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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 5, 2014 15:48:26 GMT -5
UH's Sedore is national volleyball player of the weekBy Stephen Tsai, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 05, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 10:45 a.m. HST, Mar 05, 2014 BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaii’s Brook Sedore averaged 5.11 kills per set and hit .427 against UCLAAn opposite does attract awards. Hawaii volleyball opposite Brook Sedore, a junior from Alberta was named the American Volleyball Coaches Associations's national player of the week on Tuesday. The honor comes a day after Sedore was selected as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's player of the week. "It's great," Sedore said. "It's an honor to have the award. It's an overall surreal moment." Sedore led the Rainbow Warriors to back-to-back victories over then-No. 3 UCLA this past weekend. Sedore tied a career high with 24 kills in four sets on Friday. He had 22 kills in five sets in Saturday's rematch. In the Outrigger Invitational final in January, Sedore was pulled after playing poorly in the first set against UCLA. In recent weeks, the Warriors developed an inside attack that opened the way for the pin hitters. Ahead of the UCLA series, the Warriors worked extensively on feeding Sedore, who hits on the right side in five of six rotations. Sedore averaged 5.11 kills per set and hit .427 in the two matches against the Bruins. This season, Sedore leads the Warriors in kills (3.62 per set) and aces (18). "I'm stoked for Brook," UH coach Charlie Wade said. "I think it's a reflection of his hard work and how well the team played this past week. That certainly helped. He's done a nice job in both the classroom and the practice gym. It's nice to see his efforts get validated with some recognition." This is the first national honor for Sedore. "It's kind of cool to be acknowledged and get my name out there," Sedore said. "It's an overall great feeling. It's an honor. I'll savor it for now, and then we'll go back to the gym."
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 6, 2014 13:31:31 GMT -5
Komisarek is the good-hands manBy Stephen Tsai, The Honolulu Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 06, 2014 Opportunity comes in many forms, and for Hawaii libero Garrett Komisarek, it was served on a float in volleyball matches this past weekend. Komisarek, who was summoned to receive UCLA's darting float serves, steadied the Rainbow Warriors' passing in a two-match sweep. "Garrett did a real nice job," UH coach Charlie Wade said. Last year, the NCAA implemented a rule allowing teams to freely use two liberos. That proved to be useful for the Warriors when libero Kolby Kanetake battled to receive the Bruins' float serves. Kanetake is most accurate when he uses his platform outstretched forearms to pass. It is preferable to use hands to pass float serves. "I'm definitely more comfortable using my hands," Komisarek said. "It's more control. I feel I can be more aggressive in going after the ball." Wade said the float serve "is up higher. With your platform, you have to manipulate to get deeper (to pass). Garrett is good with his hands. He's aggressive. He'll get (the float serve) with his hands and shovel it right up to the setter." The Warriors are expected to use both liberos in matches against UC Irvine on Friday and Sunday. The Anteaters often use as many as four float servers in a rotation. Wade said both liberos have been supportive. "Garrett made a real nice dig at a pretty significant point in the match (on Saturday)," Wade recalled. "I hear, Great job, Komo.' I turn and look and it's Kolby. He was there encouraging him. I'm sure he's not stoked about coming out, but he realizes if (Komisarek is) helping the team, that's the most important thing." Komisarek's career path has been an audible. He answered a dare in trying out for his high school team as a freshman. "My friend said if I tried out, he'd buy me lunch," Komisarek said. Komisarek made the team, then collected his prize. "He bought me cafeteria cheap food," Komisarek said, smiling. "He was my friend. I thought I might as well try (volleyball). It was something new." Two years ago, Wade scouted a junior-college match. "On that court, in that match, (Komisarek) was the fastest guy on the floor by a pretty significant margin," Wade said. "Defensively, he was all over the place, covering balls. He was really impressive." The opposing junior college coach had been promoting his own libero to Wade. After the match, that coach told Wade: "Forget it. (Komisarek) is way better." Komisarek said he sent highlight videos to every Division I and II program. "I figured, the worst they could say was no,' and I'm in the same spot," he said. "I had four or five schools bite, but as soon as I came out to Hawaii on an official (visit), I absolutely fell in love with the place." Kanetake beat out Komisarek for the second libero's job last year. Komisarek ended up redshirting. In the offseason, he worked extensively on his passing with teammates. His girlfriend, Amanda Lee, a member of UH's track team, often fed the serving machine that fired volleyballs in his direction. "That helped a lot," Komisarek said. He did not need much help in his attitude. "My mentality is try to get every ball," Komisarek said. "I pray every ball gets hit to me so I can dig every ball." RAINBOW WARRIORS VOLLEYBALL At Stan Sheriff Center >> Who: No. 8 Hawaii (11-6, 9-5 MPSF) vs. No. 8 UC Irvine (11-8, 8-7 MPSF) >> When: 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday >> TV: OC Sports (Ch. 16), Friday’s match only >> Radio: KKEA (1420-AM)
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 7, 2014 15:38:50 GMT -5
Warriors serve up heat after breaks
By Stephen Tsai, The Star-Advertiser
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 07, 2014
In tune-ups before matches, the University of Hawaii volleyball team always checks its anti-freeze level.
Similar to timeouts before field-goal attempts in football and free throws in basketball, volleyball coaches will call timeouts to "freeze" opposing servers. But such momentum-altering tactics seem to have had little affect on the Rainbow Warriors.
Following an opponent's timeout, the Warriors have put into play 88.9 percent of their ensuing serves this season. That's better than their accuracy of 84.2 percent for all serves.
The Warriors score natural points 35.2 percent of the time. But following opponents' timeouts, the Warriors score natural points at 37.2 percent.
"That's kind of Volley 101 when you talk about serving rules," UH coach Charlie Wade said. "When is it more important to serve the ball in bounds? It's coming out of a timeout or any kind of delay like that."
This week, the Warriors spent an hour working with a motivational coach ahead of matches against UC Irvine on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. The session centered on concentrating during matches.
"The plan is to be focused," outside hitter Siki Zarkovic said. "After a timeout, you have to get the serve in. I try not to think about anything (else) and focus on my serve."
In last Saturday's match against UCLA, Zarkovic emerged from a timeout by blasting an ace.
Middle blocker Taylor Averill, who has missed only one post-timeout serve this season, said the coaches stress consistency.
"Volleyball is a game of errors," Averill said. "If errors are what you're thinking about, errors are what you're going to do. Coming out of a timeout, you know that's crucial to get the serve in. It's having that positive mind-set and not shortening the game. You have to think: ‘I'm going to put this serve on this guy in this seam on this side of the court.' "
Wade said even a soft serve that is in play is better than an error.
"You don't want to shorten the game for their team just by giving it to them," Wade said. "If you're up by a bunch or down by a bunch, it doesn't matter as much. If it's close, you want to make them have to pass and set. You want to make them hit the ball. You want to make them earn the sideout."
Wade added: "Our players understand. Their buy-in isn't that tough. It's the execution. It's in the moment. It's know what they have to do coming out of a timeout. We're not perfect at it, by any means. But we're working on it."
The Warriors are expected to open against Irvine with their usual lineup of middles Averill and Nick West, outside hitters Zarkovic and Jace Olsen, opposite Brook Sedore, setter Joby Ramos and libero Kolby Kanetake. Garrett Komisarek will have an expanded role as the second libero. Komisarek is skilled at receiving float serves. The Anteaters have as many as four float servers in their rotation.
RAINBOW WARRIORS VOLLEYBALL » Who: Hawaii vs. UC Irvine » When: 7 p.m. Friday » Where: Stan Sheriff Center » TV: OC Sports (Ch. 16) » Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 8, 2014 15:24:14 GMT -5
UC Irvine snaps Warriors' win streakBy Stephen Tsai, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 08, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 09:28 a.m. HST, Mar 08, 2014 CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaii’s Siki Zarkovic hit past UC Irvine’s Tamir Hershko during Friday night’s match at the Stan Sheriff Center.One of the Hawaii volleyball players stumbled during the pre-match introductions. Later, the Rainbow Warriors became unbalanced in a 22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-14 loss to UC Irvine on Friday night. A crowd of 2,309 saw the Warriors rule the first set, squander a seven-point lead in the second and implode thereafter to end their seven-match winning streak in the Stan Sheriff Center. The Warriors and Anteaters entered tied for eighth in the national poll. The Warriors exited at 11-7 overall and 9-6 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Anteaters improved to 12-8 and 9-7. The rematch is at 5 p.m. Sunday. "In the beginning, we were putting on good service pressure, keeping them out of system," UH middle Taylor Averill said, "and then we fell apart. I don't know what to say." Irvine coach David Kniffin said the turnaround was part personnel, part adjusting to the Sheriff Center. "This is such an amazing venue to play in," Kniffin said. "It's literally overwhelming. The fans are great here. They're the best fans in America. But the (arena's) depth is a little bit odd. It takes a little while to adjust. Once we adjusted, we started playing better volleyball." The Anteaters' depth perception began with their active roster. After falling behind 7-1 in the second set, Kniffin summoned opposite attacker Zack La Cavera and setter Daniel Stork. La Cavera, who is left-handed, entered as the Anteaters' leader with 3.66 kills per game. Kniffin opted to start Tamir Hershko, who was averaging 2.97 kills. "It was more of a gut decision," Kniffin said. "As a young head coach, I think, maybe (it was) not the right call. I don't know." La Cavera crushed 12 kills, with nine launched from the back right. "The setter and I really started to get in a groove," La Cavera said. "He was setting me real quick, which is hard for the other team's blockers to kind of keep up. There were a lot of holes in the block that I used to my advantage." The Warriors had seven blocks in the first set, with the tally up to 8.5 early in the second. But they did not have another block the rest of the match. The Warriors had difficulty starting their offense. They sided out at 48.7 percent in the final three sets. The Anteaters, meanwhile, were able to parlay accurate passes into multiple options. Stork, who replaced Roberto Frazzoni, expanded the offense beyond middle Scott Kevorken. "Our hitters are pretty special," Stork said. "They have a lot of range and a lot of talent. That helps out a lot." Kniffin said he chose to open with Frazzoni, who is deft at running the Anteaters' quick offense and tries to accelerate the pace. "It's a little faster, a little more dynamic," Kniffin said. But when the Anteaters struggled for rhythm early, Kniffin tried to change the pace and momentum. "Stork is steady," Kniffin said. "When he comes in, he can distribute the ball, and we know what we're going to get. "He's a consistent player. It's real easy to rely on him in certain situations." Stork said the key was to pass the Warriors' tough serves. "Hawaii can get after it at the service line," Stork said. "We really focused on getting in front of the ball, staying disciplined, and hope they don't take some seams and sidelines." Brook Sedore led UH with 13 kills. More Photos by CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 9, 2014 17:14:54 GMT -5
Warriors gear up for another shot at IrvineBy Stephen Tsai, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 09, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 02:05 a.m. HST, Mar 09, 2014 CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM UH’s Jace Olsen hit over UC Irvine’s Roberto Frazzoni during Friday night’s match.In crafting a counter-strategy, Hawaii volleyball coach Charlie Wade noted the high word count. "It's not a simple thing you can write in a few sentences," said Wade, whose Rainbow Warriors face UC Irvine in a 5 p.m. rematch Sunday in the Stan Sheriff Center. The Warriors won the first set and took an 8-1 lead in the second before fading in Friday's four-set loss to the Anteaters. The Warriors' passing and serving crumbled, and their blocking then collapsed into the rubble. "We've always talked about sustained execution," Wade said. "Not only do you have to play well at a high level, you have to play at a high level for a long time. One set does not a match make. One and a half sets does not a match make." On Saturday, the Warriors spent much of their three-hour practice studying cut-up videos of Friday's match and working on passing, serving and focusing. "It really comes down to everyone has to do their job," Wade said. "Passers have to pass. Servers have to serve. Blockers have to block. Setters have to set. We got off track. We tried to do well. We lost a little bit of it." The Anteaters' surge began when opposite Zack La Cavera and setter Daniel Stork replaced Tamir Hershko and Roberto Frazzoni in the second set. La Cavera finished with 12 kills nine were launched from the back right and hit .391. The Anteaters scored seven natural points on La Cavera's 13 serves. Using La Cavera and Stork "can only explain how they did better," Wade said, "but not how we did worse." The Warriors were surprised when La Cavera, who entered as the Anteaters' kill leader, did not start. "They basically did what they do," Wade said. "La Cavera has a very good serve. When he came in, he's very good at what he does. But we thought he'd be in there from the beginning. There wasn't anything new they did." UH outside hitter Siki Zarkovic said: "We need to work on passing and being more consistent on serving. Those are the two main reasons we lost. Plus, we didn't play as a team so great." The Warriors tried the dual-libero strategy against Anteaters' mix of push-float and jump-spin servers. "It didn't help us," Wade said. The Warriors sided out at 50 percent the final three sets. They were aced six times. Too often, the Anteaters' block was able to touch the Warriors' most powerful spikes. Irvine libero Michael Brinkley parlayed the tips into 17 digs. "It was pretty easy for him," UH opposite Brook Sedore said. "We got taken out of our rhythm and they got into theirs. We have to learn to not let it rattle us. I felt they were digging everything. It got me out of my rhythm. They kind of stayed steady, if not increased it." Friday's loss ended the Warriors' seven-match winning streak in the Sheriff Center. "Hopefully, it's a lesson learned and, and we can go out there and compete," Wade said. "If (the Anteaters are) going to win, they're going to have to play exceptional to do so. We're going to do everything we can to keep that from happening."
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 10, 2014 19:16:35 GMT -5
Irvine match a net loss for UHBy Stephen Tsai, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 01:19 p.m. HST, Mar 10, 2014 BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaii’s Brook Sedore got one past the block of UC Irvine’s Jeremy Dejno, left, and Collin Mehring in the second set of Sunday night’s match at the Stan Sheriff Center. Even with its new camouflage-patterned jerseys, the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team could not hide its collective disappointment in Sunday's five-set loss to UC Irvine in the Stan Sheriff Center. Left-side hitter Jeremy Dejno slammed 21 kills and left-handed opposite Zack La Cavera pounded 13 to boost the Anteaters to their fourth victory in a row — 25-20, 17-25, 25-15, 15-25, 18-16. For the Rainbow Warriors, the momentum shifted following the change-of-court turn. With UH leading 8-6, middle blocker Davis Holt hammered an overpass for an apparent three-point lead. But down referee Dickson Chun ruled that Holt struck the net on his follow-through. The point was awarded to Irvine, the two-time defending national champions, closing the deficit to 8-7. "He did not hit the net," UH coach Charlie Wade fumed after the match. "That's 9-6 us, with us still serving. Davis did not touch the net. It's a bang-bang play up there. It was horrible. It was absolutely horrible." No replay was available because the match was not televised. But Holt vehemently denied committing an infraction. "Put that on record: I did not touch the net," Holt told a reporter. "I saw the net shaking. The ball hit the net, for sure. It wasn't from me. I'm 6-9. I'm not going to touch the net. That's the first rule of volleyball." The Anteaters then tied it when middle Scott Kevorken and setter Daniel Stork teamed to block opposite Brook Sedore's spike from the left front. The fifth set would be tied seven more times, the last at 16. Dejno then soared above a double block to hit a crossing shot that landed in the right corner. UH left-side hitter Siki Zarkovic, facing a single block in transition, then hit long to end the 2-hour, 24-minute match. "We were down 2-1, so to get to a fifth (set), you're pretty fortunate," Wade said. "We had a shot. It was kind of back and forth. We had the right guys taking swings at the end. We just didn't score. When it ends 18-16, it's a play or two. That's why the net call on us is disappointing." UH middle Taylor Averill said of the heavily debated call: "It was definitely a bummer. You have to play on." The teams alternated dominating sets. In the first and third, La Cavera mesmerized the Warriors with full-bodied serves. He was the server for 10 natural points in those two sets, half coming on aces. He finished with six aces. "You just have to put some passion behind it," La Cavera said. "When I get back there, I try to get my groove. I try not to let the score bother me. I try not to let the other side bother me. I try to give myself a good toss and get after it. I try to use my hips and follow through with my shoulders. I end up feeling it after matches. My right hip is already flaring up, and my back is sore." Zarkovic boosted UH with 19 kills and Sedore added 17. UH outside hitter Jace Olsen had only six kills and hit .043. But the Warriors scored 19 points on Olsen's 27 serves. "Jace is such a presence on the court," Wade said. "And with his serving, he blew open the fourth (set) for us. And the second, too." Olsen served eight consecutive points in UH's 9-0 run in the fourth set. "I got a couple of notes from Brook," Olsen said, smiling. "He taught me how to serve. It's all about the toss, and hitting it as hard as you can." Both teams made key strategic moves. Stork replaced setter Roberto Frazzoni for the final three sets. Holt, who did not play in Friday's match between the teams, entered in the fourth set and finished with four kills and three fifth-set blocks. "Gosh, I think we both demonstrated when we play at the top of our games, we're both very difficult teams to handle," Irvine coach David Kniffin said. "I think overall, when we're clicking offensively, we're a hard team to handle. But I have to say Hawaii played some of the best team defense we've seen and gone up against. We were hitting some shots, including two of our best serves in (set) 5, and Hawaii just scooped them up and made like we were spinning down balls from the end line. That's hard to compete against." 3 UC IRVINE
2 HAWAIINEXT: UH at Stanford, 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Stanford, Calif. More photos by: BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 14, 2014 15:04:47 GMT -5
Warriors kick off 'brutal' road stretch
By Stephen Tsai, The Star-Advertiser
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 14, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 02:22 a.m. HST, Mar 14, 2014
For the University of Hawaii volleyball team, there are no shortcuts to the postseason.
The Rainbow Warriors will play four road matches in five days, beginning with Friday's meeting against sixth-ranked Stanford. The teams also play on Saturday night.
The Warriors and Cardinal are tied for seventh at 9-7 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The top eight teams qualify for the league's posteason tournament.
The Warriors have a day off on Sunday, when they will drive from Palo Alto to Stockton, ahead of matches against Pacific on Monday and Tuesday.
"It's the NBA, baby," UH coach Charlie Wade said. "It's four matches in five days. No other (volleyball) team in the country has to do that. There are not that many collegiate athletes who have to do that in any sport and at any time. … It's just brutal."
There are 13 MPSF teams. Twelve teams play home-and-home series against each other each season. Because of its geographical isolation, UH has a rotating schedule.
For instance, the Rainbow Warriors will play two road matches at Stanford this year, then the teams will play two matches in Hawaii next year.
Earlier this season, the Warriors were able to return to Hawaii between road matches against UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge.
To save travel expenses, Pacific agreed to play UH on two weeknights.
Wade said he appreciated Pacific's willingness to reschedule. But Wade said this trip comes at a time when players are dealing with "nagging" ailments to knees, backs, shoulders and shins.
"It's just hard on the players," Wade said.
This is the Warriors' fourth road match of the season.
"We have to stay focused," libero Kolby Kanetake said. "There are going to be parts of the trip when we'll be fatigued.
"We have to pull through mentally."
In practices this week, the Warriors focused mostly on passing and serving. They struggled against UC Irvine's blend of push-float and jump-spin serves in two losses this past weekend.
Outside hitter Siki Zarkovic, a primary passer, said he credits his skills to his long-time coach.
"Mr. Zarkovic," he said of his father, Milan Zarkovic, a Rainbow Warriors assistant coach. "He taught me how to pass."
Told of his son's comments, the elder Zarkovic smiled, and said, "every player (on the team) is my son. I work with all of them."
Milan Zarkovic has written two books on passing.
"The most important thing is to have spiritual and brain peace when you're receiving (a serve)," he said. "You must totally concentrate."
He then pointed to his head, saying, "Everything (about passing) is here."
Kanetake said the elder Zarkovic has been helpful.
"When I pass, my weight sometimes is on my heels, and I tend to go backward," Kanetake said. "He's teaching me to keep my weight forward. When my weight is back, that's what pulls the (pass) farther off the net. Keeping my weight forward is going to get the ball to the net."
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 16, 2014 13:53:21 GMT -5
Stanford sweeps past reeling HawaiiBy Star-Advertiser staff POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 15, 2014 TONY ALEVAR / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii setter Joby Ramos hit the floor to retrieve this spike by Stanford during the third set in their match in Stanford on Friday. Ramos had four digs and 23 assists, but the Rainbow Warriors were swept by the Cardinal.The University of Hawaii volleyball team's first step was a stumble. The Rainbow Warriors opened their longest road trip with a 25-19, 25-17, 26-24 loss to sixth-ranked Stanford in the Maples Pavilion on Friday night. Saturday's rematch is a must-win designation for the Warriors, who are battling for one of eight Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoff berths. The Warriors, who entered tied for seventh with Stanford, fell into the ninth spot. They are 11-9 overall and 9-8 in the MPSF. The Cardinal improved to 13-7 and 10-7. The Warriors' third consecutive loss could be capsulized in the third set when they lost despite holding leads of 22-18, 23-19 and 24-21. Stanford outside hitter Steve Irvin recalled coach John Kosty imploring the Cardinal to remain calm. "It's always one point at a time," Irvin said in a post-match interview. "He said there was a lot of game left." Outside hitter Brian Cook's cross-court kill closed the Cardinal to 24-22. The deficit was reduced to a point when middle Spencer Haly and setter James Shaw teamed to block UH's Siki Zarkovic. After a UH timeout, Zarkovic hit wide left, tying the third set at 24. Irvin then received a set on the left side and, with a flat-footed stance, hit an angle shot to the corner for a 25-24 Stanford lead. "That was more luck than skill," Irvin said. "What's that old saying? I'd rather be lucky than good?" Then UH opposite Brook Sedore's line shot struck the right antennae to end the match. Stanford opposite Eric Mochalski was the server for the final four points. "I'd say the turning point was Mo's first serve when he got them out of system," Irvin said. "And their best player Brook Sedore, who was killing us all night had those two key errors." Sedore had a match-high 14 kills. For most of the season, the Warriors' attack has been built inside-out. But middle Taylor Averill, who is among the nation's most efficient hitters, committed five errors in the first set. He finished with three kills and hit minus-.200. Nick West, who started the first two sets, did not have a kill in his only swing. Davis Holt, who started the third set, had three kills in four swings. Stanford was able to pass many of the Warriors' best serves. "They go after it," Irvin said. In system, Stanford was able to convert. Stanford sided out at 77 percent. The Warriors sided out at 58 percent. "When we're in system, we're pretty unstoppable," Irvin said. Stanford has won four in a row, claiming 12 of 13 sets. Cook finished with 13 kills and Mochalski added 10. After Saturday's match, the Warriors travel to Stockton, Calif., ahead of matches against Pacific on Monday and Tuesday, completing a four-matches-in-five days road trip.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 16, 2014 13:55:05 GMT -5
Frantic rally falls shortBy Star-Advertiser staff POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 16, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 02:26 a.m. HST, Mar 16, 2014 TONY AVELAR / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii’s Jace Olsen hammered a jump serve against Stanford during the third set Saturday night.Stanford weathered a frenetic Hawaii comeback, then dominated the fifth set for a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation volleyball victory in the Maples Pavilion on Saturday night. UH and Stanford entered the two-match series tied for seventh in the MPSF. By sweeping the series with Saturday's 25-23, 25-12, 17-25, 21-25, 15-7 win, the Cardinal improved to 14-7 overall and 11-7 in league play. Stanford won its fifth in a row and earned its first five-set win in six attempts. "We're only getting started," All-America outside hitter Brian Cook said in a post-match interview. "We're coming out hot for the end of the year. We're going to earn a good spot in the playoffs." It appeared Stanford was going to sweep Hawaii for the second night in a row after ruling the first two sets. The Cardinal surged from a 20-16 deficit in the first set. But then the Rainbow Warriors seized control, using disruptive serves to force the Cardinal out of system. Jace Olsen and Brook Sedore hit back-to-back kills to close the fourth set. "Hawaii's a really good serving team, and to beat them, you've got to match their service pressure," Cook said. "Right off the bat in the fifth (set), we went off on a couple of big runs. We got a big lead and maintained it. We can sideout with anyone." It was tied at 2 when Cook served five consecutive points. The Cardinal's sixth and seventh points were achieved when outside hitter Steve Irvin and middle Spencer Haly teamed to block Sedore twice. Stanford led 11-7 when a UH over-pass headed toward Cook, who was about 8 feet from the net. Coach John Kosty recalled thinking: "Hit it." Cook said his first reaction was: "Hit it." He then slammed a kill through UH's stunned defense. "He was going to get set no matter what," Kosty said. "So would you like a triple block against you or would you like nobody up. He chose nobody up, and he made the right decision." Cook said: "In practice, we do a lot of over-pass hitting drills because half of our team is inadequate at over-pass hitting sometimes. It's a good chance to get reps. We take advantage of it in games." After a UH timeout, Stanford scored the next three points to complete a 5-0 run. "We were aggressive," Kosty said. "I think that's the biggest thing in volleyball, period. You have to continually be aggressive. We were definitely that in the fifth game. Brian Cook showed you why he's an All-American. He took over the second half of that fifth (set), and basically put it away for us." Cook had four of his 21 kills in the fifth set. Cook out-dueled Sedore, who amassed a career-high 25 kills. Stanford was boosted by its pin hitters they had 52 of 60 kills and the sideline support, including Kosty. "I try to give what the team needs," Kosty said. "And tonight, we needed energy. We needed what we used to call ben-ergy.' We needed energy from the bench to keep the starters focused and in line. That's my job. My job is to figure out what the team needs, and try to give it to them the best I can. Tonight, I thought they needed excitement. The bench did a really great job in that fifth (set) to really swing that momentum our way." The Warriors, who fell to 11-10 overall and 9-9 in the MPSF, will travel to Stockton, Calif., today. They play Pacific on Monday and Tuesday in the final matches between the teams. Pacific is ending its men's volleyball program after this season.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 18, 2014 18:32:42 GMT -5
UH gives UOP a pounding
By Star-Advertiser staff
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 18, 2014
The University of Hawaii volleyball team found a remedy in Tiger Balm.
The Rainbow Warriors dominated every phase of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match to defeat Pacific, 25-18, 25-19, 25-10 in 79 minutes on Monday night in Stockton, Calif.
It was the Warriors' 34th consecutive victory over the Tigers (2-18, 1-16), including the 17th in a row in the Spanos Center. The Warriors (12-10, 10-9) lead the series, 43-1.
"A win is a win," said UH coach Charlie Wade, who used to coach the Tigers' women's volleyball team.
Opposite attacker Brook Sedore led the way with 15 kills in 29 swings. He also disrupted the Tigers' offense by placing serves to UOP's back left, away from libero Javier Caseres, who was positioned in the middle or back right.
Wade said Sedore served "more down the line and that side of the court than his usual big bender to the other side of the court. The libero is clearly their best passer. We wanted to give him less opportunities."
The Warriors scored four natural points on Sedore's 11 serves, including Iain McKellar's kill at aloha ball. Sedore did not have a service error.
The Warriors also received ample production from middles Taylor Averill and Nick West. The Tigers were in full commit — often sliding a second blocker across from Averill or West — with little resistance. Averill had nine kills with two errors in 13 swings; West had eight kills and one error in 11 swings.
"We still set them, and they still scored," Wade said of the middles.
Wade also praised setter Joby Ramos, noting he would "get them the ball in positions where they can score."
The Warriors played well defensively. They had 31 digs in the three sets, 10 by Ramos. What's more, they sided-out at 79 percent.
Tuesday's rematch at Spanos Arena will be the Warriors' fourth road match in five days. It also marks the final match between the Tigers and Warriors.
At the end of this season, Pacific is disbanding its men's volleyball program. Ramos played for the Tigers for two years before transferring to UH in August 2012.
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ingoodstanding
Junior
"The constitution is not a living organism," Hon. A. Scalia
Posts: 399
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Post by ingoodstanding on Mar 18, 2014 19:47:19 GMT -5
Even at 6.0, I still like Joby Ramos myself. He's a hard worker; he's consistent and not flashy.
I don't think that UH is going to make it into the MPSF Tourney this year (they just squeezed into it in 2013). Those four losses to both Santa Barbara and $C, respectively, really has done-them-in.
They could split with BYU but I don't believe that it'll even be enough.
The real Q now is what happens to Wade? Is there a replacement? What of the Zarkovic's?
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Post by feedthemiddles on Mar 18, 2014 20:04:57 GMT -5
Wade got a two year extension after the UCLA matches. Which immediately sent the team into a 4 match losing streak. Draw your own conclusions....
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Mar 19, 2014 23:06:31 GMT -5
Warriors wrap up trip with sweep
By Star-Advertiser staff
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 19, 2014
The University of Hawaii volleyball team called in the reserves for a 25-22, 25-21, 25-15 victory over Pacific at the Spanos Center in Stockton, Calif., on Tuesday night.
The Rainbow Warriors completed a four-matches-in-five-days trip at 2-2 to improve to 13-10 overall and 11-9 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
It was the Warriors' final match against Pacific, which is discontinuing its men's volleyball program after this season.
The Warriors have ruled the Tigers since 1993, finishing the series at 44-1. The Warriors have won the past 35 matches against the Tigers, including 18 in a row in Stockton.
The outcome was predictable, despite a couple of lineup twists.
Johann Timmer, the Warriors' serving specialist, started at left-side hitter in place of Siki Zarkovic. Timmer, a senior from New Zealand, finished with career highs in kills (15), hitting percentage (.522) and blocks (four). He also passed eight serves without an error.
"Some of the motivation behind (Timmer's start) is he's done everything so right," UH coach Charlie Wade said. "He's one of the best students. He has the highest grade-point average (on the team). He does everything right on and off the court. We want to reward that kind of behavior. He came out and played great."
The Warriors' best attacker, opposite Brook Sedore, injured his right ankle in the second set. Wade said the injury does not appear to be serious, and Sedore should be helped by the break before UH's next match in two weeks.
"He'll rub some dirt on it and be ready to go," Wade said.
Hendrik Mol, a freshman from Norway, replaced Sedore, and amassed five kills in 10 swings.
"Hendrik is a really good athlete," Wade said. "He'll be a good player for us. He came in and hit .400. He had some really nice serves. It's nice to get him out there and give him some nice quality court time. He was impressive."
In Monday's match, the Warriors turned down the velocity on their serves. On Tuesday, Wade said, "guys were cracking it."
The Warriors put 92 percent of their serves in play, scored 35 natural points on 73 serves, and had seven aces but only six errors.
"You never see that in volleyball and certainly not in men's volleyball," Wade said of the favorable ace-to-error ratio.
In the second set, UH middle Nick West, who did not start, hammered a kill for an 18-17 lead. Then West went behind the line, where he served four points in a row, including two aces.
UH's other middle, Taylor Averill, contributed 12 kills on .647 hitting and had four blocks.
Tommy Carmody led Pacific with nine kills.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 3, 2014 22:13:44 GMT -5
Rainbows raring to go after long breakBy Stephen Tsai, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 03, 2014 STAR-ADVERTISER / 2014 Jace Olsen, hitting, has had good practices this week, coach Charlie Wade said.The University of Hawaii volleyball team is proving sunscreen might prevent rust. After a 16-day layoff, which included the school's spring break last week, the Rainbow Warriors return to the court to play Brigham Young on Friday and Saturday in the Stan Sheriff Center. "I don't remember if they've ever had a bye week and spring break coincide with each other," coach Charlie Wade said. "Some of them got to go out and enjoy Hawaii a little bit, which doesn't happen nearly as much as it should." The Warriors appeared to be refreshed when they resumed practice Monday. "We looked really crisp," Wade said. "We were hitting for a high percentage." Wade said the Warriors were physically spent after defeating Pacific on March 18, their fourth road match in five days. The break "came at a good time," Wade said. "We were really dinged up. We had some (injuries to) shins, knees, ankles." Wade said outside hitters Jace Olsen and Siki Zarkovic have had good practices this week. "Everyone on our team has fresh legs now," Olsen said. "After a long season, any time you have a week to rest, you don't take it for granted. It was a long trip, and it's been a long season. We started on Dec. 26." Wade said opposite Brook Sedore has completely healed from an ankle injury suffered against Pacific. "I think there's zero effect from the ankle," Wade said. "It wasn't that bad." Hendrik Mol finished the Pacific match in Sedore's absence. Johann Timmer, the serving specialist, played left-side hitter in place of Zarkovic. Olsen and Zarkovic are expected to start against BYU. Mol, who also can play on the left side; Timmer and freshman Kupono Fey might work their way into the rotation. "We have a lot of depth, and, I'm sure, guys can step in when called upon," Wade said. The Cougars are ranked second nationally and lead the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with an 18-2 league record. Taylor Sander is the Cougars' best attacker, averaging 4.70 kills per set on .347 hitting. Former UH head coach Mike Wilton is a BYU assistant. RAINBOW WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL At Stan Sheriff Center >> Who: No. 2 Brigham Young (18-4, 18-2 MPSF) vs. Hawaii (13-10, 11-9) >> When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday >> TV: OC Sports (Ch. 16), Saturday’s match only >> Radio: Both matches, KHKA (1500-AM)
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 5, 2014 12:17:38 GMT -5
Rainbows shock No. 2 BYUBy Stephen Tsai, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 05, 2014 BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaii players celebrated like crazy after their five-set win over BYU.Nearly fit for the proverbial toe tag, the University of Hawaii volleyball team surged back for a 16-25, 19-25, 26-24, 25-18, 15-12 victory over Brigham Young on Friday night. A Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 2,501 watched the Rainbow Warriors improve to 14-10 overall and 12-9 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. In the process, they also moved into an eighth-place tie with UCLA. The top eight teams qualify for the MPSF playoffs. The second-ranked Cougars, whose winning streak ended at six matches, fell to 18-5 and 18-3, missing a chance to clinch the league's regular-season title outright. The Cougars were coasting, thanks largely to the Warriors' implosion from the service area. In the intermission between the second and third sets, the players took charge. "We went in there as a team and talked amongst ourselves and kind of figured it out on our own," middle blocker Nick West said. "Obviously, we had to serve better. Our serving was atrocious the first two sets." The Warriors committed 27 overall errors in the first two sets. "That's 13 and a half per set," UH coach Charlie Wade said. "You can't beat anybody in our league with that." But Wade noted the Warriors were able to slow All-America outside hitter Taylor Sander, who was converting only 11 percent of his attacks in the first set. "We just weren't executing on our side," Wade said. Despite committing nine more service errors in the third set, the Warriors tried to force the Cougars out of rhythm. "We just plopped them in, stayed aggressive, and the results speak for themselves," West said. UH outside hitter Siki Zarkovic, who struggled in the first two sets, served two natural points to close out the third set. The Warriors dominated the fourth set, forcing the first-to-15 final set. Middle Taylor Averill's serves boosted the Warriors to a 6-2 lead. The Warriors then had advantages at 11-6 and 12-7. The Cougars closed to 13-11 when Zarkovic's serve failed to clear the net. But then Averill and opposite Brook Sedore soared to block the 6-foot-4 Sander, who has a 43-inch vertical jump, setting up aloha point. The coaches then signaled for the next offensive play to go to Sedore on the right side. After a dig, setter Joby Ramos fed West, whose cut shot landed just in bounds. West recalled: "(Ramos) even told me before the play, ‘Just be really loud and try to draw off the blocker (from Sedore). We're going to give it to Brook here.' I didn't expect it to come to me and I honestly thought I hit it out of bounds. It wasn't the best contact. But the ref called it in, and there went one of the greatest (matches) of my career." Ramos said: "(West) was hustling, and he's been working really hard lately. I saw the block up, and there was only one guy, and I knew he could put it away with only one up." Sedore led the Warriors with 17 kills. Zarkovic, who had two kills and six errors on nine swings in the first two sets, had 10 kills against one error thereafter. He finished with 12 kills. Of his comeback, Zarkovic said: "I started playing." Wade said: "Almost to a fault … I go with my guys. I'm going to let them play themselves back into it. … I just don't want guys looking over their shoulders if they make a couple of mistakes, thinking they've got to come out. ‘C'mon, man, you're a starter for a reason. Let's have you play through this.' You have to dance with the one you brought." Wade added: "Our philosophy has been ‘believe.' You've gotta believe. The guys really embraced that and kept battling and came up with a nice win."
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