Any results of Lewis match in Hawaii?

[JJ]

Any comments on match too? ty

[roy]

Hawaii won in 3, 30- 17, 30-21, 30-22.

Hawaii looked really, really good but Lewis didn't play at their best. Hawaii hit for over .500 and the outsides are hitting for a great percent. Exact stats will come later.

[Deleted]

I was really impressed with Hawaii, they looked so much better than last year (same time last year). Even the new big middle blocker impressed me, D. Thomas is the real deal, Tony Ching has finally become the Player we all knew he could be. The setting was excellent tonight, evenly spread, it helped that hawaiis ball control is superb ! Look for Thomas to get all american with Costas being POY, bet on it ! It will be interesting if the new 6'5 outside can crack the starting lineup once his 5 game suspension is done with, I just don't see how any of tonights starting outsides can be replaced. Again I will be suprised if Hawaii doesn't make it to the finals !

[fan2]

All I have to say is WOW!!! Hawaii looked great, especially in the first game. Thomas and Costas absolutely dominated. And the Hawaii block looked really good- better than I expected. Stanhizer looked slow on the block, but I think came on strong toward the end. Imagine, Hawaii will only get better, especially the middle when Nordberg gets back and Stanhizer becomes more experienced. Hawaii's serve looked awesome- any team with iffy passing will have a very hard time playing the Warriors. Also, their serve receive was pretty good.
I know Lewis wasn't at the top of their game, especially with the absence of Gustavo Mayer, but I don't think it would have made a difference tonight. They are very good and I'm sure Deuser will get his team to play a lot better on Friday. I'm going to the game on Friday and expect a much tougher and perhaps longer match. But in all, all my doubts about this Hawaii team pretty much evaporated with this convincing win. Hopefully they can keep it up. Go Warriors!

[fan2]

Here's an article from the UH athletics website. Sorry, the stats aren't up yet.




(01/08/03)
Men of War Open 2003 With Sweep of Lewis
Tuyay, Theocharidis, Thomas Top Warrior Attack


HONOLULU - After over eight months of preparation for a run at a second consecutive NCAA title, the Warrior Volleyball team finally got to come out and play tonight, opening their 2003 season with a sweep of MIVA power Lewis, 30-17, 30-21, 30-22, behind an outstanding outings from Kimo Tuyay, Costas Theocharidis and Delano Thomas.

Tuyay, a junior setter from San Diego, Calif., keyed a Warrior attack which hit .551 with just seven attack errors in 78 total swings. Tuyay, the 2001 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Newcomer of the Year, registered 43 assists as three Warrior starters posted double-digit kill totals.

Senior All-American Costas Theocharidis led all attackers with 14 kills while committing no attack errors to craft a .700 attack percentage. Last year the school's all-time kills leader picked-up where he left off last season, when he topped the Warriors in kills in 28 of their 32 contests.

Sophomore middle Delano Thomas enjoyed perhaps the most dominant all-around performance of the evening, hitting a match-high .733 with 12 kills in 15 swings, while also leading all players with four blocks.

Senior outside hitters Eyal Zimet and Tony Ching were also solid, combining to record 19 kills while committing only four errors. Ching also led all players with 10 digs.

Junior libero Jake Muise played very well in his first starting nod at libero. The energetic Halifax, Nova Scotia native covered much ground while recording nine digs.

The Warriors opened the contest by dominating the visiting Flyers, 30-17. Hawaii setter Tuyay kept the "Men of War" firing on all cylinders to register a .636 team attack percentage with just one error in 22 swings in game one. Theocharidis set the tone early, recording five kills with no errors in seven swings to hit .714. Thomas matched Theocharidis with five kills while hitting .833 with a game-high three blocks.

Game two saw Hawaii continue its hot-hitting ways from the first set, as Tuyay helped his team out hit Lewis, .500-to-.107 and go up two games to none, 30-21. Hawaii exhibited its depth in the second game, as team captain Zimet stepped forward to hammer five kills in the second frame. Thomas proved to be the most dangerous attacker through the match's first two games, leading all players with nine kills with no errors in 10 attempts for a .900 attack percentage.

Lewis played their best ball of the night in the third and final game, hitting .353 with a match-best four attack errors. But the "Men of War" proved too much, posting a .531 attack percentage themselves to win their season opener for their 22nd win in 25 years.

The Warriors and Flyers conclude their non-conference series on Friday, Jan. 10, with another match at the Stan Sheriff Center.

[fan2]

The stats are in. Here's the link: uhathletics.hawaii.edu/media/Stats/Vball/LEWIS-1.HTM

[HwnStunner01]

I agree with everything posted. The Warriors looked AWESOME!!! Except for some missed serves, the Warriors looked like a team that could win that championsip.

I know I haven't seen any other teams and this is only one match, but IMO, everyone lookes better than last year --- ESPECIALLY DELANO THOMAS. Thomas will hit over ANY block. He had a couple hits where he was just floating above the net. 2 more years of DT...awesome.

Now, NO LET DOWN!!! GO WARRIORS!!!

[sweetieVBfan]

i saw the game live, and it was great.

people have already commented on the player's technique, but i was watching the starters and reserves and i noticed that they seemed just SO happy to be there. when matt bender went in, his teammates were cheering "matt, matt, matt!" they were so animated.

and it's a shame that jose delgado is redshirting this year. he is SUCH a cutie. him, senior ryan woodward and newcomer arri jeschke. all reserves.

go warriors!

[V]

Hawai'i routs Lewis in volleyball opener

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

With cold-blooded efficiency, the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team opened defense of its national championship with a 30-17, 30-21, 30-22 victory over Lewis (Illinois) last night in the Stan Sheriff Center.

It took only 1 hour, 23 minutes for the Warriors to make their opening statement — a delivery that was extended by a prolonged pregame ceremony, generous supply of television timeouts and a 20-minute intermission between the second and third games.

"We wanted to have a good beginning," UH outside hitter Costas Theocharidis said. "We had fun out there, and we just rolled."

In the days leading to the match, the Warriors finalized a strategy that would set off a chain reaction and lead to the collapse of the Flyers' offense. The plan keyed on one simple tactic: keep the serves away from Ryan Stuntz, an All-America libero. If Stuntz can't pass, the Warriors figured, then setter Jose Martins can't run the offense.

"I know that guy from playing beach (volleyball) in California, and he's a very good passer," UH setter Kimo Tuyay said of Stuntz. "We didn't want him to get any serves."

Stuntz was positioned in the middle, a step in front of the end line, but UH serves were placed to the corners. The Flyers had so much difficulty they aligned a fourth passer to receive serves.

"It's frustrating," Stuntz said. "There's only so much you can do as a libero. All you can do is pass and play defense. When you're not getting served, it takes you out of the game."

Martins was left to scramble to receive passes, reducing his options. His favorite target is opposite hitter Fabiano Barreto, who usually swings from the right side, but Martins' long sets were easily deciphered.

"We just couldn't play," said Barreto, who even set up deep to get a seven-step running start. "We couldn't run our attack. It wasn't consistent."

Barreto had 12 kills, but made six hitting errors.

The Flyers' offensive woes were compounded when the Warriors were able to establish their block early. On the match's second play, the Warriors batted back four consecutive Lewis shots.

"We ended up getting the kill, but that set the tone for a lot of my younger outside hitters," Lewis coach Dave Deuser said. "They were rattled. They thought, 'I have to hit shots. The block is over me.' They were thinking. You can't think when you're playing volleyball. You have to react. When you think, you analyze and then you start to make errors."

After that, Deuser said, the Warriors' block "was just camped out. They pitched a tent and started a campfire and just stood there."

In turn, the Flyers' inconsistent serves could not disrupt the Warriors' offense. Libero Jake Muise and outside passers Eyal Zimet and Theocharidis were able to quickly find Tuyay.

"The passes were perfect the whole night," Tuyay said. "I came out maybe three or four times. When you have perfect passes like that, even a mediocre setter can do whatever he wants to do. It was a fun night, and it's a rare night when you get good passing against a good team like that."

Tuyay distributed the offense among Theocharidis (14 kills, no errors, .700 hitting percentage), Zimet and Ching on the outside and Delano Thomas at several locations.

During the offseason, Thomas, a 6-foot-7 sophomore middle blocker, added a slide step to his attack, giving him the option of slamming quick sets from the middle or three-stepping to the outside for angle shots. Thomas hammered 12 kills in 15 attempts, as well as contributing four blocks.

"I just put it in the arsenal," Thomas said of the slide step. "It's something else to do."

As a freshman last year, Thomas often deferred to the older outside hitters. This season, Ching said, "He's been stepping up. When we pass well, he's an unstoppable force. He's just too big and jumps too high to be stopped."

Tuyay said Thomas "gives us many options. He was hitting over the block. He was pretty much having his way. Now, he just wants the ball all of the time."

Thomas said he relishes his expanded role. "It's nice," he said. "I definitely like it."

[bigguy]

Where is the Lewis "Man of Mystery", Gustavo Meyer?

[roy]

He didnt make the trip. Since he would be ineligible to play, he was left back. Probably to reduce costs of travel.

[MauiKanaka]

The Warriors really impressed me with their play last night. I watched them play during the off-season and they didn't really look that good. But they really stepped it up last night and showed everyone that they are gunning for their second national title.

Delano Thomas showed that he will be an all-American candidate with his unstoppable play last night. Delano should definately have a break-out year this year.

I was kind of hoping that coach Mike Wilton would have put in some of the other reserves since Hawai`i dominated Lewis last night. But I guess Coach Wilton respects the Lewis team too much that he didn't want to give them an openings to steal a set away.

I think tomorrow night will be a better match and Lewis will come to play.

[SPIN]

Thomas, like Keenan, has a slide and big time confidence this year. Looking forward to watching him with how well he's playing. This is going to be a great Warrior season to watch, because according to the schedule, they'll be meeting most of the 'heavy hitters', including Pepperdine twice in Honolulu. I don't think they'll win all their games, but it'll be good training and learning for them to hopefully do well in the playoffs. Everyone seems to have gained a lot of confidence as well. Stanheiser, I agree, is a little slow and doesn't have the flow of a seasoned player but he's getting better. It'll be nice to see if the new Brazilian can compete at MB once he's eligible. Passing was killer last night, and although last season wasn't necessarily Costas' best, last night he was money. He looks ready to pound this year! Lewis wasn't their usual, but its always great to watch Berreto play.