Posted on: Saturday, March 15, 2003

Slow-starting Warriors top UCLA

By Gilbert Quiñonez
Special to The Advertiser

LOS ANGELES — Despite beating UCLA at Pauley Pavilion for only the third team ever, Hawai'i is already looking to do something it has never done —sweep the Bruins at Pauley.

Last night's, 22-30, 30-22, 30-24, 30-23, win gives UH a chance to make history.

"It's a huge win, but we came here to get a sweep," said outside hitter Costas Theocharidis, who had 25 kills. "A split isn't going to do it for us."

Pauley Pavilion is the home to volleyball's most successful volleyball program as UCLA has won 18 NCAA titles, and is currently No. 8 in the country.

But the Warriors (14-5, 8-5 MPSF) are trying to make their claim as the best team in the country, being the defending NCAA champions and currently ranked No. 2.

"If we're mentally prepared and play our game, we can beat anyone," Theocharidis said.

UH wasn't mentally prepared in the first game. UCLA (13-10, 8-8 MPSF) took an early 10-5 lead and led by at least four points the rest of of way.

"I didn't think we were very awake," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "I've noticed that can happen here. It's a big arena, and there's not a lot of people in the stands."

The Warriors woke up and got out to a 5-1 lead in the second game.

"We were lackadaisical in the first game," outside hitter Tony Ching said. "Then we told ourselves 'That's enough of that.' It was a wake-up call."

Ching woke up too. He had only one kill on one attempt in the first game, but had nine kills on nine attempts in the second game. Ching finished the night with 17 kills, hitting .682.

The third game was close until the Warriors went on a 5-1 run, in which setter Kimo Tuyay recorded his only two kills of the match, for a 27-22 lead.

The fourth game also was close until the end.

"They served better than we passed, and they passed better than we served," UCLA coach Al Scates said. "That's it in a nutshell."