UH Fall Camp

[roy]

Warriors complete first day of camp


By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team yesterday opened training camp with a new look and renewed enthusiasm.

The Warriors unveiled their new practice outfits of black tank tops and black gym shorts.

In previous years, they wore board shorts, provided by Local Motion, for practices and matches. But Local Motion ended its sponsorship with the volleyball program at the end of last season. Asics, which does not manufacture board shorts, is providing the gym shorts for free.

Setter Brian Beckwith said he likes the gym shorts, although "I definitely miss the board shorts. After a lot of practices I went to the beach, and I could wear my practice (board) shorts in the water. ... But I don't really think it will matter. It's how we play, not how we look."

Before the start of yesterday's practice, opposite hitter Pedro Azenha and middle blocker Dionisio Dante apologized to teammates. They were suspended for the final month of fall training camp for violating undisclosed team rules. They were reinstated last week.

After the apology, UH coach Mike Wilton embraced Azenha and then Dante.

"I never had intention to harm the team," Azenha said. "Things happened. I was kind of lost without volleyball. Now I'm back on track."

It was the second time Azenha had been suspended for violating team rules. He refused to disclose the infraction.

"I think that's one thing that got me really sad," he said. "Everybody thinks I'm a troublemaker. I never got in trouble before (enrolling at UH in August 2002). I have a good relationship with everybody, I think. Everybody who knows me knows what kind of a person I really am."

Azenha is listed as the backup to opposite hitter Matt Bender for tomorrow's exhibition against Alberta in the Stan Sheriff Center. First serve is at 7 p.m.

Although Bender and Azenha are the team's best outside attackers, they are marginal passers, and the immediate plans do not call for both to play in the same lineup. In UH's three-passer system, the libero and two left-side hitters are required to start the offense.

José José Delgado has won a left-side job, and Lauri Hakala and Matt Carere are competing for the other. If the three "hold up their end," Wilton said, "we shouldn't have to" move Bender or Azenha to the left side.

Wilton said Delano Thomas, who is trying to complete outstanding academic work, is allowed to practice this week but not play against Alberta. Thomas, who was scheduled to return from the Mainland yesterday, did not practice yesterday.

Thomas, a senior, was an All-America middle blocker in 2003 before moving to outside hitter last season. Wilton said Thomas will return to the middle this season.

"The experiment," Wilton said of Thomas' work at outside hitter, "should be continued, but it needs to be done on someone else's clock, not ours. ... We ran the experiment all year long because he would have good games and then not-so-good games. I decided, you know what, we took an All-American middle blocker and made him a mediocre outside hitter. It's time to go back to what was successful."

[roy]

Warriors get week to work on volleyball’s fundamentals
By Cindy Luis
[e-mail]

It sounds like Anatomy 101: the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone is connected to the hip bone ...

Only in Warrior Volleyball 2005, it's the pass that is connected to the set and the set is connect to the kill.

If Hawaii is going to make a stand this season, it's these connections that will be critical to improving on last year's disappointing 17-12 finish.

There are 11 returning players who are motivated to get past the first round of the NCAA tournament. Last May, the Warriors watched as BYU won the national title at the Stan Sheriff Center and "that's part of the fuel for us," sophomore setter Brian Beckwith said. "Everyone came back ready to work hard and build on what we had in the preseason.

"We wanted to work on things that led to our demise, one of which was ball control. We want to prove that last year was a fluke. We're hungry and ready this year."

First up on the menu are this week's exhibitions with Alberta, the top-ranked Canadian college team. The Golden Bears are 9-1 in conference and 16-2 overall, with both losses coming in five games.

Alberta is already 4-0 against U.S. college teams, sweeping Cal State Northridge and defending NCAA champion BYU, as well as picking up 3-1 victories over Pepperdine and Long Beach State.

"Alberta is very good," Hawaii coach Mike Wilton said. "I wanted us to play somebody before the Outrigger (next week's Outrigger Hotels Invitational). This is an enhanced practice week for us. We get in some practices as well as some exhibition games. This will be good for us."

The Bears will present a big challenge -- literally -- for Hawaii. Alberta features a pair of 6-foot-9 middles in Adam Kaminski, who leads the team in blocks (1.29) and is hitting .477, and Leo Carroll, recently of the Canadian national team.

Setter Brock Davidiuk has the team hitting .356 with five players averaging 2.18 kills or better. Leading the way is 6-5 hitter Nicholas Cundy (3.0 kpg) and 6-7 hitter Jeremy King (2.39 kpg).

Also in the mix is 6-8 left-handed opposite Dallas Soonias.

Hawaii's lineup is not yet set, with a number of starting slots up for grabs. Missing from yesterday's practice was senior All-American Delano Thomas, whose flight from the mainland was delayed.

Thomas was academically ineligible last semester but did practice with the team. Wilton said he could not comment on specifics due to privacy laws but did say Thomas would not be eligible for this week's matches.

"At the moment, he is not a factor for us," Wilton said. "For sure, we'd like to have him back. He is the best middle in the country, but we don't know yet."

Two players who are back and expected to be factors are junior hitter Pedro Azenha and sophomore middle Dio Dante. The two were suspended from the fall matches with Pacific for breaking unspecified team rules and are working their way back into the lineup.

If the Warriors were to play tonight, Beckwith would get the nod at setter. But Wilton said senior Daniel Rasay has one more practice to change that.

Penciled in as middles are junior Maulia LaBarre and freshman transfer Jake Schkud with junior Jose Delgado and newcomer Lauri Hakala as hitters. Junior Matt Carere is scheduled to start at opposite and, as of yesterday, sophomore Eric Kalima had beat out last year's starter Alfred Reft at libero.

"There's a lot of talent at a lot of positions," LaBarre said. "The team looks great all the way around. Everybody is making everybody else play better. We're pushing each other as we go along.

"This year, we're playing really well as a team. It's very team oriented and everyone is playing well defensively."

Defense and serve-receive are keys to making the offense run.

"Ball control sets the stage for everything," Wilton said, "and we definitely will be a better ball-control team this year.

"This is one of those teams that is so interdependent on each other. There's not going to be one guy who we can say is the man."

The exhibitions are tune-ups for next week's Invitational which includes three of last year's final four participants: BYU, Penn State and Lewis.

Hawaii's home schedule also includes Cal State Northridge, Stanford, Southern California, Pepperdine, Ball State, UC Santa Barbara and Pacific.

The road trips will be at UC Irvine, final four host UCLA, BYU, UC San Diego and Long Beach State.

"We'll never get dinged on strength of schedule," Wilton said.

[roy]

From the looks of everything, Hawaii will go back to their trademark "short team". Beckwith will tower over the outsides. He is listed at 6'4, but I thought last year he was listed around 6'6. Haven't had a chance to really measure him up. Carere, Hakala, and Delgado are all around 6'3. And Bender is listed at 6'1. La Barre and Thomas are the towering players a 6'8 and 6'7 respectively. But without Thomas, Schkud is playing and he is listed at 6'3. With the projected line up against Alberta, Beckwith will be the second tallest player on the court.

[rayson]

What happened to Carney and Bergmann--the transfers from Lewis? Neither article mentions them. I realize they might not be elligible to play this week but are they still coming?

[northshore]

Amazing how players shrink in Hawaii....Maybe whoever took the measurements that day had too much sun. Anyhow, looking at last year's roster, the USAV JNT roster, as well as seeing the boys play at the inter island tour this year, Brian is a solid 6'6". Maybe he's even taller. Schkud is a pinch below Brian and is listed at UCSB and USAV JNT as 6'5". The new player Hakala isn't a big guy either. I also think Bender is a little taller than 6'1".

But UH has more problems than the posting of wrong heights. There are bigger issues to worry about....Bigger Canadian issues. Those Alberta boys are huge. I think I read somewhere that one or two of them are on the Canadian National Team. Not the junior national team, these are the big Canadian guys.

I sure hope UH doesn't get spanked. I hope they hold their own and have learned a thing or two from last year about moving the ball. And more importantly, they jell as a team. Here's to an exciting season!

[roy]

I am not too worried about Alberta. A good showing is the best we can hope for. Alberta beat 4 MPSF teams already and it sounds like if they were a part of the NCAA, they would be #1 right now. Exhibition wont hurt the team, but will prepare them for next week when Lewis, BYU, and Penn State come to town. Those matches will count towards Hawaii's record.

I don't think Carney and Bergmann can officially be placed on the roster yet. Carney will likely redshirt anyway, as he will be the #4 setter. Not too sure about Bergmann. I think he would be able to suit up as long as he is eligible. Maybe they haven't "officially" been put on the roster as the spring semester hasn't started yet.

[hwy101]

roy said:

I am not too worried about Alberta. A good showing is the best we can hope for. Alberta beat 4 MPSF teams already and it sounds like if they were a part of the NCAA, they would be #1 right now. Exhibition wont hurt the team, but will prepare them for next week when Lewis, BYU, and Penn State come to town. Those matches will count towards Hawaii's record.

I don't think Carney and Bergmann can officially be placed on the roster yet. Carney will likely redshirt anyway, as he will be the #4 setter. Not too sure about Bergmann. I think he would be able to suit up as long as he is eligible. Maybe they haven't "officially" been put on the roster as the spring semester hasn't started yet.

Is this match gonna be shown on TV?

[kolohekeiki]

HWY101 said:

Is this match gonna be shown on TV?

Tomorrow's match against Alberta will be shown on K5, but Friday's match won't.