However you say it, libero is vital to success
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Advertiser library photo
For the upcoming Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament, a key men's volleyball position is a position that did not exist four years ago.
Jake Muise's passing has helped the University of Hawai'i men's team win its last 13 matches.
But the consensus of the eight tournament coaches is success will rely heavily on the libero, the back-row defensive specialist.
Even though the libero is not allowed to attack or block, "the position is critical," UC Irvine head coach John Speraw said. "Passing is the most important phase of volleyball, and the libero's job is to pass. Look at international volleyball. The best teams in the world have the best liberos. You'll find that to be true in the men's game in America."
The position has led to volleyball's basic strategy: Don't serve to the libero.
"You can't win without a good libero," said Hawai'i coach Mike Wilton, whose team hosts Pacific Saturday.
• WHO: Hawai'i vs. Pacific • WHAT: First-round Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament match • WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m. • WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center • TV: KFVE will televise live. • TICKETS: $12 for lower level, $9 for upper, $8 for senior upper (65-older), $5 for ages 4-18 and UH students with ID. Available at Stan Sheriff Center or TicketMaster at (808) 526-4400, TicketMaster outlets, and at www.ticketmaster.com.
But since its implementation in NCAA men's volleyball in 2000, the position has been a work in progress, beginning with the pronunciation. Some say li-BARE-oh. Wilton, among others, pronounces it lee-burr-oh. A novice reporter once asked Wilton if he could interview his "libido."
MPSF Volleyball
In the first season, NCAA coaches, limited to spreading the financial equivalent of 4.5 scholarships among 12 players, tried to scrimp on the position, converting outside hitters into liberos.
But coaches soon discovered that converted hitters were not as efficient as long-trained defensive specialists. Eyal Zimet, regarded as UH's best passing outside hitter, could not make the transition to libero during a two-match audition this season.
"It's a key position," Stanford coach Don Shaw said. "You can't use a part-time player. You have to find somebody who can really pass and play defense, because that player is going to be out there for you all of the time. You have to invest in a good libero."
UCLA's libero has struggled this season, and in two matches against UH this season, the Bruins assigned an extra passer to receive serves. That tactic gave the setter fewer options, slowing the Bruins' offense. UH won both matches. Subsequently, UCLA failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in school history.
"The first year," Speraw said, "nobody recruited liberos. Now it's a priority."
Conferences in the East and Midwest expanded active rosters to 13 to allow each team to carry a backup libero. The MPSF rejected a similar motion.
While the pool is larger now that the position is used on almost every level, the requirements are not always clear. Wilton, who has four liberos on his 18-player roster, uses a detailed scoring system to rate passers. After crunching the numbers, Wilton replaced junior Jake Muise as starting libero after five matches. Muise had the lowest scores among the passers. Muise was not included on the travel roster for one trip nor the active roster for two home matches.
But following a team meeting Feb. 21, Wilton decided to reinstate Muise. Since then, the Warriors are 14-1, winning their last 13 matches.
"The guys play better when Jake is in there," Wilton said. "That's something that doesn't show up in the data sheets. The primary skill for a libero is passing, and defensive ability would be second. But a libero also has to bring energy to the court. Jake does that. The team is comfortable with him."
