UH hopes to spike UCLA in tourney

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	TV: UH-UCLA 4 p.m. today, OC-16

After a productive two-hour practice at Pauley Pavilion in preparation for tonight's playoff match against UCLA, the Warriors went to Dodger Stadium last night.

"It was a chance to do something different," UH coach Mike Wilton said of the outing to the Dodgers-Giants game. "We needed a little break."

The Warriors are hopeful of avoiding an extended vacation. The sixth-seeded Warriors' season will end if they lose to No. 3 UCLA in the opening round of the eight-team Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament. The tournament winner earns the league's automatic berth in next month's NCAA final four in the Stan Sheriff Center.

"Everybody looks pretty focused and ready to go," UH middle blocker Mauli'a LaBarre said.

The Warriors do not object to playing on the road, where they are not distracted by classes, friends or part-time jobs. In Hawai'i, the school's marketing department requests a 10-minute intermission between Games 2 and 3, an expanded break that the Warriors believe hurts momentum. At every other school, the breaks between games are three minutes.

Although UCLA has a 4-1 advantage in the postseason, Wilton said: "I'm happy with whom we're playing. I just like playing UCLA. It's a great program. It's a big challenge, and big challenges are supposed to bring out the best in you."

The Bruins come fully loaded. Opposite hitter Steve Klosterman, who did not play in the last match because of shoulder tendinitis, returns to the lineup. Although he is mostly aligned on the right side, he also can attack from the left side and out of the back row.

"We gave him four days off, and he's back in form," UCLA coach Al Scates said.

Outside hitter Jonathan Acosta has recovered from an appendix burst, but has not regained his starting job from J.T. Wenger.

In the past six weeks, the Warriors have played five different lineups. Of the changes, Wilton said, "99 percent had to do with sickness, injury or suspensions."

Wilton has settled on this lineup: middle blockers LaBarre and Joshua Stanhiser, setter Kimo Tuyay, opposite hitter Matt Bender, left-side hitter Delano Thomas, outside hitter/passer Pedro Azenha and libero Alfred Reft.

"This lineup gives us the most firepower," Wilton said.

The tradeoff is Azenha has not fully mastered the role of primary passer, and Thomas, who will receive jump serves in certain situations, is an average passer.

"UCLA will be aiming at (Thomas)," Wilton said. "Big time."

Every Bruins starter except setter Dennis Gonzalez is a jump server.

"We'll be fine," Wilton said, "as long as we are accurate with the first pass. ... If we can get our guys to elevate their expectations and think good things, then we're formidable. When some of our guys start using less than exceptional thought patterns, then we have problems."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.

No Warriors make MPSF first team

For the first time in the past four years, the University of Hawai'i did not place a player on the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team.

Outside hitter Pedro Azenha, a 6-foot-7 junior from Brazil, was named to the second team.

Delano Thomas, a 6-foot-7 outside hitter from Sacramento, Calif., was on the third team.

Joshua Stanhiser, a 6-10 middle blocker from Loma Linda, Calif., was honorable mention.

"I was hoping to get one more in there," said UH coach Mike Wilton, who believed libero Alfred Reft was worthy.

The 12-team MPSF is the most successful of the NCAA's three conferences. Wilton said the MPSF should have a fourth all-star team. "There are that many good players," he said.

MPSF ALL-STARS

FIRST TEAM

• Carlos Moreno, junior, setter, Brigham Young
• Tyler Hildebrand, sophomore, setter, Long Beach State
• Sean Rooney, junior, outside hitter, Pepperdine
• Fred Winters, senior, outside hitter, Pepperdine
• David Lee, senior, middle blocker, Long Beach State
• Scott Touzinsky, senor, opposite hitter, Long Beach State
• Adam Shrader, senior, libero, UCLA

SECOND TEAM

• Jimmy Pelzel, senior, outside hitter, UC Irvine
• Fernando Pessoa, senior, outside hitter, Brigham Young
• Evan Patak, freshman, opposite hitter, UC Santa Barbara
• Pedro Azenha, junior, outside hitter, Hawai'i
• Brian Waite, sophomore, middle blocker, Cal State Northridge
• Chris Pena, senior, quick hitter, UCLA
• Aaron Mansfield, junior, libero, UC Santa Barbara

THIRD TEAM

• Ty Tramblie, senior, setter, Cal State Northridge
• Kevin Hansen, junior, setter, Stanford
• Delano Thomas, junior, outside hitter, Hawai'i
• Jeff Wootton, senior, outside hitter, Long Beach State
• Michael Burke, junior, middle blocker, Brigham Young
• Paul Johnson, junior, quick hitter, UCLA
• Paul Munoz, junior, libero, Long Beach State

HONORABLE MENTION

• Dennis Gonzalez, sophomore, setter, UCLA
• Joe Alleman, senior, outside hitter, Brigham Young
• Cary Hanson, senior, outside hitter, Cal State Northridge
• Steve Klosterman, freshman, outside hitter, UCLA
• Nils Nielsen, sophomore, outside hitter, Cal State Northridge
• Joe Hillman, senior, opposite hitter, Brigham Young
• Nils Daubers, junior, opposite hitter, Pacific
• Kris Kraushaar, junior, opposite, UCLA
• Victor Batista, sophomore, middle blocker, Brigham Young
• Andy Hein, sophomore, middle blocker, Pepperdine
• Michael Kennedy, junior, middle blocker, UC Santa Barbara
• Sean Rodgers, senior, middle blocker, Pacific
• Joshua Stanhiser, senior, middle blocker, Hawai'i
• Doug English, senior, libero, Cal State Northridge