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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, January 17, 2002

UH volleyball hitter injured

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i will be without one of its most athletic hitters when it plays host to the country's top-ranked men's volleyball team tonight in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Tony Ching could only watch yesterday as his University of Hawai'i volleyball teammates practiced in preparation for the Outrigger Hotels Invitational. Ching has a shoulder injury.

Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

Outside hitter Tony Ching suffered an injury to his hitting shoulder and might miss the entire Outrigger Hotels Invitational, including the opening match against No. 1 Penn State.

Ching said he has difficulty raising his right arm.

"I think you need to be able to lift your arm to take a swing," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "I'm not sure when he will be able to play again."

Ching, a 6-foot-2 junior from the Kamehameha Schools, said the injury is not in the same area that was surgically repaired in August.

He said he had limited his number of swings, and initially believed the soreness was the normal result of playing on consecutive nights last week. But the pain persisted, and he could not finish practice Tuesday afternoon.

Trainers "think there's a slight tear, something like that," Ching said. "There's some long bruising and bleeding."

He said he is not optimistic about playing in the tournament.

"I'm disappointed and very frustrated," he said. "I've been working on my comeback for a while. It's another bump in the road; another thing I have to get over."

Freshman Jose Delgado of Puerto Rico will replace Ching in the rotation. There is no experienced backup.

"We'll just have to battle," Wilton said.

Delgado played in both of UH's matches against Loyola-Chicago last week. "I feel ready," Delgado said. "Coach told me all of the things I need to do. I think I can do a good job."

 •  Today's games:

UCLA vs. Lewis, 4:30 p.m.

Penn State vs. Hawai'i, 7 p.m.

• Where: Stan Sheriff Center.

• TV: Both games live on K5 (channel 5)

UH setter Kimo Tuyay said Ching is a better passer than Delgado and "he has more experience, which counts for a lot more. (Delgado) has to get in the groove. Once he does, and he feels comfortable, he will really help us."

In an emergency, Wilton said, middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic can slide over to the outside. But Delano Thomas, Brian Nordberg and Geronimo "Jo Jo" Chala are strictly middle blockers.

Thomas, who will start his second consecutive match, gives the Warriors two freshmen in the rotation.

Penn State also is not at full strength. Senior middle blocker John Mills did not make the trip while his eligibility is being reviewed.

Two years ago, Mills played for a club team at San Diego State. The NCAA is trying to determine whether that participation counts against Mills' eligibility clock. If it does, his college career is over.

Penn State coach Mark Pavlik is hopeful Norm Keil can effectively defend the middle. A bigger concern, Pavlik said, is how well the Nittany Lions acclimate after arriving late Tuesday night.

This is the ninth year in a row the Nittany Lions have played in Hawai'i, and Pavlik noted, "that it's a big factor when you get to 9 o'clock Hawai'i time, which is 2 a.m. Penn State time. That's a major concern. Can we play at a high enough level and get acclimated enough?"

He also said UH's Miladinovic and outside hitters Costas Theocharidis and Eyal Zimet "are playing as well as anybody in the country right now. When you see them on the other side of the net, you know you'll be in for a highly competitive battle."

In November, the teams met in exhibition matches at Penn State, site of this year's final four. Each won a match.

The Outrigger Invitational, Pavlik said, "is a big test. There are some good teams here." UCLA is ranked second, behind Penn State. UH is fifth and Lewis (of Illinois) is ranked No. 11.

"We love to play in the tournament," said UCLA coach Al Scates. No doubt, considering the Bruins have finished first in five of the seven Outrigger tournaments. They are 6-1 against UH in this tournament.

Lewis coach Dave Deuser said "it's just absolutely fun to play here. It's a perfect venue for volleyball. The fans in Hawai'i are more knowledgeable and have a greater appreciation for good volleyball than anywhere else. We get cheered in Hawai'i, because the fans appreciate a good effort.

"You don't find that when you go to (Brigham Young). I'm not criticizing BYU. (It has) a great school, and (its) fans are 100 percent against you. In Hawai'i, the fans cheer for their team, absolutely, but they don't cheer against the opposing team, per se."

Here is a look at the teams:

Hawai'i Warriors
Record: 1-1
Head coach: Mike Wilton

Projected starters: S—Kimo Tuyay (6-2, So.). MB—Dejan Miladinovic (6-7, Sr.), Delano Thomas (6-7, Fr.). OH—Costas Theocharidis (6-3, Jr.), Eyal Zimet (6-2, Jr.), Jose Delgado (6-3, Fr.). L—Vernon Podlewski (5-8, Sr.)

Player to watch: Thomas was effective in the season-opening loss to Loyola-Chicago and he started in the rematch. His development will be measured against the tournament's craftier hitters.

Outlook: The Warriors were underwhelming in four exhibition matches in the fall, and downright flat in the first match against Loyola. But when they are good — as they were in the Loyola rematch, when Miladinovic and Thomas constructed imposing blocks and Theocharidis sizzled crossing shots — they are as talented as any other team in the country. Part of the problem is this will be their third different starting lineup.

Did you know?: President Bill Clinton attended one of middle blocker Geronimo Chala's flute recitals in high school.


Lewis Flyers
Record: 0-0
Head coach: Dave Deuser

Projected starters: S—Jose Martins (6-4, So.). Opp—Fabiano Barreto (6-6, So.). MB—James Elsea (6-6, So.), Kevin Miller (6-8, Jr.). OH—Gustavo Meyer (6-4, Fr.), Jeff Soler (6-6, Fr.). L—Ryan Stuntz.

Player to watch: Last year, Barreto became the first Lewis freshman to be named to the All-America team. Meyer could be the second. Meyer played on Mexico's national team while attending Universidad Nacionas Antonona de Nueva Leon, where he took several English courses. During one international tournament, he met two Flyers, who encouraged him to come to Lewis. "He's a phenomenal athlete, first of all," Deuser said. "He can vary his arm swing. His technique is just textbook."

Outlook: Deuser learned the Flyers could save $3,000 on airfare by departing from Chicago Sunday. After booking the flight, he was told the tournament would begin today, a day later than he expected. "I think we're pretty much acclimated now," he said. The late start works against the Flyers, who are the only participants who have not played this season. "This will be our first indication of where we're at," Deuser said. What is known is Martins is an efficient leader who will look often to Barreto (5.04 kills per game last year). Meyer should step in as the bookend slammer. While Miller is an accurate hitter (.519), he is more valuable as a blocker.

Did you know?: Backups Matt Mueller and Mario Martin are majoring in flight aviation. They have licenses to fly small airplanes.


Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 1-0
Head coach: Mark Pavlik

Projected starters: S—Jose Quinones (6-3, Sr.) Opp—Zeljko Koljesar (6-5, Jr.). MH—Zach Slenker (6-5, Jr.), Norm Keil (6-9, So.). OH—Carlos Guerra (6-5, Jr.), Kevin Hodge (6-4, Jr.). L—Ricky Mattei (5-11, So.).

Player to watch: Keil steps in for senior John Mills, who is awaiting a ruling on his eligibility. Mills is the better hitter, but, according to Pavlik, Keil "is a little bigger and I think he blocks better than John." Keil also is skilled enough to stay in the game when he rotates to the back row.

Outlook: The Nittany Lions lost one player from last season's team, a backup to Mattei, an All-America libero. They are deep enough that their four freshmen will redshirt this season. The Lions should be able to withstand the loss of Mills' interior offense. Slenker set a school rally-scoring record when he hit .727 during last week's match. Guerra and Kojlesar will receive numerous sets, although their effectiveness will be determined by Quinones' energy level. "That's the key," Pavlik said. "If Jose comes out and really works hard to get himself in great position, they're going to be very successful. If he doesn't, it makes our hitters' work a little harder."

Did you know?: Koljesar emigrated from Yugoslavia to Canada five years ago, and now holds Canadian citizenship.


UCLA BRUINS
Record: 2-1
Head coach: Al Scates

Projected starters: S—Rich Nelson (6-3, Jr.). Opp—Cameron Mount (6-8, Jr.). QH—Scott Morrow (6-9, Jr.), Chris Pena (6-6, So.). OH—Matt Komer (6-7, Sr.), Jonathan Acosta (6-4, Fr.). L—Adam Shrader (6-3, So.).

Player to watch: Only at UCLA is a 6-foot-6 player considered to be short. But Pena, who succeeds 6-10 Adam Naeve, will offer a different dimension for the Bruins. While Naeve was an intimidator, Pena is athletic and can defend wider areas. He also is a good server.

Outlook: Naeve's departure created a chain reaction in which Komer moved to the outside and Mount to opposite. Acosta, who redshirted last season, replaces outside hitter Mark Williams. Nelson, one of the nation's best setters, is given the freedom to call the plays. Last semester, the Bruins played 12 matches in Europe against top-division teams, going a surprising 6-6. Facing powerful-serving players helped improve the Bruins' passing. The Bruins appear to be physically fit; they played two doubleheaders on the European tour and one doubleheader in last week's tournament.

Did you know?: Until retiring four years ago, Scates also was a full-time teacher in the Beverly Hills school system.