The Hawai'i volleyball team closes a disappointing season with road matches tomorrow and Saturday against host Pepperdine.

UH coach Mike Wilton promised the Warriors will not go down this figurative road again.

"It's no fun not being in it," said Wilton, whose team will miss the postseason for the first time since 1993, his first season as UH head coach. "I don't like it very much. I want to change it."

Jake Schkud, outside hitter and co-captain, said: "Everyone is disappointed. You've got to move on from it. There are always winners and losers, and we happen to be losers this time. There's no way to sugar coat it."

For the Warriors, a telling image was at the UH athletic complex yesterday, where they waited for the shuttle to the airport. Middle blocker Matt "Dragon" Rawson and outside hitter Jim Clar were not in travel wear; both will undergo surgeries to repair torn labrums in their right shoulders. The shuttle was late.

"It's disappointing we didn't make the playoffs," setter Sean Carney said. "I thought we could have done well in it."

The Warriors invitation was lost in the wave of injuries, illnesses and inconsistencies.

"Why are we not in the playoffs?" Wilton said. "We're not good enough. When you're the last-place team at siding out, it's maybe kind of a wonder you're ninth" and not lower.

The year long search did not yield accurate passing. One of their best passers, Ernie Vidinha, had difficulty even practicing because of back pain. Wilton said he is not sure if Vidinha will be healthy enough to play again.

"Every time he tries to do something, he's in pain," Wilton said. "I think he's done."

Matt Vanzant, who was expected to be the go-to hitter, left school at the end of the 2008 fall semester because of personal reasons. He is not expected to return in the fall.

"Vanzant showed signs of brilliance last year," Wilton said. "I was hoping he would have a breakout season this year. He was real quick to the ball. He became a good blocker, and his passing was coming around. After the fall, it was, 'Oh, my gosh.' "

UH was in such need of passers that middle blocker Dusan Matic, who became eligible in January, was moved to outside hitter. Matic played a few matches before deciding he did not want to play anymore. He stopped attending practices in January.

"He's enjoying the beach," Wilton said.

The remaining regular players either battled flu-like symptoms — sometimes three times — or suffered nagging injuries. Carney has an injured index finger on his left (non-hitting) hand.

Rawson will undergo surgery that will require up to six months of rehabilitation.

"It was a crazy year," Carney said. "Once we had a lineup, something would change. We never got a full rhythm for the game."

Wilton said the Warriors are focused on this weekend's matches.

"Every match that remains matters to somebody," he said. "Everybody is jockeying for a chance to host (a playoff match) or (earn) a better seed in the tournament."

Visit Tsai's blog at www.warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.