UH starting middle blocker demoted

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Middle blocker Delano Thomas has been demoted from the University of Hawai'i volleyball team's starting lineup until his academic situation is resolved.

Thomas, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from Sacramento, Calif., said he has completed work on a fall-semester class. Thomas said that once the work is approved, he will be eligible to play during the spring semester. The approval could come as early as today.

"I'm not worried about it," said Thomas, adding he sent the work to his professor, who is visiting in Wisconsin.

UH coach Mike Wilton said: "That's the company line right now. He's told me he will have taken care of business. We'll see if that's so."

Wilton added: "If he gets cleared, Delano will play. He hasn't missed any practice."

Until then, Wilton is prepared to open the season Wednesday against Lewis with two newcomers in the middle — Joshua Stanhiser, who transferred from the UH basketball team, and 6-8 Shaun Frederick, a 1999 Wai'anae High graduate who attended Long Beach City College the last two years.

"That's it," Wilton said. "It's just (those) two guys."

Although senior middle blocker Brian Nordberg is practicing, he still has not fully recovered from shoulder surgery in September. Wilton said it probably will be another two weeks before Nordberg can play.

Nordberg said he will not rush back.

"I'd rather be ready for the team from February through May, rather than pushing it for early January," he said.

Nordberg said he has had periodic pain in his right shoulder since high school. By the end of last season, the pain was severe enough that he decided not to play volleyball during the summer.

"It originally was diagnosed as tendinitis," he said. "With rest, the tendinitis usually goes away."

But the pain persisted, and an arthroscopic procedure on his right shoulder showed a damaged labrum and a torn supraspinatus, one of the muscles in the rotator cuff. He underwent surgery Sept. 13, and as late as November, he still was restricted from running because he could not swing his right arm.

"I'm trying to get back in the mix," Nordberg said. "I'm taking it slow. I want to be kind of cautious, but at the same time, I'm itching to get back."

Frederick was used sparingly during fall training camp because he did not pass the "bleep test." The test requires players to run 20 meters 120 times. Like a treadmill test, the pace starts slowly — a nine-second limit for each of the first several 20-meter sprints — then, after each whistle, the time limit is decreased.

"It tests your stamina and your mental abilities," Frederick said.

Wilton said he is confident Frederick will pass the test. For now, Wilton said he hopes Frederick can fill in at middle blocker. UH already is trying to replace Dejan Miladinovic, who completed his NCAA eligibility last May. Wilton said the problem will be eased once Thomas is cleared.

"It's a factor in our depth, that's for sure," Wilton said. "We're in a wait-and-see mode."