Thomas serves notice he's Warriors' best

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

When a difference-maker was sought from the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team, outside hitter Delano Thomas was more than willing to serve.

THOMAS

Wilton said the Warriors' goal is to score a point at least 35 percent of the time they are serving. When Thomas is behind the server's line, Wilton said, the Warriors' success ratio is better than 40 percent.

During Monday's practice, Wilton implored his servers to follow Thomas' lead. Wilton set a team goal of not missing more than 15 percent of the serves in a match. Against UC San Diego last Friday, the Warriors missed 19.6 percent of their serves.

"Every time you miss a serve, whether it's in practice or in a match, it costs your team a point," Wilton said. "Sooner or later you figure it out, you would think. I think over time, people learn to serve with good abandon. It's not like we're throwing a Sunday punch every time. It's serve 'in' and 'tough.' Those are the watch words."

The 6-foot-7 Thomas, who can touch 12 feet off a vertical jump, combines power and accuracy. He leads the Warriors in aces (15 in six matches) and intimidation.

"If you're a passer," said libero Jake Muise, who practices against Thomas, "you get nervous when he's back there, getting warmed up to serve. Maybe you side out the first time — maybe — and, if not, if he gets the first serve in, on his second serve, you're going, 'Oh, no, he's going to hit this thing 10 times harder than the first serve.' He definitely makes a passer nervous. I've seen a few looks of the players we're facing, and they're definitely not happy when he gets back there."

Muise said the angle of Thomas' serves creates problems for passers.

"It comes from such a high point in the air, it's hard to track," the 6-foot Muise said. "Your perception of where the ball is going to land is 10 times harder than, say, a serve from me. I'm not that high off the ground, and the ball is coming straight at you, so you can tell where the top spin is coming from. With Delano, the ball comes from such as high point, as it's coming down, it's hard to judge. That's why you see a lot of players leave the ball, assuming it's out, and the ball lands three feet in."

Thomas said: "I don't have anything in particular I do special. The coaches told me, 'We want you to hit it 100 percent every time. Don't listen to the crowd or anyone else.' I'm most accurate when I hit it my hardest, so that's what I do."

The Warriors will need to be accurate against the nation's only undefeated team.

Ball State setter Keith Schunzel, a fourth-year starter, is willing to hit away. "He can turn and rip the ball," Cardinal coach Joel Walton said. "He's pretty physical."

While opposite hitter Nick Meyer is one of the nation's top freshmen, the offense still revolves around Jary Delgado, the calabash cousin of UH opposite hitter Jose Delgado. Optimistically listed at 6 feet 1, Jary Delgado has a 40-inch vertical jump.

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

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