Two hitters commit to Warriors volleyball

[Noname]

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team has secured verbal commitments from two outside hitters.

Jimbo Clar, who played on the U.S. Junior national team last summer, and Rusty Burns, a member of one of Southern California's best volleyball clubs, will join the Warriors in the fall.

Clar, who is 6 feet 2, is from Rochester, N.Y. He and UH setter Brian Beckwith were teammates on the Junior team.

Burns, who is 6-4, plays for the Seaside Volleyball Club in San Diego. Burns also works out with the Grossmont College players.

"He jumps really well," said Fred Featherstone, head coach of Seaside and Grossmont. "He's got long arms, and he hits the ball really high and hard."

Featherstone said Burns is an offensive threat from the front row, back row and service line.

"He's also a good blocker," Featherstone said. "Plus, he can handle the ball. Some schools were looking at him as a setting prospect."

Burns is best suited to play opposite hitter because, as a lefthander, he faces the sets when he hits from the right side. Featherstone said Burns' top-spinning shots are difficult to dig.

"He moves it around pretty well," Featherstone.

Burns also was recruited by Pepperdine, UC Irvine and Southern California.

"I took a visit out there to the island, and I loved it," Burns said. "I really like the coaches. They're nice guys."

Trent Suzuki, a personal trainer, has helped Burns gain seven inches on his vertical jump.

• Still tinkering: UH coach Mike Wilton said he still has not finalized a starting lineup for tomorrow's road match against Pepperdine.

As of now, Wilton is reconsidering plans to start Jake Muise at libero, where Alfred Reft has started every match.

The other starters are middle blockers Mauli'a LaBarre and Joshua Stanhiser, setter Kimo Tuyay, opposite hitter Matt Bender and outside hitter Pedro Azenha. The last spot is between Delano Thomas and Jose Jose Delgado. If Delgado starts, Azenha will become the left-side hitter. If Thomas starts, Azenha because a primary passer.

"It doesn't matter to me," said Azenha, who has played the three outside positions this season. "I'm getting better and better at passing. I'm really confident."

In Wilton's 12 seasons as UH head coach, the Warriors have never defeated Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif.

"This will be a challenge," Wilton said. "But we like challenges. Challenges are good."

• Holding steady: The Warriors remained at No. 6 in this week's USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association top-15 poll.

The Warriors (16-10) received 158 points.

Brigham Young is first with 236 points and 13 No. 1 votes. Long Beach State is second with 225 points and the remaining three first-place votes, followed by UCLA, Pepperdine and Cal State Northridge.

[Noname]

Is this the first time UH has had a left handed player? And speaking of left handed players, what ever happened to that Pearl City High School stand out player? He was pretty good.

[VBbeast]

As I recall UH had an ok opposite a few years ago who was a lefty... Yuval Katz. He was pretty average I guess I can understand someone forgetting him ;D

[Noname]

VBbeast said:

As I recall UH had an ok opposite a few years ago who was a lefty... Yuval Katz. He was pretty average I guess I can understand someone forgetting him ;D

Thanks. And just for the record, I was never a fan of men's volleyball until years after he left Hawaii.

[hrhsam]

Gosh, gaining seven inches off a vertical is incredible. I think the men's program will be in good hands in the near future. As for the women, well....

[roy]

I am sort of surprised by this. Hawaii already has a load of outside hitters in Delgado, Thomas, Azenha, and Bender. Not to mention that the highly touted Carere is still redshirting and Taylor, Rester, and Hutchins are also listed at outside hitters and have yet to play.

On the other hand, after Josh graduates, Hawaii will only have 2 middle blockers in Labarre and Dante. I would assume that means Wilton isn't finished with his recruiting, but it is still funny seeing that there are loads of outside hitters and only 2 middles.

[BarcelonaBob]

roy said:

I am sort of surprised by this. Hawaii already has a load of outside hitters in Delgado, Thomas, Azenha, and Bender. Not to mention that the highly touted Carere is still redshirting and Taylor, Rester, and Hutchins are also listed at outside hitters and have yet to play.

On the other hand, after Josh graduates, Hawaii will only have 2 middle blockers in Labarre and Dante. I would assume that means Wilton isn't finished with his recruiting, but it is still funny seeing that there are loads of outside hitters and only 2 middles.

My guess is that Thomas goes back to the middle after Wilton's one year "experiment" with him at outside.

As for the gaggle of people competing for spots on next year's roster, I'd say that the school puts out press releases for just about every athlete that commits to a sport. But alot of those guys will never make the roster and will be relegated to scout/practice team their entire careers. A quick check of the archives of Mike Ching's site shows numerous recruits for UH through the years that never made the game rosters, and, looking back, causes a person to say, "Who was that guy?"

[BarcelonaBob]

VBbeast said:

As I recall UH had an ok opposite a few years ago who was a lefty... Yuval Katz. He was pretty average I guess I can understand someone forgetting him ;D

Best collegiate player I've ever seen play, bar none. People can say Karch, but Charlie didn't reach the next level until his National Team career.

Hov was phenomenal during his USC career. Taliaferro (with the exception of the '99 season when he had back problems) was probably the best player I've ever seen over the course of his 4-year career.

Too bad Yuval didn't stay for 4 years. He would have put the career kills and career aces stats so far out of reach, no one would have ever been able to touch them.

[roy]

BarcelonaBob said:

My guess is that Thomas goes back to the middle after Wilton's one year "experiment" with him at outside.

As for the gaggle of people competing for spots on next year's roster, I'd say that the school puts out press releases for just about every athlete that commits to a sport. But alot of those guys will never make the roster and will be relegated to scout/practice team their entire careers. A quick check of the archives of Mike Ching's site shows numerous recruits for UH through the years that never made the game rosters, and, looking back, causes a person to say, "Who was that guy?"

Generally, I don't like Thomas back in the middle. I think he is still a "project" outside hitter who has a lot of potential to do well at the international level as an outside. And Wilton didn't like him back at middle in the one game he played middle this year. So, I am not certain that Wilton will put him back there.

I can understand the range of outside hitters. When these players come in, Azenha and Thomas will both be seniors and they would redshirt the year to keep their eligibility. I don't think Taylor, Rester, and Hutchins will break into the starting line up next year even if they are still on the team and available to play. They may ride the bench for their entire careers. And its not unusual to see a player ride the bench for his entire career. There is just too much talent and not enough spots.

Again, next year, Hawaii has 5 potential starting outside hitters and so far, only 2 middles on the entire roster. I have to believe that Wilton will recruit another middle. Its not really feasible to rely on only 2 players that can play middle.

[BarcelonaBob]

Well...all I can say is if Thomas stays on the outside, I sure hope his game develops over the next couple years. He has a long way to go.

I personally think Thomas could make it as a international MB. He may be a bit undersized at 6'7", but he is the most athletic out of all the potential National Team candidates I see playing middle currently in college. He is in the mode of a Ryan Millar (but Millar was by far a much better blocker in college than Thomas) in that he gets up really high really fast in the middle and can hits some crazy angles like Millar can.

As for the outsides for UH - between all of them (returning starters, redshirts, new recruits) SOMEBODY in that gaggle had better develop into a passer (ala Naveh Milo, Aaron Wilton, Eyal Zimet) or else I don't see UH challenging at all in the coming years. Actually they'll need more than one of those people to learn to pass next to Reft in a 3-passer rotation. Jumpservers are good enough now that they can put the ball on any specific passer that they want now. That's why this season, Thomas/Azenha/Delgado are such big targets in UH's serve-receive.

[roy]

BarcelonaBob said:

Well...all I can say is if Thomas stays on the outside, I sure hope his game develops over the next couple years. He has a long way to go.

I personally think Thomas could make it as a international MB. He may be a bit undersized at 6'7", but he is the most athletic out of all the potential National Team candidates I see playing middle currently in college. He is in the mode of a Ryan Millar (but Millar was by far a much better blocker in college than Thomas) in that he gets up really high really fast in the middle and can hits some crazy angles like Millar can.

As for the outsides for UH - between all of them (returning starters, redshirts, new recruits) SOMEBODY in that gaggle had better develop into a passer (ala Naveh Milo, Aaron Wilton, Eyal Zimet) or else I don't see UH challenging at all in the coming years. Actually they'll need more than one of those people to learn to pass next to Reft in a 3-passer rotation. Jumpservers are good enough now that they can put the ball on any specific passer that they want now. That's why this season, Thomas/Azenha/Delgado are such big targets in UH's serve-receive.

I completely agree. Hawaii is in a desperate need for a steady passer. I really like Reft. He reminds a lot of Vernon. He isn't tall with a lot of reach but he is decently steady and really moves for the ball. He has a lot of potential. But like you said, Hawaii needs another Milo or Zimet. Someone who is just steady and can pass the ball.

Maybe one of them on the bench can pass. They can be the next Woodward. He seems to be the most reliable passer out of the outside hitters which seems to be why he is starting.

[lalalaluuuke]

roy said:

Generally, I don't like Thomas back in the middle. I think he is still a "project" outside hitter who has a lot of potential to do well at the international level as an outside. And Wilton didn't like him back at middle in the one game he played middle this year. So, I am not certain that Wilton will put him back there.

Lest we forget Delano has been an All-American MB the past 2 years, I would have to agree that he will be moving back into the middle. Especially with the large number competing for the outside and the lack of MB's on the team. To base your judgment on him moving back to the middle for one game after playing OH all season is hasty. To his credit he is very versatile and athletic and has been able to do what is necessary for the team. If he works on his blocking and moves back to the middle he could be vying for POY next year, he is that good IMO.

[roy]

RedYukon said:

Lest we forget Delano has been an All-American MB the past 2 years, I would have to agree that he will be moving back into the middle. Especially with the large number competing for the outside and the lack of MB's on the team. To base your judgment on him moving back to the middle for one game after playing OH all season is hasty. To his credit he is very versatile and athletic and has been able to do what is necessary for the team. If he works on his blocking and moves back to the middle he could be vying for POY next year, he is that good IMO.

Maybe a bit hasty, but it wasn't pretty watching him back at middle. I think he has more potential as an outside hitter than a middle blocker. At outside, he hits at angels that other players can't hit. He goes over opposing blockers because he can contact the ball at such a higher point.

Middle would be good for him, as he really can't pass or play back row. At least the libero can come in for him. But with such suspect passing, I don't know if the Hawaii offense can get him into the offense effectively in the middle position.

Its a judgement call by the coach. I would prefer him to stay at outside, but only Wilton sees him at practice.

[dreamteam]

"And speaking of left handed players, what ever happened to that Pearl City High School stand out player? He was pretty good.

Jon Charette is playing for JC ball for Long Beach City College on the mainland

[Noname]

[quote author=dreamteam link=board=menvb&thread=1081942387&start=13#0 date=1082011962

Jon Charette is playing for JC ball for Long Beach City College on the mainland[/quote]

Thanks! Nice to know he is still playing.