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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 25, 2015 14:40:26 GMT -5
no new articles this morning ? went to the website but stories are for subscribers only haha ... someone's impatient
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 25, 2015 14:43:00 GMT -5
Warriors know it's time to win or else ...By Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 25, 2015 JAMM AQUINO / MARCH 14. Jennings Franciskovic set up a kill attempt for middle blocker Taylor Averill.It does not take a bracketology background to figure out the Hawaii volleyball team's postseason goal. "Win," UH coach Charlie Wade said, "and advance." What Wade describes as "single-elimination" time begins Saturday when the Rainbow Warriors host Long Beach State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs. The winner of the league's eight-team tournament earns an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Without winning the MPSF tournament, the second-seeded Warriors' hopes for an NCAA at-large berth rest on a lower seed not winning the playoffs. Long Beach State poses several obstacles. Alan Knipe coached the U.S. national team in the 2012 Olympics. Taylor Gregory is one of the league's top middles. "It's the MPSF playoffs," Gregory said. ""We're excited as a team, and ready to go." Here's a look at the opponents: Long Beach StateAfter Ryan Windisch suffered an injury, freshman outside hitter Bjarne Huus moved to libero, starting 10 of the past 11 matches. Windisch is now healthy. "I like both my liberos," said Knipe, noting the starter will be a match-time announcement. The 49ers are successfully passing at 95 percent, and are ranked first nationally in digs (10.09 per set) and blocks (2.95). The three starting pin attackers are averaging at least 1.5 digs per set. Gregory was named to the MPSF's all-freshman team in 2013. Two years later, he's the nation's second-leading blocker (1.53 per set). "I think as you continue to mature through the league and your experiences through the league, you continue to improve in all areas," Knipe said of 6-foot-7 Gregory. "He's made big strides in all areas of the game." As a former high school quarterback, Gregory has a strong arm. Through extensive video sessions and Knipe's guidance, he has improved his read-blocking and expanded his offensive repertoire. Gregory said he follows LBSU's plan to "control the controllables." Gregory also has developed into a disruptive server. In the past five matches, the 49ers are scoring natural ponts on 43.5 percent of Gregory's serves. Left-side hitter Cody Martin (2.73 kills per set) and opposite John La Rusch (3.09) provide oomph from the pins. Martin has both a fast arm and quick jump. He averages 0.4 aces per set. In the past four matches, the 49ers score at 43.8 percent on Martin's serves. Bryce Yould and John Henry split time at the second middle. "Everybody needs some depth," Knipe said. "You're going to go through a four-month season, and the grind of the MPSF, there's no way you're going to get it done with six guys." HawaiiTwo years ago, when Taylor Averill was moving from opposite to middle, Wade suggested an expanded strategy. The middle plays in a constricted area. The plan, Wade said, was to jump to one spot but hit to another — volleyball's equivalent of a no-look play. But Averill, coming off shoulder surgery, did not have the skill set at that time. Averill then worked with sports-performance trainer Daniel Mar Chong. The strategy was for Averill to lose fat, then gain strength and quickness. Foot speed was important because at 6-7, Averill needed to race to striking spots ahead of taller blockers. Averill has become such an offensive threat that he now receives quick sets to the back row. With defenses sometimes bunching blockers on Averill, the pin hitters often face one blocker or none. "Taylor has an impact on matches," Wade said. In MPSF matches, Averill averages 2.98 kills and 4.02 points per set. He is hitting .500. "You never see a middle blocker in the top 10 (nationally) in points, but he is," Wade said. Averill said: "You've got to get creative when you've got guys committing on you. If not, you're going to get eaten up. I definitely try to play with how I run my routes, almost like a wide receiver running the hot route, kind of mixing it around and keeping the blockers guessing." The scouting report says opposite Brook Sedore, who averages 3.51 kills per set in the MPSF, hits what is described as a "heavy ball." While Sedore's spikes have sharp breaks, giving the appearance of a volleyball slider, the trajectory is a result of velocity. "I've been swinging hard at every ball since I was 14 or 15," said Sedore, a senior. "It's my attitude and mind-set as a volleyball player. I'm super aggressive. I don't like to roll-shot or take anything off. I like to hit as hard as I can. It's a personality thing." Libero Kolby Kanetake and outside hitters Siki Zarkovic and Kupono Fey give the Warriors stable passing. While Scott Hartley has been used as the serving specialist — he then can hit out of the back row — backup setter Alex Jones is another serving option. Jones has not made an error in 55 serves. RAINBOW WARRIOR VOLLEYBALLAt Stan Sheriff Center >> Who: Hawaii (23-5) vs. Long Beach State (15-12) >> When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday >> TV: OC Sports >> Radio: KKEA OTHER MPSF MATCHUPS >> No. 1 seed UC Irvine vs. No. 8 UCLA >> No. 3. Pepperdine vs. No. 6 UCSB >> No. 4 USC vs. No. 5 BYU
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 25, 2015 14:46:55 GMT -5
Stephen Tsai's blog on Star-Advertiser: Playoff day: Long Beach Stateby Stephen Tsai on April 25, 2015 "For the first time in five years, the Stan Sheriff Center will be the site for an MPSF volleyball playoff match when Long Beach State and Hawaii meet in the quarterfinals tonight. Here are things to know: ..." Full post here: hawaiiwarriorworld.com/warrior-beat/playoff-day-long-beach-state/
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Post by kahusancali on Apr 25, 2015 15:54:24 GMT -5
Match doesn't start until 10:30 and thus we have time to go to Pechanga, Valley View, and Pala for some free lobsters. LOL
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 26, 2015 13:19:44 GMT -5
Warriors oust Long BeachBy Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 26, 2015 LAST UPDATED: 07:42 a.m. HST, Apr 26, 2015 BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Kupono Fey, left, Davis Holt, Kolby Kanetake and Brook Sedore celebrated the Rainbow Warriors’ victory over Long Beach State on Saturday.BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaii’s Kupono Fey made a diving attempt at a dig in the third set. Picture grit. It was the image of the University of Hawaii volleyball team’s 25-19, 26-24, 27-25 victory over Long Beach State in Saturday’s quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs. Finding inspiration from perspiration — and 6,119 fans in the Stan Sheriff Center — the second-seeded Rainbow Warriors advanced into Thursday’s semifinals match against No. 3 Pepperdine at UC Irvine’s Bren Center. UCI, seeded No. 1, earned the right to host the semifinals and title match, with the tournament winner receiving an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. For the Warriors, none of that would be possible except for the left-side attack, libero Kolby Kanetake’s 18 digs, and Alex Jones’ closing magic. “That was a championship-team win right there,” UH opposite Brook Sedore said in the celebration of the Warriors’ final home match of the year. “I can’t believe we just did that.” The Warriors resurrected from an eight-point deficit in the second set and a 24-22 hole in the third. Concerned? “How could you not be?” UH middle Taylor Averill said. “You’ve got to give it to Long Beach. They played well. Their blockers were blocking balls. They really put pressure on us.” The Warriors cruised in the first set, but then the 49ers scored 13 of the first 18 points of the second set. With left-side hitter Dan Glamack tooling wide sets off the block and opposite John La Rusch mixing line and angle shots, the 49ers led 18-12, 20-15 and 24-22. Siki Zarkovic then hit off the top of the block to cut the deficit to 24-23. UH coach Charlie Wade then summoned Jones to replace setter Jennings Franciskovic behind the service line. The Warriors would score the next three points, including two coming on Davis Holt’s assisted block and solo rejection. “I got lucky,” Holt said, smiling. “I get lucky all the time, it seems.” But Jones, who entered with 55 serves without an error, said it was part of the master plan. Jones targeted the seam between the 5 and 6 zone — the back middle and back left — with float serves. “We have to get our blockers in a position to make blocks, and that’s by making serves,” Jones said. “And we have to give our diggers a chance to make digs, and that means not getting tooled on blocks.” In the third, the 49ers were serving for set point at 24-20. Then Zarkovic hit a line shot that found a blocker’s fingertips. Jones was summoned again, and he served three points to tie it at 24. The 49ers regained the lead at 25-24, but the Warriors scored the final three points. “That’s what we need to do,” Sedore said. “We played like crap at the start of the second and third sets. But it’s how you finish. Alex came through. Maybe he’s not a starter on the team, but he’s the MVP. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like without him. His leadership means so much. He’s a hell of a player.” Wade said the Warriors played “virtually without an opposite” with Sedore struggling with his placements. Sedore finished with six kills and hit .125. That put pressure on Franciskovic, who then went to left-side hitters Siki Zarkovic and Kupono Fey. Zarkovic went 28 swings before his first error. He finished with 18 kills and hit .405. Fey, who plays the ball-handling position on the left side, contributed 17 kills. “Give it to Kupono for peaking at the right time,” Averill said. “We need that O2 to be peaking.” The 49ers have statistically the best defense in the MPSF. But UH’s Kanetake might be the best defensive player. “I have that mind-set there’s no ball I can’t dig,” Kanetake said. “I’ll go for every ball and give 110 percent.” That percentage, of course, is a mathematical impossibility. But Kanetake’s digs — one-wristed saves while pretzel-twisted on the court — also would seem to be improbable. “We refer to Kolby as his samurai warrior heritage,” Wade said. “I don’t know how he does what he does. But I always tell him to smile more. I like happy Kolby. When he’s smiling and having fun, he seems to do better. I’m like, ‘Come on, smile and have fun.’ It’s the samurai warrior in him. He’s very stoic and very determined.” Full Photo Gallery here. Photos by BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 26, 2015 13:21:44 GMT -5
Hawaii wins 2015 MPSF men's volleyball quarterfinal
Star-Advertiser
Published on Apr 26, 2015
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Post by ACE on Apr 26, 2015 14:05:42 GMT -5
It's so good to see the Stanley filled again, although I thought it looked closer to 7,500-8,000 than 6,000.
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Post by kahusancali on Apr 26, 2015 14:49:32 GMT -5
It's so good to see the Stanley filled again, although I thought it looked closer to 7,500-8,000 than 6,000. It looked like 7k to 8k to me. 6,000 in turnstile but 6,700 plus issued?
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 28, 2015 13:57:24 GMT -5
No holding back on 'Bows' road tripBy Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 28, 2015 BRUCE ASATO / APR. 25 Hawaii's Kupono Fey slammed a shot against Long Beach State on Saturday. The Warriors won the MPSF quarterfinal match.After the Hawaii volleyball practice on Monday, outside hitter Siki Zarkovic emerged from the locker room carrying a large paper bag. "Books," Zarkovic said of the bag's contents. "I'm going to do a lot of studying." The Rainbow Warriors depart Tuesday morning for Irvine, Calif., in advance of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament's semifinal match against Pepperdine on Thursday. The scenarios are extreme. In a dream sequence, the Warriors do well in the MPSF playoffs, advance to the NCAA tournament next week in Stanford, Calif., and compete for a national championship. That would mean returning to Hawaii in time for the start of the school's final-examination week on May 11. "We're going to take all the books, everything," Zarkovic said. "We expect to stay." This season, the Warriors played in UC Irvine's Bren Center, splitting a two-match series against the Anteaters. The Warriors also won both regular-season matches against Pepperdine. "We're familiar with the environment," Zarkovic said. "We're going to be fully prepared for Pepperdine. There's nothing to hold back. We're going to be ready. Everybody feels good. It's the exciting time of the season. Everything matters. We'll try to live up to the expectations." UH coach Charlie Wade said: "We're super excited to be into the second week of the playoffs, and we're looking forward to playing a really good team, and hopefully playing well enough to advance." In a three-set victory over Long Beach State last weekend, UH opposite Brook Sedore had six kills and hit .125. After the match, Sedore recalled: "Everybody asked me if something was wrong." He then reviewed video of the match, noting that the 49ers were able to dig some of Sedore's hardest swings. "There were six balls I could have easily had kills," Sedore said. "I could have had 12 kills instead of six." Sedore was pulled in the third set, then returned to spark the Warriors' late surge. He had a key kill off a D-set and teamed with middle Davis Holt on a block. "Brook made a couple nice plays for us at the crucial point of the game," Wade said. "That was good." Sedore said: "The numbers say something, for sure, but the game was so much more different. There were a lot of things I did that didn't show up on the stat sheet. It showed a very, very average game, but if you watch the film, Long Beach is a very, very scrappy team." If Irvine and UH win semifinal matches, both probably would qualify for the NCAA tournament. There is a possibility UH still could earn a berth even if it loses to Pepperdine. "There are so many different situations with what can happen," Sedore said. "We just have to look at playing Pepperdine, and go from there."
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 28, 2015 13:59:36 GMT -5
Stephen Tsai's blog post on the Star-Advertiser: Away they go …by STEPHEN TSAI on APRIL 28, 2015 Excerpt: "The volleyball Warriors were scheduled to depart this morning in advance of Thursday’s MPSF semifinal match against Pepperdine. ... As for the playoff match, Averill said: “We’re stoked. We worked so hard. It’s rewarding to be in this position to be fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament.”" Full post here: hawaiiwarriorworld.com/warrior-beat/away-they-go/
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 29, 2015 3:07:00 GMT -5
Cindy Luis' blog on the Star-Advertiser: Congrats to Averill, a Bonham award winnerby Cindy Luis on April 28, 2015 Excerpt: From UH tonight Senior middle Taylor Averill, Rainbow Wahine basketball player Shawna-Lei Kueh and Rainbow Wahine diver Genevieve Bradley were the recipients of the 2015 Jack Bonham Award in recognition of their outstanding performances on and off the playing field. The announcement was made Tuesday night at ‘Ahahui Koa ‘Ānuenue’s H Awards at the Stan Sheriff Center. The award is given annually to the top male and female senior student-athlete who “best exemplifies the ideals for which Jack Bonham stood for in the areas of athletic excellence, academic achievement, public service, leadership and character.” ... Full post here: hawaiiwarriorworld.com/volleyshots/congrats-to-averill-a-bonham-award-winner/
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Post by aaronic on Apr 29, 2015 8:40:26 GMT -5
No holding back on 'Bows' road trip\ If Irvine and UH win semifinal matches, both probably would qualify for the NCAA tournament. There is a possibility UH still could earn a berth even if it loses to Pepperdine."There are so many different situations with what can happen," Sedore said. "We just have to look at playing Pepperdine, and go from there." For this to happen, Hawaii or UCI also have to hope that Ohio State doesn't win the MIVA.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 29, 2015 14:05:11 GMT -5
Fey's all-around game just what Warriors needBy Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 29, 2015 BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Kupono Fey credits assistant coach Milan Zarkovic for much of his improved play. He also praised strategic sets by Jennings Franciscovic.The past few weeks, University of Hawaii volleyball player Kupono Fey has been on a roll. Wherever he goes, Fey carries a metal cylindrical roll. He then will place the roll on the ground, and use it to ease the stiffness and aches in his back and legs. "It helps a lot," said Fey, who also has been on a figurative roll in recent matches. In a victory over UCLA, Fey hit .500 while providing steady passing. Two weeks ago, he pounded a career-high 19 kills against Brigham Young. Last weekend, Fey had 17 kills, hit .387 and produced 12 digs in a three-set sweep of Long Beach State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament. Fey is expected to be a key player in Thursday's semifinal match against Pepperdine in Irvine, Calif. "It's a must-win, definitely," said Fey, a sophomore. "We have to play with confidence and start with an early lead. We didn't really do that against Long Beach. We have to take it to them." Fey had issues with confidence when he endured a mid-season slump. He then turned to assistant coach Milan Zarkovic for guidance. Fey said he went through a drill "that incorporates everything — serving, digging, passing, hitting." Fey also worked on his four-step approach and arm swing. Fey is at his best in volleyball's version of the give-and-go when he receives a serve, then pounds the return set from Jennings Franciskovic. "J puts it up, and I try to go after it," Fey said. "I don't let the ball come to me. I go to the ball." Franciskovic noted that Fey has been an unheralded passer. "He always plays really great defense," Franciskovic said. "He went extra with Milan, working on his arm swing. It shows." Zarkovic downplayed his contribution to Fey's rejuvenated game. "It's not me, it's him," Zarkovic said. "He is the one who has the ability." Zarkovic said players are "analyzed" after every match and practice. Head coach Charlie Wade, Zarkovic and assistant coach Spencer McLachlin then craft a program to fit each player. "We don't say, ‘This is the drill that makes you better,' " Zarkovic said. "No, this (drill) is one process. We combine the American way and the way I bring (from Europe). We try to find the best way." Fey said: "I kept working hard and working with Milan. That was a huge thing. It paid off." Fey also praised Franciskovic. Against Long Beach, the Warriors had difficulty scoring points from the right side. Franciskovic then went to the left, setting Fey 31 times. "It was great setting," said Fey, who has mastered the crossing shot that bites just in front of the right sideline. Franciskovic "put me in a better situation," Fey said. "A quick arm swing gets me that angle." Middle Taylor Averill said: "Kupono has been playing strong. He's peaking at the right time."
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Apr 30, 2015 2:21:19 GMT -5
No holding back on 'Bows' road trip\ If Irvine and UH win semifinal matches, both probably would qualify for the NCAA tournament. There is a possibility UH still could earn a berth even if it loses to Pepperdine."There are so many different situations with what can happen," Sedore said. "We just have to look at playing Pepperdine, and go from there." For this to happen, Hawaii or UCI also have to hope that Ohio State doesn't win the MIVA. ohio st lost to loyola today. for the second time in the last couple of weeks, hawaii controls its own destiny. win tomorrow and get to the mpsf final ... and they virtually guarantee themselves at least an at-large bid.
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Post by aaronic on Apr 30, 2015 2:35:51 GMT -5
For this to happen, Hawaii or UCI also have to hope that Ohio State doesn't win the MIVA. ohio st lost to loyola today. for the second time in the last couple of weeks, hawaii controls its own destiny. win tomorrow and get to the mpsf final ... and they virtually guarantee themselves at least an at-large bid. And also hope UCI makes it to the final.
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