Post by swingaway on Jan 3, 2007 10:06:23 GMT -5
Link: starbulletin.com/2007/01/03/sports/story03.html
Warriors' Beckwith seeking perfection
He is running out of time to win a title
By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.com
It's always like this. That adrenaline rush when seeing the first hint of a swell that could ... should ... maybe ... turn into the best ride of his life.
Brian Beckwith, the longboard rider, is always seeking that perfect wave.
Brian Beckwith, the All-American setter, is still seeking that perfect season. The one that finishes, not with a wipeout, but with a national title.
Beckwith and Hawaii teammate Jake Schkud, best friends since their early teen years, vowed there would at least one NCAA championship banner hanging from the Stan Sheriff Center won during their tenure.
But it hasn't come the past two seasons and, with the sun setting on his Warrior career, Beckwith knows there is only one more shot before seeing the green flash.
"It's definitely attainable with the talent and team we have," said Beckwith, preparing for tonight's exhibition against Canadian college power British Columbia. "It's a long season and it all depends on health, how we come together as a team.
"We'll be as good as we want to be. It's totally up to us."
The Warriors' fate is literally in Beckwith's hands as the 6-foot-6 senior tries to lead Hawaii to its first NCAA final four appearance since 2002. The Warriors were close last season, finishing second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and ranked No. 2 nationally before being upset in the conference playoffs by eventual NCAA champ UCLA.
Beckwith had the Warriors hitting .342 -- best in the country -- and he was second in assists (13.52 apg). But it was little consolation when Hawaii was unable to showcase that offense in the final four at Penn State's Rec Hall.
"I know I want to win every time I'm out there, that's the only reason I play," he said. "I'll do my very best this year because it is my last chance."
Beckwith has been pushed to be better, by his competitive inner voice and by backup sophomore setter Sean Carney. The two have battled the past two fall camps with Beckwith emerging both times as the starter.
"Brian has improved in all aspects of his game," Warriors coach Mike Wilton said. "And Sean has made Brian a better player because he's been right on his heels."
And Carney has become better because of Beckwith.
"He is a great setter," Carney said. "Our practices are so competitive and I'm playing against one of the best setters in the nation.
"He's a first-team All-American and it makes you a stronger player when you know the person in front of you is pretty much the best there is out there. That's what you're striving to be."
Being the best has been Beckwith's signature, from his days as a nationally-ranked youth longboarder growing up in Pacific Palisades, Calif., through club, high school and USA Volleyball play. He's been in the USAV pipeline since age 14, the starting setter for the youth, junior national and U-21 teams.
His senior year at Loyola High in Los Angeles, the Cubs won the CIF championship, going 20-0 and claiming the mythical national high school title awarded by Volleyball magazine. Beckwith was named the L.A. Times Player of the Year.
The sport has given him quite an education, broader than his American Studies degree work at UH. There have been real lessons in geography and politics, particularly in Visakhapatnam, India, when the U.S. faced Iran in the 2005 FIVB Under-21 World Championships.
That remains Beckwith's favorite volleyball trip.
"I love wearing the Red, White and Blue, love playing for our country, love everything about it," he said. "We were standing on the court in India and there's so much history between the United States and Iran. It shows how easily countries can come together for something as small as volleyball."
"It's an amazing experience, being in a country, representing not just your school but the whole USA," said Schkud, the captain of the Under-21 team. "It's a little bigger when you're the only team in there looking up at your flag and knowing that other countries may hate or dislikes you, no one claps for you.
"But India was great. They clapped for everyone, kind of like they do here."
Schkud, a junior middle blocker-turned-outside hitter, has known Beckwith since the two first tried out for Palisades Volleyball Club as 13-year-olds. They've been teammates through club, high school and USAV days and -- except for 2003-04 when Schkud redshirted at UC Santa Barbara -- in college.
Reminded of the promise to win the title together while at Hawaii, Schkud replied: "We both said it would happen before we graduated so it looks like we have to make it this year. It would be the best present to give Brian his last year."
Beckwith is focused on making it happen without focusing on it being his senior year. It's one match at a time.
"I see this as just getting ready to keep on going with volleyball," he said. "I'm definitely not ending my career here by any means. I have had an awesome, awesome time playing here and I hope I can continue playing as a product of UH and the program.
"I hope that wherever I go to play, people will remember I came from Hawaii."
Riding in on that championship wave would make for a perfect résumé.
Warriors' Beckwith seeking perfection
He is running out of time to win a title
By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.com
It's always like this. That adrenaline rush when seeing the first hint of a swell that could ... should ... maybe ... turn into the best ride of his life.
Brian Beckwith, the longboard rider, is always seeking that perfect wave.
Brian Beckwith, the All-American setter, is still seeking that perfect season. The one that finishes, not with a wipeout, but with a national title.
Beckwith and Hawaii teammate Jake Schkud, best friends since their early teen years, vowed there would at least one NCAA championship banner hanging from the Stan Sheriff Center won during their tenure.
But it hasn't come the past two seasons and, with the sun setting on his Warrior career, Beckwith knows there is only one more shot before seeing the green flash.
"It's definitely attainable with the talent and team we have," said Beckwith, preparing for tonight's exhibition against Canadian college power British Columbia. "It's a long season and it all depends on health, how we come together as a team.
"We'll be as good as we want to be. It's totally up to us."
The Warriors' fate is literally in Beckwith's hands as the 6-foot-6 senior tries to lead Hawaii to its first NCAA final four appearance since 2002. The Warriors were close last season, finishing second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and ranked No. 2 nationally before being upset in the conference playoffs by eventual NCAA champ UCLA.
Beckwith had the Warriors hitting .342 -- best in the country -- and he was second in assists (13.52 apg). But it was little consolation when Hawaii was unable to showcase that offense in the final four at Penn State's Rec Hall.
"I know I want to win every time I'm out there, that's the only reason I play," he said. "I'll do my very best this year because it is my last chance."
Beckwith has been pushed to be better, by his competitive inner voice and by backup sophomore setter Sean Carney. The two have battled the past two fall camps with Beckwith emerging both times as the starter.
"Brian has improved in all aspects of his game," Warriors coach Mike Wilton said. "And Sean has made Brian a better player because he's been right on his heels."
And Carney has become better because of Beckwith.
"He is a great setter," Carney said. "Our practices are so competitive and I'm playing against one of the best setters in the nation.
"He's a first-team All-American and it makes you a stronger player when you know the person in front of you is pretty much the best there is out there. That's what you're striving to be."
Being the best has been Beckwith's signature, from his days as a nationally-ranked youth longboarder growing up in Pacific Palisades, Calif., through club, high school and USA Volleyball play. He's been in the USAV pipeline since age 14, the starting setter for the youth, junior national and U-21 teams.
His senior year at Loyola High in Los Angeles, the Cubs won the CIF championship, going 20-0 and claiming the mythical national high school title awarded by Volleyball magazine. Beckwith was named the L.A. Times Player of the Year.
The sport has given him quite an education, broader than his American Studies degree work at UH. There have been real lessons in geography and politics, particularly in Visakhapatnam, India, when the U.S. faced Iran in the 2005 FIVB Under-21 World Championships.
That remains Beckwith's favorite volleyball trip.
"I love wearing the Red, White and Blue, love playing for our country, love everything about it," he said. "We were standing on the court in India and there's so much history between the United States and Iran. It shows how easily countries can come together for something as small as volleyball."
"It's an amazing experience, being in a country, representing not just your school but the whole USA," said Schkud, the captain of the Under-21 team. "It's a little bigger when you're the only team in there looking up at your flag and knowing that other countries may hate or dislikes you, no one claps for you.
"But India was great. They clapped for everyone, kind of like they do here."
Schkud, a junior middle blocker-turned-outside hitter, has known Beckwith since the two first tried out for Palisades Volleyball Club as 13-year-olds. They've been teammates through club, high school and USAV days and -- except for 2003-04 when Schkud redshirted at UC Santa Barbara -- in college.
Reminded of the promise to win the title together while at Hawaii, Schkud replied: "We both said it would happen before we graduated so it looks like we have to make it this year. It would be the best present to give Brian his last year."
Beckwith is focused on making it happen without focusing on it being his senior year. It's one match at a time.
"I see this as just getting ready to keep on going with volleyball," he said. "I'm definitely not ending my career here by any means. I have had an awesome, awesome time playing here and I hope I can continue playing as a product of UH and the program.
"I hope that wherever I go to play, people will remember I came from Hawaii."
Riding in on that championship wave would make for a perfect résumé.
