UH tries to keep momentum against struggling team

[V]

The Warriors play the Gauchos and go after their 10th straight win


By Grace Wen
[e-mail]

There's a secret to winning a national championship.

Leave UC Santa Barbara.

It is probably just coincidence, but the last two players to transfer from the Gauchos have won national championships at their respective new schools.

Former Brigham Young All-American Joaquin Acosta transferred from UCSB after his freshman year. As a junior, Acosta helped the Cougars win their second national title in three years in 2001.

Current Hawaii senior Brian Nordberg arrived at Manoa last fall. The Warriors won the national championship nine months later.

UCSB didn't have any players transfer this season but the Gauchos (9-17, 4-14 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) lost half their starters from last year's senior-laden team. Setter Britt Galang, All-American outside hitter Andy Rivera, and opposite Ben Koski finished their eligibility last year.

A relatively green group has been testing the patience of Gauchos coach Ken Preston.

"We're training two new setters. They're both true freshman. It's been a little difficult in that regard," Preston said. "They're learning and they're getting better. I think we're getting better. It's a tough league to get your feet wet in.

"We had a good year last year and we're not real successful this year, but they're good kids. They try hard. We'll compete hopefully."

Freshmen Bart Kowalski and Dane Jensen have had to learn how to run a collegiate volleyball offense on the fly. Though their numbers are similar, Kowalski has been getting the starting nod.

It is obvious UCSB misses the serving and hitting of Rivera and Koski. But the Gauchos also don't have the leadership that can swing close matches from the loss column to the win column. UCSB is 2-4 in five-game matches.

"I think a couple of games haven't gone their way," Nordberg said. "They have the same libero, same middles from last year. Teams just come in waves. Unfortunately their wave was a little smaller this year.

"I know they're not playing as well as they like to. The only thing I can say is that the last two times UH played Santa Barbara, there have been absolutely complete opposite performances by both teams. We smoked them in three the first night, they smoked us in three the next night."

With only four conference victories this season, No. 15 UCSB seems in for a thrashing both nights. Second-ranked Hawaii (19-5, 13-5) has won nine straight and can close out the regular season on a 13-match win streak. UCSB and USC, the Warriors' final opponents, are a combined 6-28 in MPSF play.

But the Gauchos' lone conference win against a non-cellar-dwelling team has the Warriors a tad nervous. UCSB's sweep of BYU earlier this season indicates the Gauchos have a few hidden tricks they can pull when they need to.

The Gauchos' revolving door at outside hitter makes it difficult to scout them and their victory against the Cougars proves they can play at a level above their inexperience.

"They've got some young players. The setters are young. Their outside hitters aren't as good as last year," associate coach Tino Reyes said. "They're going to serve as hard as they can against us. If they don't make their serves, they're going to lose anyway with their regular serve.

"They'll probably gamble on the block. It's not a risk for them. If they play a normal game, they're going to lose anyway because they don't have enough talent. ... The second game, we might be afraid of those guys. We may have to do something different the second night."

[V]

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Once, University of Hawai'i men's volleyball was a rock show, each match teeming with screaming teens.

The stories are legendary, of autograph sessions lasting into the deep night, of UH players sneaking away in laundry carts.

Live television made the players stars and the matches events.

"Television," UH coach Mike Wilton said, "had a big hand in people coming to the arena. Television showed people what they were missing by staying home."

But that was the mid-1990s, and the party has toned down. Now, like reunion shows, the fan base is older. Television is no longer the lure but the attraction.

"Seven, eight years ago, I heard there were a lot of youngsters coming to the matches to support the team," UH outside hitter Costas Theocharidis said. "Because of the higher ticket prices, things have changed."

Wilton, who has charted attendance and revenue figures over the last decade, believes the demographics of the fan base began to change in 1998, when UH implemented a new ticket plan. The top ticket price went from $8 to $12, with student tickets going from $4 to $7. (Students now pay $6.) Also, reserved seating replaced the first-come, first-served system in the 10,000-seat Stan Sheriff Center.

"The kids have been driven off," said Wilton, whose team hosts UC Santa Barbara tomorrow and Saturday. "They can't sit in the lower bowl. The evidence is irrefutable ."

In 1997, the program earned a profit of $634,000 from $913,956 in gross revenue, Wilton said. In 1998, the first year of the new pricing plan, gross revenue dropped to $788,000.

"It keeps dropping, to the point where we're averaging 3,700 in the house" this season (down from 7,500 in 1997), Wilton said. During last year's national championship season, the Warriors grossed $659,675.

"And that's with higher ticket prices," Wilton said. "You have to ask yourself, 'why?' What I hear all of the time is, 'your players are not as charismatic as they used to be.' I have no opinion on that. I have no idea about that. We had some good teams then and we have a good team now."

Whatever the cause, the effect, according to the players, is a more subdued home crowd.

"We don't get a lot of students," libero Jake Muise said. "Except for the football guys who come out, like Isaac (Sopoaga), we don't get a lot of young and crazy students who make a lot of noise. I guess the seats are pretty expensive. It's tough sometimes when you come home after a hard day. You'd rather sit at home and watch the match instead of drive all the way here and pay money. We love our fans and appreciate them. We'd just love to have more of them."

Noting the program has not had a home sellout since January 1998, Wilton said, "Should we raise the price of a ticket and make less money or keep ticket prices down and make more money? That's one way of looking at it."

In addressing the issue, UH is offering the first 500 UH students free admission to Saturday's match. "It's a small step in the right direction," Wilton said.

[Bookumdanoaloha]

Here is my spin in getting students back to the games. I like the idea of giving the first 500 students in free, but don't put them in the "nose bleed section". You need to take the press level section out, its seldom used anyway, and put a 500 student section at court side. Have the students FACE TO FACE with the visiting team. You should see how the other schools treat the Hawaii players on their court. The BYU and Beach fans are the "best", very entertaining. A 500-1000 student section at courtside would be great. Plus, ONLY IN HAWAII, do they serve BEER at the volleyball games. There nothing like a bunch a drunk college students having a good time with the visiting teams. BOOKUMDANOALOHA

[Guest]

Bookumdanoaloha, tell Tuyay to bring back his jump serve!! ;D

[Beachy]

They sell beer AND wine at the Pyramid. Yeah, there is nothing like seeing a bunch of under age college kids drunk on beer heckling their little hearts out. Brings back old memories

[Psychopotamus]

IMO, the concessions and beer and all that are all reasonable, but they are trying to make it up at the gate. That just doesn't work, because the fans who come to watch the games won't be bringing in the "tag alongs" like they used to. That is really the bread and butter of the UH program.

Also, the whole assigned seating thing just doesn't work. Have you seen how many empty seats there are in the lower section? After playing musical chairs for a while, you can always find some seats up close, but why even have to go through that? Let the real fans, who get there early enough to get the prime seats, sit up close where they can make some noise.

[V]

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer


Even though he has a championship ring and a Saran Wrap-wearing fan club, University of Hawai'i volleyball player Brian Nordberg still wonders what it would be like if he had not transferred from UC Santa Barbara two years ago.

"There are advantages and disadvantages to everything," said Nordberg, a starting middle blocker. "When I transferred, I hoped the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages. In terms of not hanging out with my old teammates, that was definitely a disadvantage. I miss the guys. I miss them a lot."

Nordberg will experience a reunion when the Warriors host the Gauchos tonight and tomorrow night.

"I can't wait," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun."

Nordberg said two former roommates, outside hitters Keith Busam and outside hitter Jan Carlo Zegarra, have played often this season.

After two seasons in Santa Barbara, Nordberg decided he needed a change. But he said relocating to Hawai'i turned out to be a bigger adjustment than his move from his native Wisconsin to Santa Barbara.

"It took me a while to get used to the Island life mentality and the cultural differences," he said. "It's a different scene. It's a different mentality for volleyball. It's different all around. At the same time, it was definitely the right decision. Do I have regrets? No. But there are things I miss, the No. 1 thing being my friends on the team."

Nordberg said he keeps in contact with his former teammates. In turn, Busam was surprised to learn from Internet reports that Nordberg wore a headband made of Saran Wrap during matches.

"He was a little shocked," Nordberg said. "In fact, he said the (Gaucho) starters might wear Saran Wrap on their heads. We'll see."

The series will be a rematch of last year's semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament. The Warriors won that match, an outcome that assured them the at-large berth in the NCAA final four.

The Gauchos, who lost three starters from last year's team, have won four of 18 MPSF matches this season.

"A lot of their main guys are gone," UH setter Kimo Tuyay said. "A lot of the fire they had is gone."

Meanwhile, the Warriors have won nine in a row to improve to 19-5 overall and 13-5 in the MPSF. If they win both matches against the Gauchos, they will host an opening-round match in the coming MPSF Tournament.

"These are key matches because they're conference matches," UH outside hitter Costas Theocharidis said. "We're doing well right now. We're on a roll. If we can keep playing the way we've been playing, we can do, like, miracles."

[SD FAN]

Inaddition to Norberg reuniting with his old teamates. Kimo Tuyay will play against his beach volleyball partner Dane Jensen (setter for UCSB). Tuyay and Jensen represented the USA Mens 20 Under Beach Volleyball Team at the Can/Am games in Montreal, Canada last summer. They also played together in their first Pro (qualifying) Tournament at the AVP Manhattan Open.

[Rollshot]

We did articles on UCSB freshmen setters Dane Jensen and Bart Kowalski when they were seniors in high school last year. Both are great kids. But I never thought the shorter Bart could start ahead of the much much taller Dane despite the fact that many coaches told us Bart should never be underestimated. Good to hear both got a fair chance to compete for the starting job. Anyone have inside info on how/why Bart is starting ahead of Dane? Incidentally, Bart took a trip to Hawaii last year as a recruit with Matt Motter. Of course, he ultimately chose to attend UCSB. Would you rather compete against Kimo Tuyay and the underestimated Daniel Rasay at Hawaii or go against another freshman (no matter how tall he is) at UCSB? He probably made the right choice.

[quikset]

I've seen both Jensen and Kowalski set, and both are very good setters with a tremendous upside.

Having seen both play, I would say that Jensen is the better "pure" setter. He has sound fundamentals, good footwork, terrific platform and release, and he takes the ball very high (which is good as he is a fairly tall setter), however, Kowalski at this point is the better all-around volleyball player. Kowalski reminds me very much of Matt Unger from CSUN in the early 90's - a competitor and natural leader. When Kowalski is on the court, there's no question who is controlling the team out there. Kowalski has a very good jump serve, is quicker to the ball than Jensen, can make better plays off bad/marginal passes, and is a tremendous defender in the right-back. He's also a pretty good blocker despite his short stature (UCSB media guide lists him as 6'1" but I'd put him closer to 5'11").

At any rate, I always question why coaches go out and recruit 2 setters in the same class. One always ends up losing out. Ruben Nieves did that a few years ago at Stanford with Josh Lukens and Brad Griffiths, and Carl McGown same thing at BYU with Hector Lebron and Chris Pitzak.

-Aaron