Hawai'i routs Lewis in volleyball opener

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

With cold-blooded efficiency, the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team opened defense of its national championship with a 30-17, 30-21, 30-22 victory over Lewis (Illinois) last night in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawai'i's Delano Thomas soared above the Lewis block of Kevin Miller for a kill during the second game of last night's volleyball season opener at the Stan Sheriff Center. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

"We wanted to have a good beginning," UH outside hitter Costas Theocharidis said. "We had fun out there, and we just rolled."

In the days leading to the match, the Warriors finalized a strategy that would set off a chain reaction and lead to the collapse of the Flyers' offense. The plan keyed on one simple tactic: keep the serves away from Ryan Stuntz, an All-America libero. If Stuntz can't pass, the Warriors figured, then setter Jose Martins can't run the offense.

"I know that guy from playing beach (volleyball) in California, and he's a very good passer," UH setter Kimo Tuyay said of Stuntz. "We didn't want him to get any serves."

Stuntz was positioned in the middle, a step in front of the end line, but UH serves were placed to the corners. The Flyers had so much difficulty they aligned a fourth passer to receive serves.

"It's frustrating," Stuntz said. "There's only so much you can do as a libero. All you can do is pass and play defense. When you're not getting served, it takes you out of the game."

Martins was left to scramble to receive passes, reducing his options. His favorite target is opposite hitter Fabiano Barreto, who usually swings from the right side, but Martins' long sets were easily deciphered.

"We just couldn't play," said Barreto, who even set up deep to get a seven-step running start. "We couldn't run our attack. It wasn't consistent."

Barreto had 12 kills, but made six hitting errors.

Lewis’ Greg Pochopien couldn’t stop UH’s Tony Ching. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

"We ended up getting the kill, but that set the tone for a lot of my younger outside hitters," Lewis coach Dave Deuser said. "They were rattled. They thought, 'I have to hit shots. The block is over me.' They were thinking. You can't think when you're playing volleyball. You have to react. When you think, you analyze and then you start to make errors."

After that, Deuser said, the Warriors' block "was just camped out. They pitched a tent and started a campfire and just stood there."

In turn, the Flyers' inconsistent serves could not disrupt the Warriors' offense. Libero Jake Muise and outside passers Eyal Zimet and Theocharidis were able to quickly find Tuyay.

"The passes were perfect the whole night," Tuyay said. "I came out maybe three or four times. When you have perfect passes like that, even a mediocre setter can do whatever he wants to do. It was a fun night, and it's a rare night when you get good passing against a good team like that."

Tuyay distributed the offense among Theocharidis (14 kills, no errors, .700 hitting percentage), Zimet and Ching on the outside and Delano Thomas at several locations.

During the offseason, Thomas, a 6-foot-7 sophomore middle blocker, added a slide step to his attack, giving him the option of slamming quick sets from the middle or three-stepping to the outside for angle shots. Thomas hammered 12 kills in 15 attempts, as well as contributing four blocks.

"I just put it in the arsenal," Thomas said of the slide step. "It's something else to do."

As a freshman last year, Thomas often deferred to the older outside hitters. This season, Ching said, "He's been stepping up. When we pass well, he's an unstoppable force. He's just too big and jumps too high to be stopped."

Tuyay said Thomas "gives us many options. He was hitting over the block. He was pretty much having his way. Now, he just wants the ball all of the time."

Thomas said he relishes his expanded role. "It's nice," he said. "I definitely like it."

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