Warriors unveil banner, then lose
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team last night unveiled a banner commemorating its 2002 national championship, then unraveled in a 30-27, 30-19, 30-27 loss to Shanghai Oriental in the final match of the Outrigger Hotels Invitational.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
In claiming the tournament title, Shanghai did not lose a game in three matches. Its average winning margin was 6.3 points per game.
Hawai'i's Joshua Stanhiser, left, and Costas Theocharidis attempt to block a kill attempt by Shanghai's Tang Miao.
"We have a good training base, and we were able to cope with skills we found in the university teams," Shanghai middle blocker Cui Xiaodong said.
During an exhibition tour of China last November, the Warriors lost all four matches against Shanghai Oriental. Last week, the Warriors learned that Shanghai added five players from China's national team, including setter He Jiong and outside hitter Shen Quiong, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player.
"They're probably the best team I've ever played, in any level," UH setter Kimo Tuyay said. "When you have guys like that, it makes you better in practice and strive as hard as you can to be as good as them. Hopefully, we can do that."
UH's first lesson, absorbed through the tough-love approach, came in a disastrous second game.
"We made too many unforced errors, and we fell apart in Game 2," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "The wheels came off. Serving and passing are the base of the game, and we got reduced to that, and we couldn't stand up to them."
Because this was an exhibition that would not count against the Warriors' record, Wilton opened the second game with Matt Motter at libero in place of ailing Jake Muise (sprained left hand). Later, Pedro Azenha, who was ineligible in the previous four matches because of his participation in an international tournament, replaced struggling opposite hitter Eyal Zimet.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"By then," Wilton said, "the cows had escaped and it was too late to close the gate. We just left (Motter and Azenha) in (for Game 3), and they played OK."
Before the match, the University of Hawai'i unveiled its national championship banner.
Azenha was pleased with his debut. "We lost," he said, "but we learned."
The Warriors also did not allow the outcome to dampen the pre-match festivities.
Before the introduction of the starting lineups, a short clip played on the stadium scoreboard. Then with smoke billowing from the rafters, the championship banner was unfurled.
"It's awesome," said Basil Sparlin, president of the program's booster club.
UH president Evan Dobelle also gushed over the honoring of the first national championship by a men's team in UH history.
"It's a proud moment for Hawai'i," Dobelle said. "It's a tribute to the players, the coaches and the fans. Volleyball is very important to Hawai'i."
During the ceremony, several UH players embraced. Wilton, an ex-Marine, became misty-eyed.
"I got chicken skin, I'll admit it," Wilton said. "I got a little choked up. It really turned out nice."
Arena manager Rich Sheriff created the banner's design on his computer. The 6-foot-by-9-foot banner was produced locally at a cost of about $1,000. Four other banners commemorating the Rainbow Wahine national titles will be unveiled at a later date.
The banner "brought back memories," Tuyay said. "Every time we come into the arena, we'll look at it and remember the good year we had. It was a special year."
