Hawai'i's Thomas rejoins first team
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team yesterday began construction of its national-title defense by securing its middle block.
Delano Thomas, trumpeted as an All-America candidate at middle blocker, resolved his recent academic dilemma — to coach Mike Wilton's satisfaction — and was reinstated to the starting lineup. Wilton said Thomas, who was demoted until he completed an outstanding school project, will start in Wednesday's season opener against Lewis (Illinois).
Thomas declined an interview request, preferring to express himself in a statement-making performance during yesterday's intrasquad match at UH's Gym I.
"He's a force," Wilton said of the 6-foot-7 Thomas, who hammered 15 kills in four games.
Thomas played Game 1 with the first team, then moved to the second team for the final three games. His teams won three of the four games, including the last two.
Daniel Rasay, the second team's setter, admittedly struggled early with his placements. "I think what made a difference was when I started setting Delano a little more," Rasay said. "It was opening it up for Pedro (Azenha) and Eyal (Zimet) to get more swings on one-on-one blocks."
With Thomas' reach and height, "I can set the ball really high," Rasay said. "His sweet spot (for hitting shots) is really big. It doesn't matter where the set is."
Last season, the Warriors frequently turned to the outside for points. This season's blueprint is to diversify the offense, a scheme that begins with Thomas.
"We want to give Delano more (hitting) opportunities," said outside hitter Eyal Zimet, the team captain. "Delano is All-America status. He's a solid middle blocker."
Thomas' emergence is helping to ease the loss of Dejan Miladinovic, a four-year starter who completed his NCAA eligibility last May. What's more, Brian Nordberg, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, has not been medically cleared to block, and 6-foot-10 Joshua Stanhiser, a transfer from the UH basketball team, is learning to adjust to Division I volleyball.
"I still have problems reading blocks," said Stanhiser, who will start at the other middle blocker position. "I'm still working on that. It's a learning process once the season starts, too. Experience is what I think I need, and it's what I'll try and get."
For now, Shaun Frederick, a 1999 Wai'anae High graduate who played at Santa Barbara City College the last two years, is the lone backup to Thomas and Stanhiser.
There are no such depth problems on the outside, where Costas Theocharidis, Tony Ching and Zimet return as starters. All three have played well in training camp. Yesterday, Zimet had 18 kills and Theocharidis and Ching added 14 apiece. Ching also had five blocks and four aces.
Ching said he gained confidence during last year's NCAA final four, and now "I'm kind of out here trying to have fun."
Meanwhile, Zimet and Theo-charidis are serving as mentors to freshmen Matt Motter and Azenha. Motter can play all three outside positions, as well as libero and setter. But in the last four practices, he has settled in at Zimet's position as a perimeter passer.
Motter, who is from San Diego, attributes his passing skills to proper coaching, years of practice and his double-jointed elbows. "Actually, they help me to get my platform exactly even," he said.
Azenha, who had 18 kills yesterday, provides the right-side thunder absent from the Warriors' offense last season. Azenha is ineligible for UH's first four matches because of his participation in an international tournament, but he is expected to join the rotation when he is activated. Azenha is from Brazil.
"I feel good, really good, but I feel I can do better," Azenha said.
