Gauchos will see familiar face when they play UH

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team will use a tour guide as it enters the high-protein leg of its schedule.

For tonight's match against sixth-ranked UC Santa Barbara — the third of eight road matches this month — the No. 2 Warriors will turn to middle blocker Brian Nordberg for inspiration and direction.

Nordberg played for the Gauchos last season before transferring to UH in August. He has said he wanted a change of scenery. But Gaucho coach Ken Preston said, "It seemed to me he was not happy here."

Unlike most other intercollegiate sports, the NCAA does not require a transferring men's volleyball player to sit out a season before gaining eligibility, as long as the player receives a release from his first school.

Preston said he did not hesitate in granting Nordberg's request. "Who doesn't let a player go if he's not happy?" Preston said.

Nordberg is a quick-hitting middle player who is experienced in playing in 2,700-seat Robertson Gym. "It's coming home for him," UH coach Mike Wilton said.

Wilton will tinker with the offense, with more quick sets going to the 6-foot-5 Nordberg. "I fully expect him to have a nice road trip," Wilton said.

Nordberg and Dejan Miladinovic, who leads the nation with 1.73 blocks per game, will play with a patchwork safety net. Freshman middle blocker Delano Thomas, the team's most accurate hitter, did not make the trip to focus on academics. Geronimo "Jo Jo" Chala, who has been slowed by ankle and knee injuries, will serve as the lone backup in the middle.

UH also is without outside hitter Tony Ching, who is in Honolulu recovering from walking pneumonia. If Ching is deemed healthy by tomorrow, he will join the Warriors for Friday's match at Cal State Northridge.

"We're back and forth on this," Wilton said. "If he's good to go, we'll see where that leads to. What kind of strength will he have? How will the plane flight affect him? You don't like to lose anybody, but we want what's best for him. We want him to be fully well."

Outside hitter Dave Kohl, the Gauchos' top reserve, will not play because of a knee injury. "He was a valued bench guy," Preston said.

But that injury is not nearly as damaging in the Gauchos' new spread-the-wealth offense. Britt Galang, who started two years ago but was a backup to freshman Jeff Minch, has reclaimed the starting job at setter.

"It became pretty evident he was a better leader," Preston said. "He just understands the game better. He'll distribute the ball better. We don't set one guy over and over. Last year, we were setting (outside hitter Ben) Koski a whole lot. (Galang) understands the flow of the game better."

The Gauchos' passing also has improved because of a lineup that essentially uses two liberos. Freshman Aaron Mansfield wears the libero uniform, but outside hitter Andy Rivera played libero for the gold-medal-winning American team in last summer's World University Games.

Notes: The Warriors remain atop the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a 9-1 record. UCLA, 13-2 in the MPSF and ranked No. 1 nationally, is the only conference team to clinch a playoff berth. The top eight teams in the 12-school MPSF qualify for the playoffs.