UH coaches hope insults will prepare team for trip

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

It was 6:30 a.m., and the University of Hawai'i volleyball players could not wake up from their worst nightmare.

During one session of yesterday's two-hour practice, assistant coach Aaron Wilton was Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, yelling high-decibel barbs at his players. Hairstyles, mannerisms. Everything was fair play.

"I tried to be obnoxious," he said, or a facsimile of the heckling frat crowds the Warriors expect for their road matches against Cal State Northridge tomorrow and Friday and against Southern California next Monday and Tuesday.

UH fans lead the nation in attendance and good manners. Even though UCLA quick hitter Chris Pena was jeered last week in the Stan Sheriff Center, he received a lei before each match and signed autographs afterward.

Life is different outside of volleyball's Shangri-La. "We're going to be facing raucous crowds," Wilton said. "I don't think they'll give us a lei and applaud our good plays. I don't think that will happen."

During yesterday's scrimmage, Wilton, the assistant coach, went to the 'ewa end of the Gym I court.

"I yelled anything that would distract them on their serving," he said. "I'm sure when we play, people will do the same thing, trying to get into their heads when they're serving."

Floor captain José José Delgado acknowledge that Wilton's verbal rotten tomatoes were helpful.
"Their fans are pretty tough and intense," Delgado said. "That's fine. We don't really pay attention when people yell. We have to stay together."

Kimo Tuyay was the starting setter in 2002, when UH last played in Northridge's Matadome and USC's poorly lit North Campus Gym. Timing, Tuyay said, is the key.

"We're playing (USC) on Monday, Tuesday," Tuyay said, adding their student fans "won't be drinking. It won't be too rowdy. I suspect Northridge will be more rowdy. ... When you go on the road, you'll always get more people yelling."

Perhaps a bigger concern is the Warriors' passing and serving.

UH coach Mike Wilton said the team goal is to score points on at least 35 percent of the serves. In last Saturday's match, UH's serve-scoring rate was 33 percent, UCLA's was 42 percent.

Yesterday, Mike Wilton posted the serving scores, with UCLA's figure circled in red ink. "That just won't do it," said Mike Wilton, who then added an extra session of passing.

"Bad nights happen," Delgado said. "We don't want them to happen again. That's why we worked on our serving and passing. We want to have a nice road trip."

Notes: Arri Jeschke, who has recovered from a viral infection, practiced yesterday and was placed on the 12-player travel roster. Jeschke did not play in the two matches against UCLA. The Warriors were scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles last night. ... Former UH middle blocker Geronimo "JoJo" Chala is playing for California's club team. Another former Warrior, outside hitter Jeff Gleason, starts for Pacific Union College, an NAIA school in Angwin, Calif.

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