UH volleyball wins ninth straight

Advertiser Staff

Adding a dramatic flavor to what should have been a routine performance, the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team outlasted UC San Diego, 30-26, 27-30, 30-20, 30-20, last night in La Jolla, Calif.

In winning their ninth in a row, the Warriors improved to 19-5 overall and 13-5 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Tritons fell to 5-18 and 1-17.

The Warriors have won all 29 meetings against the Tritons, a statistical superiority that likely figured in UH coach Mike Wilton's decision to open last night's match with only two of his usual starters — middle blocker Brian Nordberg and outside hitter Tony Ching — in the lineup.

The Warriors struggled in the second game, prompting Wilton to field his usual lineup for the final two games.

UH setter Kimo Tuyay's family prepared a post-match meal for the team, and Wilton noted, "If I didn't get him in there (for the final two games), maybe his parents wouldn't have fed me."

After UH swept the Tritons Wednesday night, Wilton wanted to give his reserves more playing time last night.

"It's my fault," Wilton said. "You're basically trotting a second team on the court, and that's going to tick off (the Tritons), and it did."

While some of the reserves had their moments, Wilton said, "collectively we struggled a bit. I should have started our usual lineup, then made piecemeal changes. That way I get to play everybody, and everybody leaves with a good feeling."

Ching apparently has fully recovered from flu-like symptoms that kept him from playing last week. He played in all four games, finishing with a team-high 15 kills.

The Warriors also continued to serve well, amassing 10 aces.

UC San Diego is a Division II team that does not offer men's volleyball scholarships. (UH spreads the equivalent of 4.5 scholarships among 10 players.)

"But they have a pretty seasoned team that scraps for everything," Wilton said. "They're pretty efficient. Every opportunity we gave them, they took it, and sometimes it kind of got ugly for us. I should have had a few more veterans in there at the beginning. I'm kicking myself for that."

The Warriors return to Honolulu this morning. They have a day off tomorrow and weight training Monday before resuming practice Tuesday afternoon.

The Warriors' final four regular-season matches are at home, starting with matches against UC Santa Barbara Friday and next Saturday.