Exhibition will provide a peek into UH lineupBy Stephen Tsai,
Honolulu Star-AdvertiserJanuary 4, 2016
STAR-ADVERTISER FILE
“That’s a very good team we’ll be playing. I would think the odds maker would have them to be the favorite.” —Charlie Wade UH men’s volleyball coach, on tonight’s match against SportConXThe University of Hawaii volleyball team will present evidence for its optimism in tonight’s trial-run match against SportConX.
First serve is 7 p.m. in the Stan Sheriff Center.
“That’s a very good team we’ll be playing,” UH coach Charlie Wade said. “I would think the odds maker would have them to be the favorite.”
The SportConX roster consists of former Warriors Mauli‘a LaBarre, Davis Holt, Johann Timmer, Joby Ramos and Cory Enrique, as well as former local standouts Taylor Crabb (Punahou/Long Beach State), Riley McKibbin (Punahou/USC) and Brad Lawson (Iolani/Stanford).
“We know their personnel very well,” said Wade, acknowledging the Warriors’ side of the net will provide the mystery.
The Warriors are seeking balance after losing 11 players from last year’s NCAA-tournament team while adding 10.
“We have one of the top recruiting classes in the nation,” setter Jennings Franciskovic said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can come in and play big roles this year.”
Franciskovic, libero Kolby Kanetake, and left-side hitters Siki Zarkovic and Kupono Fey are returning starters. Stijn Van Tilburg, a freshman opposite from the Netherlands, has drawn comparisons to former UH All-America Jonas Umlauft because of his repertoire of shots, volleyball IQ, and high-set-hitting capabilities.
“He’s 6-8,” Wade said of Van Tilburg. “He doesn’t have to jump that far. He’s a lot closer to Umlauft than anybody we’ve had at that position for the last four years.”
Last year’s starting middles — All-America Taylor Averill and Holt — graduated this past May, and Zach Radner decided to focus on his engineering studies. Freshman Patrick Gasman will miss the season while recovering from a broken foot.
Opposite Iain McKellar, who has recovered from a torn meniscus, and outside hitter Hendrik Mol, who missed the 2015 season’s final month because of an eye infection, will compete at middle. UH also received a surprise boost from Nainoa Frank, a 21-year-old freshman middle.
Frank is a 2013 Kalaheo High graduate who delayed enrolling at UH because of personal and financial concerns. “There’s a point where I move on,” said Wade, who encountered Frank a few times the past couple years. This past summer, Frank notified Wade that he was a full-time student at Windward Community College during the 2014-2015 academic year. As an academic qualifier out of Kalaheo, Frank was able to immediately enroll at UH the past fall semester. Frank, who is 6-5, is the strongest Warrior, bench pressing 300 pounds.
“He’s going to help us,” Wade said.
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’Bows get schooled by SportConXBy Stephen Tsai
January 5, 2016
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Team SportConX’s Taylor Crabb put a kill past Hawaii’s Kupono Fey, Iain McKellar and Stijn van Tilburg during a men’s exhibition volleyball match on Monday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COMTeam SportConX’s Taylor Crabb put a kill past Hawaii’s Kupono Fey, Iain McKellar and Stijn van Tilburg during a men’s exhibition volleyball match on Monday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Brad Lawson admittedly netted the butterflies as he stepped toward the service line in the Stan Sheriff Center.
“It was a little nerve-racking,” said Lawson, who flawlessly performed the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “Hawaii Pono‘i” prior to Monday night’s volleyball exhibition.
Lawson and SportConX also were in sync in a 25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 25-18 victory over the University of Hawaii.
Opposite attacker Curt Toppel powered 13 kills and hit .462, and Lawson contributed 12 kills on .385 accuracy. Taylor Crabb added eight kills and hit .300.
“We made only (six) errors in the first set, but they hit for a big number (.439),” UH coach Charlie Wade said. “The two left sides (Lawson and Crabb) are very good.”
Toppel and Lawson are both Stanford graduates who were each named to the All-America first team three times. Crabb, a Punahou School graduate, was the national player of the year as a Long Beach State senior.
“That’s a very good team,” Wade said of SportConX, a semi-pro ensemble that is competing for the Premier Volleyball League’s national title. SCX won exhibition matches against Stanford, Brigham Young and Long Beach State.
“It’s good to be playing some indoor volleyball again,” said Lawson, an ‘Iolani School graduate.
SCX entered with only two practices and a serve-and-pass session in Hawaii. The roster included Mauli‘a LaBarre, a former Warrior who is now a police officer, and former UH libero Vernon Podlewski. Podlewski gained weight from his UH days, but did not lose mobility. He conjured 14 digs in three sets.
“That’s the story right there,” said Jeff Hall, the Rainbow Wahine associate head coach who served as SCX’s uncredited head coach. “Vernon still has it.”
For the Rainbow Warriors, the exhibition was a final test run ahead of Thursday’s match against King in the opener of the Outrigger Hotels Invitational. Wade used 15 players, and started freshman setter Joe Worsley in the back row.
“It was great to get a bunch of guys in,” Wade said. “Obviously, we wanted to win. But I thought we got exactly out of (the match) what we wanted to.”
The Warriors had returning starters at libero (Kolby Kanetake), the left side (Siki Zarkovic and Kupono Fey) and setter (Jennings Franciskovic). During fall training, Stijn van Tilburg, a freshman from the Netherlands, seized the opposite’s job. On Monday, van Tilburg pounded six kills in eight swings in the second set, finishing with nine kills and hitting .412. He was on the sideline for the final two sets, his right shoulder covered with ice packs.
“He was dominant,” Wade said.
After the match, van Tilburg said: “I’m a little bit sore. Coach brought me out because we have four matches this week, and this is only the start of the week. I’m fine. I’ll get better. … I always start a little slow. I don’t know why. But there comes a point when I heat up.”
Hendrik Mol, who opened in the middle, replaced van Tilburg at opposite. Mol, who had one kill in the first two sets, added six more kills at opposite, including four launched from behind the 3-meter line.
Iain McKellar, a converted opposite, proved he has recovered from last year’s torn meniscus. McKellar, a rare left-handed-hitting middle, created matchup problems. He had five kills and an ace.
“It was good to test ourselves,” Zarkovic said. “We wanted to see where we stood against a good team. It was a good test before the actual season starts.”
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Men’s Volleyball Drops Tune-up With SportConX1/4/2016 9:28:00 PM
Excerpt:
"HONOLULU – In its final tune-up before the start of the 2016 season, the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team dropped an exhibition match to Team SportConX in four sets, Monday, at the Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 25-18.
The Rainbow Warriors, who used 15 players in the match, will officially open the season against King University, Friday, Jan. 7, as part of the 22nd Outrigger Resorts Invitational. UH will also host Harvard and 2015 national runner-up Lewis in the early season tournament.
Among UH's newcomers to see action was starting opposite Stijn van Tilburg, who tied for team-high kill honors with nine along with senior Sinisa Zarkovic. The Amsterdam, Netherlands native hit .412 in just two sets and had three digs and one block. Zarkovic also played only two sets and hit .333 along with one ace and two digs.
Outside hitter Kupono Fey had seven kills and six digs while middle blockers Hendrik Mol (7) and Iain McKellar (5) combined for 12 kills. Mol also added team-highs of nine digs, two aces, and five blocks. Setter Jennings Franciskovic dished out 25 assists in three sets played. As a team, the Warriors served up eight aces with only 11 errors and out-blocked SportConX 6.5 to 6.0."
Full UH release:
hawaiiathletics.com/news/2016/1/5/MVB_0105163215.aspx?path=mvball