Hawaii 2023

[internationalball]

GROW THE GAME MOVEMENT

I wanted to talk about this. People like mpsf_biased and others on Twitter have been very critical of Hawaii's schedule. And it's nothing new, it is a little upsetting because Hawaii is the only Top team in the country doing it's part in the #GrowTheGame movement, playing programs that are either transitioning into D1 /D2 or fairly new programs that aren't exactly winning programs. I think what Hawaii is doing is giving these programs exposure. What I really don't understand, are the same people that want Men's Volleyball to be big, are the same people criticizing Coach Charlie and the Hawaii Men's Team for doing exactly that.

[808empath]

Mar 3, 2023 0:34:12 GMT -5 ACE said:

Mar 3, 2023 0:00:23 GMT -5 internationalball said:

Eyal Zimet at Opposite and only 6-2, and dominating in that match against the Waves.

Hawaii had a very tiny line-up
Costas - 6'3
Eyal - 6'2
Ching ' 6'2
Tuyay - 6'2

Tiny? Lol. They were on the shorter side of Pin Hitters, but they were amazing on serve receive. I was a huge Eyal fan.

[internationalball]

Mar 3, 2023 0:43:22 GMT -5 808empath said:

Mar 3, 2023 0:34:12 GMT -5 ACE said:

Hawaii had a very tiny line-up
Costas - 6'3
Eyal - 6'2
Ching ' 6'2
Tuyay - 6'2

Tiny? Lol. They were on the shorter side of Pin Hitters, but they were amazing on serve receive. I was a huge Eyal fan.

Only the Hawaii middles Dejan Miladinovic and Delano Thomas were like 6'7...6'8.

[ancksunamun]

Mar 3, 2023 0:36:53 GMT -5 internationalball said:

GROW THE GAME MOVEMENT

I wanted to talk about this. People like mpsf_biased and others on Twitter have been very critical about Hawaii's schedule. And it's nothing new, it is a little upsetting because Hawaii is the only Top team in the country doing it's part in the #GrowTheGame movement, playing programs that are either transitioning into D1 /D2 or fairly new programs that aren't exactly winning programs. I think what Hawaii is doing is giving these programs exposure. What I really don't understand, are the same people that want Men's Volleyball to be big, are the same people criticizing Coach Charlie and the Hawaii Men's Team for doing exactly that.

Jealous people are going to always try and demean other's successes through negativity and/or trash talk. Hawai'i is undefeated AND the 2-time defending national champions. Hawai'i knows exactly what it takes to win and that's all that matters. Let the trash talkers hate. We'll see who ends up in the final four at George Mason.

[woozie808]

Mar 3, 2023 0:58:47 GMT -5 internationalball said:

Mar 3, 2023 0:43:22 GMT -5 808empath said:

Tiny? Lol. They were on the shorter side of Pin Hitters, but they were amazing on serve receive. I was a huge Eyal fan.

Only the Hawaii middles Dejan Miladinovic and Delano Thomas were like 6'7...6'8.

For what it's worth, Al Scates called Theocharidis the best hitter in the country and Miladinovic the best blocker back in 2002. He may have made other sassy comments that year, but he did acknowledge talent.
dailybruin.com/2002/04/04/squad-will-take-on-2-heroes-of

[Cubicle No More ...]

uhvolleyballfantoo .... also posted an upload of the first hawaii vs pepperdine match on wednesday ...

added it to the Warriors links post on page 60 of this thread ...

[Cubicle No More ...]

UH volleyball gets its title rings after Friday’s match vs. Pepperdine

By Jason Kaneshiro
3/3/23, Honolulu Star-Advertiser


GEORGE F. LEE / [e-mail]
Hawaii coach Charlie Wade, above, and his players will receive their championship rings and medallions tonight while the first 3,000 fans will get a commemorative coin.


Another brilliant reminder of last year’s conquest awaits the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team tonight.

Prior to the formal presentation of their 2022 national championship rings, the top-ranked Rainbow Warriors will try to keep their sparkling 2023 record intact in tonight’s rematch with No. 7 Pepperdine at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

The Warriors (14-0) remained the lone undefeated team in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball and extended a 23-match winning streak with a four-set win over the Waves (10-7) on Wednesday. Coach Charlie Wade expects another duel tonight.

“The second night always is more competitive because now you’re getting to watch film of yourself against them,” Wade said in Wednesday’s postmatch press conference after the Warriors weathered a dazzling 26-kill performance from Pepperdine opposite Jaylen Jasper. “I think (today) will be a highly competitive match for sure.”

The Warriors will receive their 2022 national championship rings in a ceremony following the match. Wade noted Warriors outside hitters Chaz Galloway and Spyros Chakas took the lead in the rings’ design, which will be featured on commemorative coins to be distributed to the first 3,000 fans through the gates for tonight’s rematch with the Waves.

“We will never take winning for granted and all the special experiences that come with it,” Wade said. “I hope people come out to be part of it.”

The Warriors celebrated a program record with their 27th consecutive home win on Wednesday, which included All-America setter Jakob Thelle’s return from a four-match absence.

Thelle spent much of his two-week break from competition in the training room as he rested his knees, and he had a day between matches to gear up for tonight’s rematch with Pepperdine.

“It’s good to be pain-free again so I don’t have to do so much, just manage it the same way I have been for the past months and get ready for Friday,” Thelle said after his first appearance in front of the home crowd since Jan. 20 against Saint Francis. “It’s going to be a tough one but something we look forward to.

Thelle started the first four matches of the season, then stayed on campus while the team made a cross-country journey for three matches in North Carolina. He did travel to Northern California, where the Warriors swept two matches with Stanford.

He then sat out the first two weekends of UH’s current five-week homestand while Brett Sheward — whom Thelle praised as ”the most versatile player in the NCAA right now” — moved over from libero to set the Warriors to a .386 hitting percentage over two wins over Concordia University Irvine and two more last week against Long Island University.

All the while, Thelle remained engaged in the action during his extended stint on the bench.

“It always helps watching the game from the outside a little bit,” Thelle said. “Seeing ways we can get better, ways we can be more effective and ways we can play better as a team and just being dialed in when the game comes, because you have to be 100%. You cannot just be slow on it. You have to get right back into the game and perform well.”

Wade classified Thelle’s status as “available” last week, when he took part in prematch warmups, and again earlier this week as the Warriors prepared for the series with the Waves. This time, Thelle was indeed introduced with the starting lineup to a loud ovation prior to Wednesday’s match.

Thelle went on a five-point run on his first turn on the service line. He connected with outside hitter Spyros Chakas for 18 kills on .516 hitting and the Warriors hit .420 as a team in the four-set win.

Chakas also set a career high with 12 digs and Thelle pointed to the service line as an indication of his uptick in intensity.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Spyros really just hammer the ball from the service line,” Thelle said. “I think for him to get a little more energy, being a little more aggressive on his service has been something he’s been wanting to do, but today he just really got that out.

“He’s a really confident player. I always know I can go to him whatever the situation.”

Rainbow Warriors Volleyball

At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center

No. 7 Pepperdine (10-7) vs. No. 1 Hawaii (14-0)

>> When: Today, 7 p.m.

>> TV: Spectrum Sports

>> Radio: 1420-AM/92.7-FM



GEORGE F. LEE / [e-mail] Hawaii coach Charlie Wade and his players will receive their championship rings and medallions, above, tonight while the first 3,000 fans will get a commemorative coin.


GEORGE F. LEE / [e-mail]
Hawaii coach Charlie Wade and his players will receive their championship rings and medallions tonight while the first 3,000 fans will get a commemorative coin, above.


GEORGE F. LEE / [e-mail]
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Dimitrios Mouchlias, left, Chaz Galloway, Spyros Chakas, Brett Sheward and Cole Hogland celebrated a point against the Pepperdine Waves in a men’s volleyball game at the SimpliFi Arena, Stan Sheriff Center.

[Cubicle No More ...]

[Cubicle No More ...]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpRuYubj_CV

http://instagram.com/p/CpR6wZ6OYrS

[Cubicle No More ...]

http://instagram.com/p/CpRrce3u5A2

[Cubicle No More ...]

Mar 3, 2023 0:36:53 GMT -5 internationalball said:

GROW THE GAME MOVEMENT

I wanted to talk about this. People like mpsf_biased and others on Twitter have been very critical of Hawaii's schedule. And it's nothing new, it is a little upsetting because Hawaii is the only Top team in the country doing it's part in the #GrowTheGame movement, playing programs that are either transitioning into D1 /D2 or fairly new programs that aren't exactly winning programs. I think what Hawaii is doing is giving these programs exposure. What I really don't understand, are the same people that want Men's Volleyball to be big, are the same people criticizing Coach Charlie and the Hawaii Men's Team for doing exactly that.

mpsf bias' big beef is that hawaii plays many of the quality matches at home, and not on the road. and i get that. it's a trade off. fans here want to come and watch UCLA and Penn St and Pepperdine. hawaii fans deserve to see those high quality matches too. we're isolated here in the island. many fans will travel or live on the mainland where those schools are. but the vast majority of hawaii fans wouldn't see those teams, unless they traveled here.

at the same time, those matchups are what get people thru the turnstiles. the fact that hawaii can be a revenue generating sport (where most, if not all other men's programs are not) is important to the livelihood and success of the program. they don't have P5 money. and the ability to generate revenue has helped the program (both the men and women's teams) stay relevant. the men's team especially has seen this awesome trajectory in recent years. the hawaii fans' support of the program is a huge part of that. inviting quality teams here is, in some ways, a big mahalo to the fans!

while commentators like mpsf bias appear to discount those quality home matches for hawaii, it's still a good indicator of where those teams are, especially at mid season (it's not often that teams are still playing non-conference matches this late in the season ... with Pepperdine here this week and UCLA/PFW/Penn St coming next week.) at the end of the day, those results will still factor into the selection process. it is what it is. they will still matter, no matter where the matches are played.

mpsf bias also equates ucla having the same number of non-conference road trips as hawaii. but those trips aren't 1 for 1! hawaii by virtue of its isolation will automatically have much farther to go than its peers on the mainland. and by season's ends, hawaii (really, all hawaii athletics teams) log far more travel miles than their competitors. that's just the way it is. and the coaches have to weigh the toll that can take on the athletes over the course of the season.

and in terms of growing the game -- mpsf bias says there's better ways to grow the game than playing the emerging schools on the road that hawaii played in the non-conference. yet, for anyone watching on the stream, it was noticeable and impressive that those schools in north carolina had record crowds for the programs in attendence. that's just as meaningful (if not more) than the clinics mpsf bias suggests would better serve growing the game. both those aspects contribute to the sport's growth, and one isn't necessarily better than the other. why only be open to one, but not the other? if anything, his dismissal for one of those approaches shows that perhaps he, himself, is out of touch with the meaningful ways to truly grow the game.

[soljah808]

Mar 3, 2023 0:36:53 GMT -5 internationalball said:

GROW THE GAME MOVEMENT

I wanted to talk about this. People like mpsf_biased and others on Twitter have been very critical of Hawaii's schedule. And it's nothing new, it is a little upsetting because Hawaii is the only Top team in the country doing it's part in the #GrowTheGame movement, playing programs that are either transitioning into D1 /D2 or fairly new programs that aren't exactly winning programs. I think what Hawaii is doing is giving these programs exposure. What I really don't understand, are the same people that want Men's Volleyball to be big, are the same people criticizing Coach Charlie and the Hawaii Men's Team for doing exactly that.

Yeah, two of them that contribute to off the block website Johnathan Bates and that other guy (Not Vinnie) have been critical of the schedule even last year. Lots of shade or underhand passive aggressive comments about it. Lol Which makes me chuckle tbh because so long as we are in the National Champion convo almost every year and we winning Nattys....LET THEM YAP! We just gotta show that bling!

[soljah808]

Mar 3, 2023 16:09:37 GMT -5 Cubicle No More ... said:

Mar 3, 2023 0:36:53 GMT -5 internationalball said:

GROW THE GAME MOVEMENT

I wanted to talk about this. People like mpsf_biased and others on Twitter have been very critical of Hawaii's schedule. And it's nothing new, it is a little upsetting because Hawaii is the only Top team in the country doing it's part in the #GrowTheGame movement, playing programs that are either transitioning into D1 /D2 or fairly new programs that aren't exactly winning programs. I think what Hawaii is doing is giving these programs exposure. What I really don't understand, are the same people that want Men's Volleyball to be big, are the same people criticizing Coach Charlie and the Hawaii Men's Team for doing exactly that.

mpsf bias' big beef is that hawaii plays many of the quality matches at home, and not on the road. and i get that. it's a trade off. fans here want to come and watch UCLA and Penn St and Pepperdine. hawaii fans deserve to see those high quality matches too. we're isolated here in the island. many fans being!

ravel or live on the mainland where those schools are. but the vast majority of hawaii fans wouldn't see those teams, unless they traveled here.

at the same time, those matchups are what get people thru the turnstiles. the fact that hawaii can be a revenue generating sport (where most, if not all other men's programs are not) is important to the livelihood and success of the program. they don't have P5 money. and the ability to generate revenue has helped the program (both the men and women's teams) stay relevant. the men's team especially has seen this awesome trajectory in recent years. the hawaii fans' support of the program is a huge part of that. inviting quality teams here is, in some ways, a big mahalo to the fans!

while commentators like mpsf bias appear to discount those quality home matches for hawaii, it's still a good indicator of where those teams are, especially at mid season (it's not often that teams are still playing non-conference matches this late in the season ... with Pepperdine here this week and UCLA/PFW/Penn St coming next week.) at the end of the day, those results will still factor into the selection process. it is what it is. they will still matter, no matter where the matches are played.

mpsf bias also equates ucla having the same number of non-conference road trips as hawaii. but those trips aren't 1 for 1! hawaii by virtue of its isolation will automatically have much farther to go than its peers on the mainland. and by season's ends, hawaii (really, all hawaii athletics teams) log far more travel miles than their competitors. that's just the way it is. and the coaches have to weigh the toll that can take on the athletes over the course of the season.

and in terms of growing the game -- mpsf bias says there's better ways to grow the game than playing the emerging schools on the road that hawaii played in the non-conference. yet, for anyone watching on the stream, it was noticeable and impressive that those schools in north carolina had record crowds for the programs in attendence. that's just as meaningful (if not more) than the clinics mpsf bias suggests would better serve growing the game. both those aspects contribute to the sport's growth, and one isn't necessarily better than the other. why only be open to one, but not the other? if anything, his dismissal for one of those approaches shows that perhaps he, himself, is out of touch with the meaningful ways to truly grow the game.

Johnathan Bates can't even formulate sentences or questions without the ummmms or ahhh or (pause) talk (pause) talk. I wouldn't take that joke seriously. And tbh, I know he will read this and I hope he does.

[brooselee]

Mar 3, 2023 16:24:07 GMT -5 soljah808 said:

Mar 3, 2023 16:09:37 GMT -5 Cubicle No More ... said:

mpsf bias' big beef is that hawaii plays many of the quality matches at home, and not on the road. and i get that. it's a trade off. fans here want to come and watch UCLA and Penn St and Pepperdine. hawaii fans deserve to see those high quality matches too. we're isolated here in the island. many fans being!

ravel or live on the mainland where those schools are. but the vast majority of hawaii fans wouldn't see those teams, unless they traveled here.

at the same time, those matchups are what get people thru the turnstiles. the fact that hawaii can be a revenue generating sport (where most, if not all other men's programs are not) is important to the livelihood and success of the program. they don't have P5 money. and the ability to generate revenue has helped the program (both the men and women's teams) stay relevant. the men's team especially has seen this awesome trajectory in recent years. the hawaii fans' support of the program is a huge part of that. inviting quality teams here is, in some ways, a big mahalo to the fans!

while commentators like mpsf bias appear to discount those quality home matches for hawaii, it's still a good indicator of where those teams are, especially at mid season (it's not often that teams are still playing non-conference matches this late in the season ... with Pepperdine here this week and UCLA/PFW/Penn St coming next week.) at the end of the day, those results will still factor into the selection process. it is what it is. they will still matter, no matter where the matches are played.

mpsf bias also equates ucla having the same number of non-conference road trips as hawaii. but those trips aren't 1 for 1! hawaii by virtue of its isolation will automatically have much farther to go than its peers on the mainland. and by season's ends, hawaii (really, all hawaii athletics teams) log far more travel miles than their competitors. that's just the way it is. and the coaches have to weigh the toll that can take on the athletes over the course of the season.

and in terms of growing the game -- mpsf bias says there's better ways to grow the game than playing the emerging schools on the road that hawaii played in the non-conference. yet, for anyone watching on the stream, it was noticeable and impressive that those schools in north carolina had record crowds for the programs in attendence. that's just as meaningful (if not more) than the clinics mpsf bias suggests would better serve growing the game. both those aspects contribute to the sport's growth, and one isn't necessarily better than the other. why only be open to one, but not the other? if anything, his dismissal for one of those approaches shows that perhaps he, himself, is out of touch with the meaningful ways to truly grow the game.

Johnathan Bates can't even formulate sentences or questions without the ummmms or ahhh or (pause) talk (pause) talk. I wouldn't take that joke seriously. And tbh, I know he will read this and I hope he does.

I think some tend to forget the financial side to Hawaii playing at home. We need to money because we have to travel 2,500 miles to the closest school if we want competition. If we play all of our big name opponents at their place and play all the "lesser" opponents at home, then UH would not be able to make much money.

Hawaii doesn't have the luxury of a UCLA. LBSU, Irvine, etc...of hopping on a bus and heading over to other LA schools to play. It cost UH thousands of dollars to travel to LA to play a match. Schools like UCI, LSBU, USC, UCLA can play home and home without much difficulties since they are all located in Southern California. It would make no sense for Hawaii to make an arrangement like that. One match in Malibu and then Pepperdine comes to Hawaii for one match. This would be a waste of money. Hawaii will probably head to Malibu in a year or two and play two matches there to complete the series.

[Cubicle No More ...]