Warriors haven't got time for the pain

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	MPSF TOURNAMENT Semifinals Tomorrow At Pepperdine (Malibu, Calif.) UC-Irvine vs. Pepperdine Hawai'i vs. BYU Championship Saturday at Pepperdine ON THE AIR UC-Irvine vs. Pepperdine, 2 p.m., K5 Hawai'i vs. BYU, 4:30 p.m., K5; 4:15 p.m., 1420-AM

Libero Jake Muise, wearing a mummified wrap to protect a torn ligament in his left wrist, grimaced with every pass.

Middle blocker Delano Thomas repeatedly soared for blocks, braving the back spasms that require 30 minutes of ice treatments and electrical stimulation after every practice.

"We have to suck it up and play," said Muise, who wears a hard cast on his left wrist when he is not playing. "My wrist hurts a lot, and every time I play it's back to zero in the healing process. But pain is an easy price to pay for the privilege of playing for the University of Hawai'i. Pain isn't that important, especially during the playoffs."

When the Warriors' final practice of the year in the Stan Sheriff Center ended, it was 8:30 a.m. The Warriors, refreshed by the competition, were ready to face the day and the rest of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament field.

"That was a very spirited practice," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "Every play was tooth and nail. I think we're good to go."

The Warriors were scheduled to arrive in California last night. They face No. 2 seed Brigham Young in tomorrow's MPSF semifinals. As long as No. 5 UC Irvine does not upset No. 1 Pepperdine in the other semifinal and go on to win the tournament, it is widely agreed that the winner of the UH-BYU match will earn, at the least, an at-large berth in next week's NCAA final four.

"That's how I figure it," BYU coach Tom Peterson said.

UH and BYU finished the regular season tied for second with 17-5 MPSF records. BYU won the tie-breaker — and No. 2 seed — because it defeated UH in three games in Provo Feb. 20 while the Warriors won the rematch the next night in four games.

"Basically, everyone has done the math," Muise said. "If both teams are tied during the regular season, this match is the tie-breaker. It's that simple."

Wilton has tried to limit his players' concerns. After yesterday's practice, he told them: "We play our best when we're calm. If we have faith and confidence in ourselves, we'll be OK. That's it. That's the only message."

Later, Wilton said: "We're looking at the small picture. When you focus on the other stuff, you're wasting your time, in my opinion. You're spending energy and thought processes on things you can't control."

The Warriors' optimism is rooted in two factors. The Warriors' four-game victory over BYU Feb. 21, their first with a set lineup, led to a streak in which they won 15 of 16 matches, including 14 in a row.

The Warriors also are pleased the semifinals are at sea level, in Malibu, instead of the high altitude of Provo, Utah. In the road matches at BYU, the Warriors' serves repeatedly sailed long.

"Serving is our weapon, but we couldn't use it because of the altitude," UH outside hitter Eyal Zimet said. "That's the one thing we'll be able to use in (Malibu)."

UH outside hitter Tony Ching said he looked forward to playing on the road.

"We love our fans, and there's nothing compared to playing at home, but there aren't as many distractions on the road," Ching said. "We don't have to worry about school and other things. I think when we're on the road we get stronger as a team, just because we're with each other so much and we do so many fun things together."

NOTE: Pepperdine, the No. 1 seed and host school, is playing in the first match of tomorrow's doubleheader because coach Marv Dunphy wanted a set starting time. The second semifinal begins 40 minutes after the end of the first match, which could take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours.