UH, UCLA set to renew their rivalry
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Just as naturally as birds having to fly and fish having to swim, the UCLA and Hawai'i volleyball teams can't help but annoy each other.
UCLA, which hosts UH in matches tomorrow and Saturday, has won 18 national titles, giving it bragging rights it readily uses.
"There's an arrogance, no question about that," UH coach Mike Wilton said.
Wilton believes that the Bruins are leaders of the bloc of eight Southern California schools that greatly influence the policies of the 12-team Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. That bloc, Wilton said, has kept the MPSF from implementing a film-exchange program. Because of the distance, UH and Brigham Young are at a disadvantage in advance scouting. Meanwhile, many telecasts of UH and BYU matches are available off satellite transmissions.
"They're not interested in approving anything that will create an even surface for the rest of the league," Wilton said.
With 25 players, the Bruins have the NCAA's largest volleyball roster; UH has 18. Because of space and coaching limitations, most schools practice with 14 players. But UCLA's extra players go behind the blue curtain, which separates the workout courts, and conduct full practices.
"It's my understanding that if someone is playing well behind the blue curtain, he gets promoted to the main court," said Wilton, noting the blue-curtain group serves as a minor league. "There are a lot of really good players who go to UCLA and don't play very much, or at all."
Meanwhile, the Bruins perceive the Warriors to be ungracious winners. In particularly, they were angered when outside hitter Costas Theocharidis celebrated a UH victory two years ago by jumping on a press-row table and dancing.
The Warriors, on the other hand, believe the Bruins are sore losers.
After last year's loss to UH, UCLA coach Al Scates accused Warrior setter Kimo Tuyay of "deep dishing" his sets, volleyball's equivalent of palming. Later, Scates told the UCLA student newspaper, "We could have beaten them with a full squad, but we didn't have that."
This week, Tuyay said: "They try to play those mind games. But they don't really affect people, and I don't think they will affect our team, either."
The upmanship continued this year, when Wilton decided not to invite UCLA to the Outrigger Invitational for the first time in the tournament's history.
Instead UCLA participated in UC Santa Barbara's tournament. "I guess I didn't miss it," Scates said of the Outrigger Invitational. "I might have missed it if I didn't have anything else to do."
The Bruins have other concerns. After dropping five of their first six MPSF matches, they are 8-7 and among three teams fighting for the final two playoff berths.
"It's been a real challenge," Scates said. "We've never had a start like that in 40 seasons."
When asked if he felt empathy for the Bruins' slow start, Theocharidis said, "Feel sorry for them? What the hell are you talking about? They're UCLA."
Tuyay said: "Everyone looks at UCLA like they're the Yankees. They're the best volleyball team to beat."
