4 Warriors reinstated; two starters injured

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

For the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team, the good news is four players yesterday were reinstated after serving two-match suspensions against Brigham Young last week for violating an unspecified team rule during a recent road trip.

The not-so-good news is two starters — middle blocker Mauli'a LaBarre and outside hitter Arri Jeschke, a replacement for one of the suspended players — did not compete in yesterday's 2 1/2-hour practice because of injuries. LaBarre, who has a sprained left ankle, and Jeschke, who was on crutches with a badly bruised left foot, are hopeful of returning for Friday's match against Cal Baptist.

Of the two injuries, Jeschke's is more serious. "It's sore, and I can't walk (on it) yet," said Jeschke, who suffered the injury when he tripped during pre-match warmups last Saturday.

After a one-hour meeting yesterday morning, UH coach Mike Wilton reinstated opposite hitter Pedro Azenha, left-side hitter Delano Thomas, outside hitter/primary passer José José Delgado and backup middle blocker Dionisio Dante. They again refused to say which team rule they violated.

Thomas declined to comment on his situation, but Azenha said, "all four of us are sorry. We have to forget about it and practice hard."

Dante said: "I realized I made a mistake and I want to make up for it."

Delgado added: "I'm happy to be back."

Azenha, Thomas and Delgado were starters before the suspensions. Wilton said they are "going to start from scratch. The guys who started (against BYU) are going to start."

That means senior Kimo Tuyay, who played in place of ailing Brian Beckwith, also remains in the starting lineup. While recovering from tonsillitis, Beckwith was available only as a serving specialist for the rematch against BYU.

Beckwith, a freshman, is healthy. But Wilton said: "Kimo, right now, has given us a leadership that should be inherent with the years he's been in the program. We like what's going on out on the floor right now. That's not a slam on Brian. Brian is capable of doing that."

Tuyay was the Warriors' starting setter for three seasons before suffering a severe ankle sprain during fall camp in November. Beckwith then replaced Tuyay as the starter.

"I just want to keep playing," Tuyay said. "Hopefully, I can help this team win some games."

Because LaBarre was unavailable to practice yesterday, Thomas rejoined the first team — at middle blocker, a position he played the previous two seasons. Azenha, Delgado and Dante were on the second team, which defeated the starters, 31-29, in a scrimmage.

Wilton said Thomas moved from the outside to the middle "to help us out in practice." As to whether the move might be a future option, Wilton said, "I'm considering anything that's going to help us do well."

Wilton wasn't done tinkering. Libero Jake Muise was used as an outside hitter on the first team, essentially providing a lineup of two defensive specialists. Backup setter Daniel Rasay, a fourth-year junior, played opposite hitter for the first time since his senior season at Konawaena High.

"I tried to do the best I could," Rasay said. "It took a while to get used to it. I'm still not completely comfortable. Wherever coach wants to put me, I'll try to help the team from there."

Wilton said: "There are a lot of possibilities in the wind right now."

Wilton said he wants the Warriors to maintain the enthusiasm displayed by the makeshift lineup against BYU.

After losing both matches to BYU, Wilton recalled: "Some people have said to me, 'You know, we don't think you put a player on the floor who would have started for BYU.' Whether that's true or not, I don't know. The important thing to notice out of this is, whoever the guys were that we put out on the floor, they played at a level greater than the sum of the parts. That's synergy. That's a wonderful thing. It's magic. That's what we're looking for."

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