Motter will attend JC, might return in January
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Volleyball player Matt Motter, who started two matches as a freshman for the University of Hawai'i last season, will enroll in a junior college in the fall.
A person familiar with the situation, requesting anonymity because of federal privacy laws, said the 6-foot-4 Motter needs to earn additional college credits to be eligible to play for the Warriors next season. If Motter meets those requirements, he is expected to rejoin the Warriors in January and redshirt in 2004.
Motter is a San Diego resident who played on the U.S. Junior National team last summer. He can play setter, libero and outside hitter. He was projected to compete at outside hitter next season.
Price is right: UH students and fans ages 4 through 18 will be charged $3 for a men's volleyball ticket next season, half the price of a single-match youth ticket last season.
"Isn't that great?" said UH coach Mike Wilton, a vocal opponent of the across-the-board ticket hikes implemented in 1997. "We've always felt our big target was the kids."
A student ticket was priced at $7 in 2002 and $6 last year.
UH associate athletic director Thomas Sadler said tentative plans call for creating a student section in the lower bowl of the Stan Sheriff Center. Those with student tickets also will be allowed to sit in vacant seats in the reserved section.
Sadler said the student section likely will be in the end-zone seats. "We're still working on it," he said. "We want to make sure we're not displacing current season-ticket holders."
Sadler said he is considering Wilton's proposal to provide courtside seats to UH student-athletes in the area previously used by the team mascot and photographers.
MPSF tourney update: Sadler said "things are looking positive" that UH will host the 2004 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament.
In May, the 12 MPSF head coaches unanimously approved a measure to stage the league's postseason tournament in Hawai'i. UH, which has led the nation in attendance for nine consecutive years, will host the NCAA final four next May.
UH is expected to host the MPSF Tournament in 2004, although school officials have not decided if they will accept the league's proposal to stage the single-elimination tournament here in 2005 and 2006.
Under the current format, eight teams qualify for the MPSF Tournament, with the top four teams serving as first-round hosts. The highest remaining seed hosts both the semifinals and championship match.
If the tournament is held in Hawai'i, all 12 teams qualify for the postseason. The quarterfinals, semifinals and title match would be held in the Stan Sheriff Center.
