kills; Long Beach State had four.
"Our heads weren't in it tonight," said Ching, who had six kills and five blocks. "We were out of focus, not mentally prepared for the game."
Or the Beach just wanted it more.
The 49ers came out strong in Game 1, hitting .303 as a team compared to Hawai'i's meager .135. The Warriors couldn't shake the pesky 49ers, who never let the Warriors get ahead by more than one point. Long Beach senior middle blocker Tim May led the early charge with five kills, hitting .833. He finished the night with 13 kills and five blocks.
But the Warriors shifted gears in Game 2. Despite a shorter lineup, they dominated at the net. Ching, who returned to action last week after recovering from a shoulder injury, provided a much-needed boost, with two solo blocks and two block assists in the second game alone. The Warriors managed to out-block the 49ers, 19.5 to 11.5.
Long Beach State outlasted Hawai'i in the last two games, relying on the strong arms of senior outside hitter Nicholas Marback and sophomore opposite Scott Touzinsky. They led the Beach in kills with 23 and 17, respectively.
"I could've done more," Ching said. "I provided an emotional lift, but that only lasts so long. Emotion takes you so far. The best teams are the consistent teams, and we weren't consistent."
The breakdown was in their inconsistency. The Warriors hit for just .277. Junior outside hitter Costas Theocharidis led Hawai'i with 25 kills, hitting .304, and nine blocks. But even Hawai'i's go-to guy, who recorded his usual numbers, wasn't happy with the team's overall performance.
"It was everybody's fault," Theocharidis said. "I know we can play better than this."
