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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 2, 2015 22:17:12 GMT -5
Warrior volleyball ready for Saturday openerBy Stephen Tsai, Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 02, 2015 KRYSTLE MARCELLUS / APRIL 6, 2014 Siki Zarkovic, left, and Taylor Averill celebrated a point during Hawaii’s victory over BYU.To move forward, the University of Hawaii volleyball team went on a retreat. After three days of practices, meetings and leadership sessions on the North Shore, the Warriors declared themselves fit and ready for Saturday's season opener against Stevens Institute of Technology. First serve is at 7:05 p.m. in the Stan Sheriff Center. As part of the training at Camp Erdman, the Warriors were not allowed to use their cell phones. "It was great having the (sound of) the waves put you to sleep," opposite attacker Brook Sedore said. "It was almost like a lullaby." Middle blocker Taylor Averill said: "We were with nature. There's no better way to wake up than on the beach in paradise. We had some of the best practices of the (past) year." The Warriors have crafted a partial opening lineup of middles Averill and Davis Holt, left-side hitter Siki Zarkovic, setter Jennings Franciskovic, and libero Kolby Kanetake. Libero Garrett Komisarek, one of four co-captains, did not attend the retreat because of flu-like symptoms. Head coach Charlie Wade said Kupono Fey, Scott Hartley and Hendrik Mol remain even at the second left-side position. The team practiced for two hours Thursday night and are scheduled to practice Friday afternoon. Sedore and Ryan Leung were expected to duel at opposite. But the competition expanded to three with left-handed Iain McKellar's strong play in a recent scrimmage. McKellar "hit for the highest percentage the other day — .750," Wade said. "Just a stupid number. He crushed every ball that got set. He's blocking balls. He's been really good." In past years, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams could experiment early, then rely on a strong showing in the MPSF playoffs to earn, at least, an at-large berth in the NCAA tourney. But now the NCAA is using the ratings percentage index as a criteria for tourney consideration. "They all count," Wade said.
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Post by vballfreak808 on Jan 2, 2015 23:56:28 GMT -5
I'm surprised that Sedore hasn't pulled away. I guess it's a good thing to have depth but Sedore has been the go to player at times for the past two seasons so it'll be weird if he doesn't start.
Also hoping OH2 is not a revolving door and someone can play consistently well.
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Post by ACE on Jan 3, 2015 0:27:21 GMT -5
In another article, Leung is said to be able to touch 11'7 and has had such a tremendous off-season that, I'd try him at OH 2 if the other players aren't contributing. I know approach touch isn't everything, but it'll sure be helpful to have an athletic OH when Hawaii is passing poorly.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 3, 2015 13:19:33 GMT -5
Warriors expect difficult test from StevensBy Stephen Tsai, Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 03, 2015 LAST UPDATED: 02:39 a.m. HST, Jan 03, 2015 STAR-ADVERTISER "We expect a good match," said Hawaii coach Charlie Wade, whose Rainbow Warriors play host to the Ducks on Saturday.For a volleyball blind date, Stevens Institute of Technology brings several qualities as a season-opening opponent for the University of Hawaii. The Hoboken, N.J., school has a view of New York City, a strong academic reputation (engineering, computer science, pre-law and pre-med), and successful graduates (average starting pay is $64,900; average mid-career salary is $124,000). And the Division III Ducks do well in volleyball, averaging 25 victories per season under coach Patrick Dorywalski. "We expect a good match," said Hawaii coach Charlie Wade, whose Rainbow Warriors play host to the Ducks on Saturday. SIT trains in Hawaii every four or five years, Dorywalski said. Dorywalski called Wade seeking an exhibition match against any of the participants in next week's Outrigger Invitational. With a puka in the schedule, Wade suggested that UH and SIT meet in a real match. "It worked out pretty good," Wade said. Although the Warriors compete at a higher level, they are limited to the financial equivalent of 4.5 scholarships for Division I-II men's volleyball teams. Meanwhile, Dorywalski said, 16 of 17 Ducks receive full scholarships valued at $59,000 each for tuition, fees, room and board. One Duck pays under $10,000 annually. The Ducks have six seniors. Four players redshirted last season. "They've got guys who have been in it for a long time," Wade said. Wade has developed a balanced roster. Three years ago, Wade began to stockpile arms. That meant playing first- and second-year players. At the time, Wade phrased it as "young money" — freshmen and sophomores who receive partial financial aid — being on the court. Now the Warriors have experienced players in the lineup and bench. The tentative starting rotation has three seniors (opposite Brook Sedore and middles Taylor Averill and Davis Holt), two juniors (libero Kolby Kanetake and left-side hitter Siki Zarkovic), and a sophomore (setter Jennings Franciskovic). Senior Scott Hartley and sophomores Kupono Fey and Hendrik Mol are competing at the second left-side position. "That's the one (position) I've been going back and forth on," said Wade, making a coin-flipping motion. Wade said Fey had the edge following exhibition matches in Long Beach, Calif., during fall training. But Wade said Hartley, a co-captain, has played well in recent practices. Averill, a middle with an opposite's power, might see a non-traditional role. Wade has kept Averill in the back row for a rotation. "I just love to play," Averill said. "If they need me in the middle, I'll play in the middle. If they need me hitting from the back row, I'm all for it." RAINBOW WARRIOR VOLLEYBALLat Stan Sheriff Center >> Who: Stevens Institute of Technology vs. Hawaii >> When: 7 p.m. Saturday >> TV: None >> Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 4, 2015 17:57:43 GMT -5
Warriors are too much for Division III StevensBy Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 04, 2015 LAST UPDATED: 02:09 a.m. HST, Jan 04, 2015 DARRYL OUMI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii outside hitter Siki Zarkovic followed his kill attempt through the Stevens block on Saturday. Zarkovic finished with nine kills. The brightest performance in Hawaii's season-opening volleyball sweep belonged to the middle blocker known as "Sunshine."e Taylor Averill, an All-America middle, slammed 13 kills without an error, assisted on two other slams and contributed to five blocks in leading the Warriors past Stevens institute of Technology 25-19, 25-14, 25-23. Thanks to precision placements — the Warriors passed 45 serves without a mistake — "I didn't move at all," UH setter Jennings Franciskovic said. "We were able to run the offense. I was able to set ‘Sunny.' He's our offense right now. He's a go-to guy." On one play, Averill was on his approach before Franciskovic launched the quick set to the middle. "The one-ball is unstoppable for him," Franciskovic said. "It's so high. He'll put it down every time. It's real easy. Just put it up there, and he'll make a play." Of the pass-to-set relay, Averill said: "Are you kidding me? That's beautiful right there. That's everything a middle could ask for — perfect passes, getting in system early. I think it spread our offense, and we were successful." Left-side hitter Siki Zarkovic pounded nine kills and hit .364. Opposite Brook Sedore and outside hitter Kupono Fey combined for nine kills and no errors. The Warriors committed only three attack errors — one in each set — in 91 overall swings. "You can make three errors in warm-ups with nobody on the other side," Wade said of the Warriors' accurate hitting. "Overall, we were pretty efficient." Averill said he was pushed by the Warriors' preseason training. "Everybody worked so hard to step up a level, it forced me to do the same," he said. "I think my success is because of the success of the team as a whole." Zarkovic, a junior, has toned his emotional play. He tried to hit over triple blocks and tool double obstacles. He credited consultation with the coaches, asking: "How can I improve myself, my game? I tried to progress … and not be so emotionally unstable. That helps the team." Zarkovic's maturity was evident in the second set, when he abandoned his toss-and-rip serve in favor of short, cutting serves. He served the final seven points of the second set. "Two, three times, my short serve was effective," Zarkovic said. "I decided to stick with it, and we won the set." Sedore, meanwhile, took advantage of the green light to zip spin serves. The Warriors scored points on 10 of Sedore's 14 serves in the first two sets, including the final six of the opening set. "That might be my best serving percentage ever," Sedore said. Wade said the experience helped in the opener. The Warriors started three seniors and two juniors. The top two reserves — opposite Ryan Leung and left-side hitter Scott Hartley — are fifth-year seniors. "We've got guys who have been around a little bit," Wade said. "This isn't a whole new thing. We've been there, done that. We know it's the first night of a long year. We're going to try to keep getting better." 3 HAWAII 0 STEVENS IT
KEY: Taylor Averill has 13 kills, 0 errors as Hawaii hits .407
NEXT: UH vs. Ohio State, 7 p.m. Thursday, OC Sports, KKEAFully Gallery here, photos by: DARRYL OUMI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2015 23:01:26 GMT -5
Tayverill will have a monster year!
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 7, 2015 13:48:38 GMT -5
Warriors' offense humming, thanks to smooth operatorsBy Stephen Tsai, Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 07, 2015 STAR-ADVERTISER / JAN. 2014 Kupono Fey's passing helped UH's offense run smoothly.
For the first test, the University of Hawaii volleyball team's passing grade was 100 percent. In passing 45 serves without an error, the Warriors established the middle attack and then defeated Stevens Institute of Technology in Saturday's season opener. "That was the setter's dream right there," said setter Jennings Franciskovic, who rarely drifted outside the 3-meter line. "I didn't have to move. I could run my offense. That was the ideal situation." Middle blocker Taylor Averill took advantage of the quick sets, crushing 13 kills without an error, a performance that led to his selection as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's player of the week. It all began with accurate passing — nails, in volleyball vernacular — from libero Kolby Kanetake and outside hitters Siki Zarkovic and Kupono Fey. With Averill, a rare middle who can play a rotation in the back row, and opposite Brook Sedore, who was trained as a left-side hitter, this is one of the Warriors' best ball-handling rotations in several years. "That's a big reason we hit so well," said UH coach Charlie Wade, whose Warriors committed three attack errors in the three-set sweep. Fey, a sophomore, received nine serves without an error and conjured four digs in the opener. "That's largely why Kupono's in the game," Wade said. "He makes very few errors, and he's a real steady passing guy." This past summer, Fey and the liberos worked with the JUGS machine that fired volleyballs at up to 70 mph. "You want to try to pass at faster speeds to make everything easier (in a match)," Fey said. "Coach told me that (accurate passing is) what's going to get me on the floor." It was improved health that kept Kanetake in the lineup. In October, Kanetake felt pain in his lower back when he reached for a barbell. "I felt this snap," Kanetake said. A month later, Kanetake aggravated the condition during an exhibition match. An MRI showed a herniated disc, an ailment that led to Kanetake being shut down for the remainder of fall training. Intensive rehabilitation enabled Kanetake to start in the opener. He said he feels twinges of pain sporadically, but "nothing too serious." Then again, Kanetake is used to playing in discomfort. His elbows have fresh scars from floor burns suffered while making diving saves. Last year, Kanetake was sometimes replaced against float servers. Kanetake admittedly passes better with his forearms than his hands. But Kanetake is doing better against floaters, passing with his hands on high serves or with his platform on short-arc attempts. The Warriors face Ohio State in Thursday's opening round of the Outrigger Resorts Invitational in the Stan Sheriff Center. They play Penn State on Friday and UC Irvine on Saturday. OUTRIGGER RESORTS INVITATIONALAt Stan Sheriff Center » Schedule: Thursday--UC Irvine vs. Penn State, 4 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Ohio State, 7 p.m. Friday--Ohio State vs. UC Irvine, 4 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Penn State, 7 p.m. Sunday--Hawaii vs. UC Irvine, 5 p.m. » TV: OC Sports for UH matches. » Radio: KKEA, 1420 AM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 8, 2015 14:29:55 GMT -5
Outrigger Invitational often has final four atmosphere
By Cindy Luis, Star-Advertiser
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 08, 2015 LAST UPDATED: 01:54 a.m. HST, Jan 08, 2015
It was born of a desire to create a final-four atmosphere, something that Hawaii anticipated could happen for the first time for the Rainbow Warriors four months later.
Three of the teams in the inaugural Outrigger Invitational did advance to the national tournament in Springfield, Mass., with UCLA bookending its season with championships in the both the Outrigger and the NCAA tournaments.
The bar was set high then and it has never been lowered with the Stan Sheriff Center continuing to host one of the premier preseason men's volleyball tournament in the country.
While a number of the current Rainbow Warriors were not yet born when the event began in 1995 — the first season for men's volleyball in the Sheriff Center — the history is not lost on them.
"No, I'm not as old as the tournament," UH junior libero Kolby Kanetake, 20, said. "But I grew up watching it, seeing how awesome it was and now I have the experience of playing for UH in it.
"We had season tickets since I was like 6 and I remember watching all the great teams and the great players. That's what we'll have this week, playing against great teams that are going to challenge us and makes us a better team."
The Rainbow Warriors have played better hosts than they would have liked, winning just six of the 20 titles, the last coming in 2010. There won't be a true champion this week as the format is not a true round-robin; Penn State and Ohio State couldn't stay to play on Sunday — UH has a men's basketball game Saturday — so the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are here for just two matches.
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rivals Hawaii and UC Irvine will get in three contests, with the Warriors and Anteaters playing in Sunday's 5 p.m. match. It will be the last time the tournament is scheduled to have two MPSF teams for the foreseeable future.
"With the emphasis on the RPI and importance of the nonconference schedule (for postseason at-large consideration), the idea will be to bring someone out from the Carolina league," Rainbow Warriors coach Charlie Wade said. "It's going to be looking a little different after this year. Pav (Penn State coach Mark Pavlik) and Pete (Ohio State Hanson) have standing invitations but they are not as interested in coming out if they don't get to play two MPSF teams.
"And UCI has been wanting to come out for a while. We decided to give them a shot before we make the changes."
The tournament has long been an early gauge for coaches. It is no different for Wade, whose team opened Saturday with a solid sweep of Division III Stevens.
"It's still more about us right now," Wade said. "We want to pass well and be efficient."
The Warirors' efficiency will be in the hands sophomore setter Jennings Franciskovic.
"It's going to be a lot of fun, good competition," Franciskovic said. "It's a great way to start the year. These are teams we could see in the final four."
A look at the teams:
No. 3 Penn State (0-0)
The perennial powerhouse out of the Eastern Incollegiate Volleyball Association returns for its 20th appearance (21-34), having missed the event only in 2012. The Nittany Lions have won it all twice, going back-to-back in 2008 and '09, with a third-place finish last January.
Penn State returns all but one starter from its 26-time defending EIVA championship team, including All-American senior hitter Aaron Russell, the two-time Uvaldo Acosta Memorial EIVA Player of the Year who led the country in ace average (0.65) with 40 total. The Nittany Lions are the only EIVA team in the AVCA Preseason Top 15 poll and are the preseason pick to again win the conference.
Also back is All-Amercan senior opposite Nick Goodell, the EIVA tournament's Most Oustanding Player, who averaged 3.79 kills per set with 35 aces.
Mark Pavlik, a former PSU setter, is in his 21st year (482-142), winning the NCAA title in 2008.
No. 8 UC Irvine (0-1)
The Anteaters, making their Outrigger debut, come in after being swept by No. 9 Lewis on Monday.
UCI returns All-American libero Michael Brinkley as well as hitters Zack La Cavera, a senior, junior Kyle Russell and sophomore Tamir Hershko. The Anteaters also picked up junior middle Marty Ross and sophomore hitter Thomas Hodges from Pacific, which dropped its program after last season.
Sophomore Michael Saeta, a converted opposite, is the setter UCI. His father, David, was a setter for Stanford.
Coach David Kniffn, a former UCI setter, is in his third season (43-18) and won the 2013 NCAA in his first year. The Anteaters were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
No. 10 Hawaii (1-0)
The Rainbow Warriors are 32-26 in this event with six titles, the last coming in 2010. UH finished second to UCLA last January, a victory that gave the Bruins their ninth championship in 14 appearances.
Hawaii is led by All-American senior middle Taylor Averill, the reigning MPSF Player of the Week. Averill, the only middle selected to the All-American first team, had 13 kills with no errors and added five blocks and three aces in last Saturday's sweep of Division III Stevens.
Other starters returning for the Warriors are senior opposite Brook Sedore, junior hitter Siki Zarkovic and junior libero Kolby Kanetake. Sophomore Jennings Franciskovic replaces the graduated Joby Ramos at setter and had UH hitting .407 Saturday against the Ducks.
Charlie Wade is in his sixth season (68-72).
No. 15 Ohio State (3-0)
The Buckeyes are making their sixth appearance in the tournament (3-12) and third consecutive. OSU's best finish came in 2008 where the Buckeyes, Warirors and Bruins all finished at 2-1; the title when to Hawaii on the tiebreaker with OSU second and UCLA third.
The Buckeyes opened Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play last week with two 3-1 wins over McKendree, the newest MIVA member. It gave OSU the program's 399th and 400th conference victories and led to sophomore setter Christy Blough and senior hitter Michael Henchy sweeping the MIVA weekly honors.
Blough earned defensive accolades when averaging 1.29 digs and .86 blocks were set. Henchy was the top offensive player with 3.0 kills per set and hitting .594.
Ohio State defeated DII PacWest member Cal Baptist Monday in four with Henchy putting down 21 kills and freshman opposite Nicolas Szerszen, a French national, adding 15 kills and five blocks.
The Buckeyes were picked to finish fourth in the MIVA.
Pete Hanson is in his 31st season (594-321), winning the NCAA title in 2011.
21ST OUTRIGGER RESORTS INVITATIONAL
At Stan Sheriff Center
Thursday
» No. 3 Penn State (0-0) vs. No. 8 UC Irvine (0-1), 4 p.m.
» No. 14 Ohio State (3-0) vs. No. 10 Hawaii (1-0), 7 p.m. Friday
» Ohio State vs. UC Irvine, 4 p.m.
» Penn State vs. Hawaii, 7 p.m. Sunday
» UC Irvine vs. Hawaii, 5 p.m.
TV: Hawaii matches, OC Sports
Radio: Hawaii matches, KKEA
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 9, 2015 14:15:23 GMT -5
Warriors wipe out Buckeyes in 4 sets
By Cindy Luis, Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 09, 2015 LAST UPDATED: 02:01 a.m. HST, Jan 09, 2015 DARRYL OUMI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii’s Kupono Fey followed his kill attempt against two Ohio State blockers. Welcome to the videogame age of men's collegiate volleyball. A la the FIVB, Hawaii introduced the video replay challenge process during the 21st Outrigger Resorts Invitational Thursday at the Stan Sheriff Center. No. 14 Ohio State won the inaugural challenge early in Set 1 but the 10th-ranked Rainbow Warriors won the real-time battle. Led by junior Siki Zarkovic's 20 kills and 12 from senior Brook Sedore, Hawaii opened its own tournament with a 25-19, 25-22, 17-25, 25-23 victory in 2 hours and 9 minutes. The Rainbow Warriors (2-0, 1-0 ORI) face No. 3 Penn State (0-1, 0-1) in Friday's second match. Ohio State (3-1, 0-1) looks to rebound from its first loss against UC Irvine (1-1, 1-0) at 4 p.m. "I thought we were really good early, medium down the stretch," Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. "We were so good for almost five sets in a row (going back to Saturday's sweep of Stevens). Then we lost a little focus and Ohio State threw some different guys at us that we didn't have a lot of information on. "We'll keep working tomorrow." Hawaii faces Penn State "and they and Irvine are great serving teams," added Zarkovic. "I thought our passing was great early and (Kanetake) played very good and made plays." In Thursday's opener, Tamir Hershko and Zack La Cavera each had 17 kills as UC Irvine responded from being swept at home Monday by No. 9 Lewis by grinding out a 25-17, 25-18, 18-25, 22-25, 15-7 win over No. 3 Penn State. Hershko added five of the team's nine aces and La Cavera was in on seven stuffs as the Anteaters outblocked the Nittany Lions 13-7. Hawaii never used a replay challenge — each coach is allowed two per set — but did need to hit the reset button after dropping Set 3 and looking bad in doing so. The Warriors took control at 14-7 and pulled ahead 18-14 and 20-16. The Buckeyes closed to 21-18 and 24-23, with Zarkovic blocked on Hawaii's third match-point attempt. Zarkovic ended it on his 37th swing, Sedore had three of the team's six aces and was in on five of the blocks. Michael Henchy led the Buckeyes with 13 kills and four of the team's aces. Ohio State coach Pete Hanson used the video challenge when it appeared that a kill by Dustan Neary had gone wide. The replay showed that the ball had landed in and, instead of Hawaii leading 3-1, it tied it at 2-2. UH senior middle Taylor Averill was held to 4 kills and hit negative .125, often seeing a double and triple block. Averill had 13 kills with no errors in Saturday's sweep of Stevens. 3 HAWAII 1 OHIO STATE
KEY: UH’s Siki Zarkovic has 20 kills and hits .324 NEXT: UH vs. Penn State, 7 p.m. Friday, OC Sports, KKEAUC Irvine 3, Penn State 2The Nittany Lions needed 43 hours to get to Honolulu then couldn't hold on for the last 20 minutes in their 2-hour match against the Anteaters. "I think the jet lag may have had a little to do with it, but give credit to Irvine, they played well at the end when we didn't," Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said. "What I'm interested in seeing is how we respond (Friday) when playing Hawaii, when it's 1 a.m. back home." Aaron Russell had 19 kills and Nick Goodell 10 for Penn State (0-1, 0-1). Full Photo Gallery here. Photos by DARRYL OUMI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 9, 2015 14:31:47 GMT -5
hawaii played very well at the start and end of the match, the bookends, but played uneven in the middle stretch. credit OSU -- their subs came off the bench and sparked a rally. thankfully, hawaii adjusted and raised their play, especially siki.
kanetake also impressed tonight with his digging, and setting of the second ball. his passing was solid too, except for a stretch in the middle of the match, again, when all of the hawaii players basically stunk it up.
franciscovic will be critical. there were stretches where he made great decisions, and others points, not so much. i like his presence and the block he brings up at the net. he seemed to struggle with his backset to sedore on the right, and in the timing with both his middles.
the connection with averill will, of course, be critical this year, especially since the 2nd middle, holt, is not much of an offensive threat. holt blocked well last night, but his standing float serve was pretty horrendous. not much offense from the middles last night.
fey passed well enough. that may be the main reason why he's in there. he hit for a decent %, but they didn't go to him much. hawaii might need more offense out of that OH2 position as the season goes on.
for ohio st -- hench carried his team. edwards and pohlman played well off the bench to lead their rally in set 3, altho their stats don't necessarily reflect it. they passed a little better with edwards, so that they could at least run a middle attack. and pohlman (and also herron) provided some nice offense during that stretch.
overall some good play by hawaii ... but some inconsistency as well. that was the issue that plagued this team (this core of players) that last couple of years. this group should be better, but will it reflect in the results? could be a "down" year for the mpsf overall (a lot of good players graduated last year from the conference), and with this group's experience, i think they can at least challenge for a seat in the top half of the mpsf.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 10, 2015 15:04:08 GMT -5
'Bows sweep Penn StateBy Cindy Luis, Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 10, 2015 DARRYL OUMI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii outside hitter Kupono Fey hit over two Penn State blockers Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. It was 7 degrees back at the Penn State campus early Saturday morning, right about the time that the third-ranked Nittany Lions were being iced out by No. 10 Hawaii at the Stan Sheriff Center. Led by junior Siki Zarkovic's 15 kills and 11 by senior Brook Sedore, the Rainbow Warriors remained unbeaten with a 26-24, 25-19, 25-18 win at the Stan Sheriff Center. The victory also gives Hawaii a chance to do something for its senior class: win the Outrigger Resorts Invitational for the first time in their careers. "It's what I told the team afterward," said senior middle Taylor Averill, who rebounded from a negative hitting night Thursday to hit .462 with seven kills and one error. "A bunch of us have been here for four years and we've never won it. It feels great to be able to play for the championship. This was a team win tonight." Coincidentally, it will come against UC Irvine, the program Averill originally committed to. He transferred to Hawaii after attending one semester and not playing in the 2010-11 school year. UC Irvine did its part in setting up the title match between the tournament's two unbeatens. In Friday's first match, Tamir Hershko put down 11 kills and Kyle Russell had four of UC Irvine's seven aces as the eighth-ranked Anteaters swept No. 14 Ohio State 26-24, 25-21, 25-22. Tournament newcomer UCI (2-1) goes for its first Outrigger title, while Hawaii (3-0) has won six, the last in 2010. The match is scheduled for 5 p.m. No. 7 would be a very sweet confidence booster for Hawaii, which put together an all-around solid performance against Penn State (0-2, 0-2). It added to the confidence gained when rallying to win Set 1 after leading late (22-19). The Nittany Lions took what became their only set point at 24-23 on a kill by Taylor Hammond. Zarkovic tied it after a Hawaii timeout, putting sophomore hitter Kupono Fey on the service line. He never left. Averill and sophomore setter Jennings Franciskovic teamed to block Chris Nugent and, after a Penn State timeout, Sedore put down his sixth kill to end it. The Nittany Lions never really recovered. "After (Set 1), we became more predictable," said Penn State coach Mark Pavlik, walking out with the video challenge paddle that he used once (and lost). "I thought Charlie (UH coach Wade) did a real nice job of making sure his block was set up. We were triple-teaming them and they were field-goaling our block (hitting through it) while we field-goaled their block and they were digging it. "There was that one stretch in Set 3 where they played very well and could do no wrong." Indeed. Franciskovic served for seven straight and the Nittany Lions had no answer for Zarkovic's angle shots as the Warriors jumped out to a 15-5 lead. It was 21-12 when Wade began to sub and Penn State took advantage with a mini run. But the chasm was too great. Hawaii needed three match-point attempts, finishing it on sophomore reserve Iain McKellar's only kill of the night after 1 hour and 41 minutes. UCI 3, Ohio State 0The Anteaters needed just 80 minutes to remain unbeaten in the tournament. UCI also needed a late rally to pull out Set 1 after trailing by as much as 20-15. The Anteaters tied it at 22, 23 and 24, taking their first lead since 1-0 on a kill by Hershko. Russell's kill ended it on UCI's first set point. Nicholas Szerszen led Ohio State with 11 kills. In what might be their last appearance here for the foreseeable future, the Buckeyes were outblocked 8.5-2. 21ST OUTRIGGER RESORTS INVITATIONALAt Stan Sheriff Center
SUNDAY UC Irvine (2-1) at Hawaii (3-0), 5 p.m. TV: OCSports, Ch. 16 Radio: KKEA, 1420-AMFull Photo Gallery here. Photos by DARRYL OUMI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER.
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Post by ACE on Jan 10, 2015 23:22:18 GMT -5
Are these matches uploaded to youtube?
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 11, 2015 13:59:45 GMT -5
Replay challenge system faces many challenges before going national
By Cindy Luis, Honolulu Star-Advertiser
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 11, 2015
Upon further review.
It will happen slowly, but eventually collegiate volleyball will follow the technological path of professional and other college sports and allow video challenges to confirm or overturn calls.
It made its debut in Thursday's second match of the Outrigger Resorts Invitational when No. 14 Ohio State faced No. 10 Hawaii in a televised contest.
Buckeyes coach Pete Hanson hesitated when he made that first challenge. After all, there was no flag to be thrown on to the court as happens on NFL fields.
There is, however, a pingpong paddle — with one side red — which Hanson raised to alert the official that video verification was wanted on an Ohio State hitting attempt that was initially ruled out. It took longer than expected, but the replay shown on the officials' monitor and the JumboTron agreed with Hanson and the Buckeyes won both the challenge and the point.
"Maybe this will start a movement and more schools will televise their matches," Hanson said. "You have a lot of women's games on TV now and maybe this will help the men's game.
"The ball moves so fast in the men's game. You want the calls to be right and make it fair for the players on the court."
The hurdle will be money. In a sport that offers only 4.5 scholarships per team, very few men's programs have the extra funds to buy the video equipment needed.
Hawaii is the exception, with most home matches — women's and men's — televised. Rainbow Warriors coach Charlie Wade said he had been wanting to institute it, following the lead of the FIVB — volleyball's international governing body, which uses video challenges during World League and the World Championships.
"Their system is much more sophisticated, with like 8-10 cameras," Wade said. "I brought it up to our (national) meetings a couple of years ago and was told they'd never allow it until every school had the capability. But a lot has changed at the professional level and you see Major League Baseball getting on board.
"Everyone agrees that we have the tools to get it right. We want players and spectators leaving the arena with a sense that every call was the right one."
Thursday was the first time it was used in the U.S. and at the collegiate level.
"Pete Hanson goes down in history as the first to use it, the first to win a challenge and the first to be refused," Wade said, noting that Hanson's second challenge was on a non-touch call at the net, which is not reviewable. "The coaches are all in. All the schools with men's and women's basketball are already providing monitors for the officials to review some things, so why not volleyball?
"I think it's very progressive of Hawaii to do this," said UC Irvine coach David Kniffen, whose team plays the Rainbow Warriors for the tournament championship Sunday. "I think the technology is out there to sustain it, maybe with unmanned cameras.
"It has huge potential to impact the game in a positive way."
While the challenge system will be retired after Sunday's match, Hawaii will keep using the radar gun behind both end lines to measure speed of serves, which also is used internationally. Wade said they are looking into how to make better use of the data and make it more visible, perhaps adding the reading on the scoreboard and having a box in the TV screen, much like what is used by MLB telecasts to show pitch speed.
"I think this is a good start," said UH assistant coach Milan Zarkovic, who has coached internationally for more than a decade. "Being the pioneer, you can help adjust and make it better.
"This is a wonderful idea that can help educate fans and grow the sport."
21ST OUTRIGGER RESORTS INVITATIONAL At Stan Sheriff Center
Sunday: No. 8 UC Irvine (2-1) at No. 10 Hawaii (3-0) TV: OC Sports, Ch. 16 Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 12, 2015 14:44:06 GMT -5
UC Irvine takes OutriggerBy Cindy Luis, Honolulu Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 12, 2015 BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaii's Taylor Averill got a set from setter Jennings Franciskovic in Sunday night's loss.Most nights, good would be good enough. Sunday wasn't one of those nights. Not when good was trumped by great. No. 8 UC Irvine outplayed No. 10 Hawaii in the things that matter most in volleyball — serving and passing — and left the Stan Sheriff Center with the championship trophy of the 21st Outrigger Resorts Invitational. The Anteaters (3-1) also left with three all-tournament awards, including the Most Outstanding Player won by sophomore opposite Tamir Hershko. Hershko, an Israeli national, had a match-high 17 kills with one hitting error as UCI swept Hawaii 27-25, 25-21, 25-19 in 1 hour and 48 minutes. Sophomore setter Michael Saeta, also named to the all-tourney team, had five of his team's nine aces and had the Anteaters hitting at a .526 clip, including an outrageous .652 in Set 2. The victory over the Rainbow Warriors was the 10th straight for the Anteaters, who kept Hawaii from its first Outrigger title since 2010. The Rainbow Warriors also saw their five-match home winning streak dating back to last season snapped. Junior hitter Siki Zarkovic was the lone Hawaii player in double-figures with 13 kills, his fourth consecutive match of 10 or more. He and senior opposite Brook Sedore were named to the all-tournament team. "Hats off to them, they played great, kept us out of system all game," Hawaii sophomore hitter Kupono Fey said. "It all comes down to passing and serving and they were better at it than we were. "We'll learn from this and move on. We have another great team in (UC) Santa Barbara coming in and we need to get ready for them." Hawaii has Monday off and will begin preparing for its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener on Tuesday. The Rainbow Warriors host the fourth-ranked Gauchos (4-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. The key to regrouping? Pressure, handling it and putting it on the opponent. "We never put pressure on Irvine, never got them out of system," Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said after his team's first loss. "We were playing pretty good through the first two sets, hitting over .400, had five aces. But Irvine played great. "We thought we could get a couple of their passers in trouble with our serves, but we weren't able to. They were in system and that's what wins games." The match started out fairly even. Set 1 was tied early (10 times through 10-10) and late (five consecutive times through 25-25). The Warriors held off three set points but not a fourth; Sedore was blocked by Hershko and Jason Agopian — UCI's lone stuff of the set — and Saeta's ace ended it. The Anteaters carried the momentum over to Set 2, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. The Warriors battled back, with two consecutive aces by Taylor Averill helping Hawaii take its first lead at 7-5. UCI caught Hawaii at 8-8 and used a 4-0 serving run by Kyle Russell to take control for good. Set 3 was more of the same, with the Warriors getting down early (9-5 and 15-9) and never able to string runs of points together when playing catch-up. "We're a physical team and we played pretty well tonight," said UCI assistant Mark Presho, a former All-American for the Warriors (1990-93). UCI outblocked Hawaii 7.5-4. Hall selected sand volleyball coachHawaii is expected to announce on Monday that Rainbow Warriors associate head coach Jeff Hall will become the associate head coach for the Rainbow Wahine as well as head coach of the school's sand volleyball team. Hall, 43, fills the vacancy created when Scott Wong was hired as the women's indoor head coach at his alma mater Pepperdine last month. Hall has been the men's associate coach under Charlie Wade since 2011. Prior to UH, he was the men's assistant at Pacific (2004-07), assistant coach for UC San Diego men's and women's teams (2000-04); and men's assistant at Grossmont College in San Diego (2000-04). Hall played at Pacific (1993-94) and was the Tigers' Offensive Player of the Year both seasons. He also was an all-conference player at Orange Coast (Calif.) Junior College and Park College in Los Angeles. The San Diego native also played four professional seasons on the AVP Tour.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Jan 15, 2015 14:01:55 GMT -5
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