Two volleyball Warriors provide fresh start

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Brian Nordberg and Jake Muise were put into the starting lineup and helped Hawai'i win at Brigham Young. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Nordberg, a 6-foot-5 senior middle blocker, had become the school's tallest yell leader, and the 6-foot Muise, a junior libero, did not play for eight consecutive matches.

But like televised singing contests and 1970s sports jerseys, Nordberg and Muise are back in style, and both players are expected to start in the Warriors' key matches against top-ranked Pepperdine tomorrow and Friday.

Even UH coach Mike Wilton admitted he probably erred by waiting too long to summon Nordberg and Muise.

"Maybe the coach was guilty of being Mr. Science too much and not recognizing the intangibles," Wilton said. "When you select players to play, sometimes you have to be aware of what your gut tells you and not to listen too much to the numbers."

Wilton was cautious in using Nordberg, who underwent surgery last summer to repair a torn rotator cuff and partially torn labrum in his right shoulder. By the fifth match, when Nordberg felt ready to play, 6-10 Joshua Stanhiser was entrenched as a starting middle blocker.

Muise lost his starting job after the fifth match, a demotion punctuated by Wilton's decision to delete Muise from the 12-player active roster for the team's first road trip.

"There's no point in getting discouraged," Muise said of the demotion. "It doesn't get you anywhere. If you keep a positive mental attitude, good things happen. They always do. Giving up doesn't work."

Instead, Muise tutored freshman Matt Motter, providing tips on playing back-row defensive specialist.

Nordberg contributed as a serving specialist and understudy to Stanhiser and middle blocker Delano Thomas.

He also led the cheers of "John-ee ... John-ee" whenever Matt Bender entered as a serving specialist.

"I'll definitely take credit for that," said Nordberg, who started the cheer after learning of Bender's given first name. "As soon as I heard that, I started calling him 'Johnny.' Every time I hear that name, I'm thinking of that line from the 'Karate Kid' (movie): 'Put him in the body bag, Johnny.' "

After the Warriors lost in three games to Brigham Young last week, Wilton called a team meeting. Following the 75-minute talk, Wilton decided to start Nordberg and Muise. The Warriors won the rematch, in four games.

Wilton praised Nordberg for "sealing the block. He made it possible for us to play defense. That's the No. 1 priority for a middle blocker, to seal the block."

Muise was able to parlay blistering BYU serves into smooth passes to setter Kimo Tuyay.

"With Brian and Jake, through trial and tribulation, they displayed splendid team behavior," Wilton said. "There was not even a hint of a grumble."

UH rates every pass, in practices and matches, and Muise regularly finished third or fourth.

"I struggled with science a little bit," Wilton said of the scoring system. "It still gets back to cutting it on the floor."

In fact, teammates were aware of how much Nordberg and Muise could contribute.

"Those two guys are the hardest-working players in practice," outside hitter Costas Theocharidis said. "They bring a lot to this team. They bring a lot of energy. That's what we need."

Outside hitter Tony Ching added: "For them to get a chance is nice. They worked hard to get a chance, and they proved they belong on the court."

Despite his new role, Nordberg maintains a frenetic workout schedule. He arrives 30 minutes before each practice to work on stretching exercises. He leads the team in warm-up sprints, then keeps them loose with such stylish antics as using plastic wrap as a headband.

"It's fun to see what Brian's doing," Bender said. "Sometimes he's got a bow tie on his back or the Saran Wrap on his head. I remember the first time I met him. He had a hat on, and he's a shaggy guy. I said, 'Who is this guy?' But after a while, I found out he's one of the coolest guys."