WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL
Warriors pick up momentum
By Danny Cup Choy
Special to the Star-Bulletin
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. » Just hours after almost giving away a match they controlled, the Hawaii men's volleyball team made sure that there would be no comeback.
The No. 4 Warriors, led by senior Jose Delgado's 17 kills and sparked by senior Matt Bender's first appearance of the season, handled No. 5 Cal State Northridge 30-27, 41-39, 30-27 yesterday in a rare day match at the Matadome. With a fifth straight victory and second consecutive series sweep, Hawaii improved to 9-4 overall, 7-3 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, heading into tomorrow's match at No. 13 USC.
The Trojans (8-9, 5-7) ended their Northern California swing with a split, losing to Pacific last night 30-25, 20-30, 30-25, 30-22 in Stockton. SC swept Stanford Friday.
Northridge, losing a season-high third straight match, fell to 8-7 and 4-6. Brian Waite and Cary Hanson led the Matadors with 12 kills apiece.
For the second consecutive match, the Warrior block made it difficult for the Matador attack to develop a rhythm. Friday night, Hawaii had 18 blocks in a five-game victory.
Yesterday, the Warriors put up a wall that was even more impressive, with 20 blocks in the 101-minute sweep. Junior middle Dio Dante was in on 11 of the stuffs, tying his career high with nine block assists while adding two solos. Senior Mauli'a La Barre also had two solos to go with five block assists.
The Matadors had just nine blocks, with Waite in on five.
"Our block today really carried over from our experience last night," said Dante, who added seven kills with no errors on 10 attempts (.700). "I felt like we didn't leave the gym. We read their offense really well and knew exactly what they were doing."
It particularly showed against Northridge's star, junior opposite Dan Rhodes, the reigning national player of the week. Rhodes, who put down 41 kills last week against Pepperdine, had just one in Game 1 yesterday and never got out of a negative hitting percentage; he finished with just six kills, hitting -.174.
Northridge hit .128 for the match to Hawaii's .218.
Hawaii jumped out to an early lead in Game 1, thanks to the powerful play at the net. Three early blocks helped give the Warriors a 9-3 lead and caused Northridge coach Jeff Campbell to juggle his lineup.
But even with the ineffective Rhodes out, the Matadors were unable to find enough firepower to match the Warrior attack down the stretch.
Game 2 saw seven lead changes and 20 ties, with neither team able to gain more than a three-point lead. Down 21-19, Hawaii coach Mike Wilton substituted Bender for a struggling Lauri Hakala and the senior opposite -- out since early January with a sprained ankle -- provided a needed spark.
"Bender coming in was a huge lift for the team," Wilton said. "He played well and helped us get going."
Hawaii held off four CSUN game points, pulling out the thrilling Game 2 victory when junior setter Brian Beckwith served an ace on the Warrior's seventh chance at ending it.
Wilton decided to ride Bender's momentum into Game 3. Although Bender's timing with Beckwith wasn't the best after a seven-week layoff -- Bender had six errors to go with eight kills -- his stabilizing presence helped the Warriors withstand every Matador attempt at a run.
As happened Friday, Game 3 was tight until the end. But the difference from Friday's outcome was literally night and day, as Matt Carere put down his 11th kill to end it in three.
Now at the midway point of the season, a two-match series with the greatly improved Trojans awaits the surging Warriors, who are feeling good about their game.
"We feel on top of the world," Dante said. "These were two close matches, but we pulled it out and now we have a huge head of steam going into USC."
"Our block is getting better, but as coaches, we can never be happy or satisfied," Wilton said. "We are just going to enjoy the rest of the weekend and prepare for USC."
The Warriors have today off before finishing their road trip at USC tomorrow and Tuesday. Both matches are at 5 p.m. Hawaii time, but the teams will play at two different sites on the USC campus, the 1,300-seat Lyon Center tomorrow and the 1,000-seat North Gym, built in 1933, Tuesday.
Hawaii next hosts UCLA on March 10-11 in 7 p.m. matches at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Note: The 41-39 score in Game 2 was the second-highest in rally scoring for Hawaii. The Warriors outscored UCLA 44-42 in Game 4 of a 2001 match before losing in five.
Hawaii def. CS Northridge
30-27, 41-39, 30-27
Warriors (9-4, 7-3 mpsf)
|
g |
k |
e |
att |
pct. |
bs |
ba |
d
|
Delgado |
3 |
17 |
8 |
40 |
.225 |
0 |
4 |
7
|
Hakala |
2 |
6 |
6 |
13 |
.000 |
0 |
3 |
3
|
Carere |
3 |
11 |
6 |
27 |
.185 |
0 |
2 |
3
|
Beckwith |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
-1.000 |
0 |
5 |
3
|
La Barre |
3 |
5 |
1 |
7 |
.571 |
2 |
5 |
0
|
Dante |
3 |
7 |
0 |
10 |
.700 |
2 |
9 |
0
|
Kalima |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Carney |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Reft |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
13
|
Bender |
2 |
8 |
6 |
21 |
.095 |
0 |
4 |
6
|
Totals |
3 |
54 |
28 |
119 |
.218 |
4 |
32 |
35 |
Matadors (8-7, 4-6 MPSF)
|
g |
k |
e |
att |
pct. |
bs |
ba |
d
|
Lischer |
3 |
8 |
4 |
22 |
.182 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Waite |
3 |
12 |
3 |
20 |
.450 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
|
Rhodes |
3 |
6 |
10 |
23 |
-.174 |
0 |
2 |
5
|
Hanson |
3 |
12 |
4 |
27 |
.296 |
0 |
1 |
7
|
Bluemling |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
2 |
1 |
7
|
Vance |
3 |
5 |
7 |
22 |
-.091 |
0 |
2 |
4
|
Kneubuhl |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Shaver |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
-1.000 |
0 |
0 |
1
|
Bellante |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
.500 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Redrazza |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
3
|
Schneider |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
1
|
Totals |
3 |
44 |
29 |
117 |
.128 |
3 |
12 |
30 |
Key -- g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.
Aces -- Hawaii (4): Delgado, Carere, Beckwith, Bender. CSN (3): Rhodes, Hanson, Vance. Assists -- Hawaii(52): Beckwith 51, Reft. CSN (42): Bluemling 39, Redrazza 3.
T -- 1:41. Officials -- Scott Nogue, Rick Olmstead. A -- 471.