Warriors' volleyball team slips to No. 2
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The defending national champion University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team dropped to No. 2 in this week's USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association top-15 poll.
The Warriors (5-1) lost in five games to Stanford last Friday, their first defeat since the title match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament last April.
The Warriors, who were No. 1 for the first two polls this season, ceded the top spot to UC Irvine (10-0).
UH plays at UC Irvine Friday and Saturday in the first half of a four-match road trip. The Warriors also play at Long Beach State Feb. 5 and 7.
UC Irvine received 14 of the 16 first-place votes. The Warriors received the other two No. 1 votes.
"I think there are some people who believe we still have a really good team," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "We had one five-game loss, and (the pollsters) knew all too well we had a good player not out there and a good player who was out there but not really out there. They're not supposed to take that stuff into consideration, but I think they did."
Outside hitter Eyal Zimet, UH's captain, did not play last Friday because of non-specific back pain compounded by spasms. Zimet, who competed in passing drills yesterday, will be included on the 12-player travel roster.
Middle blocker Delano Thomas suffered a partially torn ligament in the right thumb of his hitting hand in the first game against Stanford. Thomas has been practicing with a specially made splint on his injured thumb.
Pedro Azenha, a freshman from Brazil, had 25 kills against Stanford while starting at Zimet's spot at opposite hitter.
"If Eyal is healthy and capable of doing what he usually does, we play with him as (a starting) outside hitter," Wilton said. "Pedro will be the first guy in."
Wilton said freshman Matt Motter of San Diego is now the starting libero, the back-row defensive specialist. Against Stanford, Motter's passes were rated at 2.48 on a scale of 3.0; a score of 2.4 is considered good.
Motter and libero Arri Jeschke also can play outside hitter, giving Wilton more lineup flexibility.
Against Stanford, Jeschke and left-side hitter Tony Ching were hampered by suspected food poisoning. Ching played in that match, but was largely ineffective. Wilton said with Motter at libero and Jeschke unavailable, he could not replace Ching that night.
Jeschke's good health and Azenha's role as a backup will boost the bench during the road trip. But the circumstances mean that Jake Muise, a junior who started UH's first five matches at libero, will not be included in the travel party.
"It was a flexibility factor," Wilton said, noting Zimet also can play libero. "I can't take four liberos on the trip. Jake is as good a team guy as we have. It really hurt me to have to tell him he can't go."
USA TODAY/AVCA TOP-15
School (Record) (No. 1 votes) Points
1. UC Irvine (10-0) (14) 237
2. Hawai'i (5-1) (2) 226
3. Brigham Young (3-1) 175
4. Pepperdine (5-1) 170
5. Long Beach State (7-2) 168
6. Ball State (5-1) 165
7. UCLA (4-3) 159
8. Cal State Northridge (6-2) 125
9. Penn State (1-2) 120
10. Stanford (3-5) 110
11. Lewis (4-2) 99
12. UC Santa Barbara (3-5) 48
T13. Ind.-Purdue-F.W. (3-1) 47
13. Pacific (4-4) 47
T15. Loyola Chicago (2-1) 11
15. UC San Diego (2-4) 11
