WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Jose Delgado wants to end his successful career with a national championship.
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Delgado working way back to Happy Valley
The last active member of UH's 2002 title squad hopes his college career ends in Pennsylvania
The banner no longer hangs in the Stan Sheriff Center. The one that marked Hawaii's first national championship in men's volleyball in 2002.
MPSF Volleyball
Who: No. 4 BYU (18-6, 14-6) at No. 2 Hawaii (21-4, 17-3)
When: Today and tomorrow, 7 p.m.
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The one that has been neatly folded away in the office of arena manager Rich Sheriff since it was dropped from the rafters, rather unceremoniously, onto the court the afternoon the NCAA -- also rather unceremoniously -- ordered that the championship be vacated for using an ineligible player.
There is, however, one visible reminder from 2002. Jose Delgado, the last of that Warriors' title team, will have his senior night tomorrow ... at last.
"I am totally ready for it and really excited," said Delgado as the No. 2 Warriors prepared to close out the conference regular season tonight and tomorrow against No. 4 Brigham Young. "It's going to be great. And I know I'm going to be very emotional.
"This experience of being here has been unbelievable, to be able to wake up, be blessed to walk out onto the court. I love all our fans and I will try my best to keep it going."
Regardless of what happens in the matches with the Cougars, Delgado and the Warriors know they will be hosting at least one match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament. Barring a UC Santa Barbara upset of UC Irvine tomorrow and Hawaii taking both from BYU, the Warriors' last home match will be an MPSF quarterfinal next Saturday.home match will be an MPSF quarterfinal next Saturday.
How far the season extends beyond that is anyone's guess. But Delgado is a big believer in fate.
When he made the choice to redshirt in 2003, he didn't know that his senior season would coincide with Penn State again hosting the NCAA final four. It was in Penn State's Rec Hall where Delgado's all-freshman team season was capped with a victory over Pepperdine in the NCAA title match.
"It would be beautiful for me to begin this program and leave this program with two national championships," Delgado said. "That's all I can think about, wanting to share my experiences at Penn State with the rest of the guys. Let them know how great a feeling it is to be the national champions.
"I believe in destiny. It's at Penn State. This year is really special for us. It's meant to be."
The road to Happy Valley won't be an easy one, not with the parity in the MPSF this season. Winning the league tournament might be harder than winning the national semifinal.
But the 22-year-old Delgado, the team-leader in kill average (4.33 kpg), is more than up for the challenge. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter has already conquered several, including back and knee problems, as well as the moodiness over a lack of playing time.
He's also grown from being a homesick 17-year-old Puerto Rican struggling with English into what his fellow seniors describe as a confident, caring, well-rounded brother. They say Delgado is passionate and funny; they know he loves to dance, and will do so anywhere if one of his favorite songs is being played.
"He's the kind of guy you'd expect to be the most popular guy in high school but so grounded that you want to hang around with him," middle Mauli'a La Barre said. "Like Alfie (senior libero Reft), Jose's really easy to get along with but, at the same time, very competitive."
The Hawaii coaches saw the passion and the skill early on when scouting Delgado's high school team that had come to a preseason prep tournament in Irvine, Calif.
"We were actually trying to recruit a teammate of his," UH associate coach Tino Reyes said. "That didn't work out but Jose wanted to come. He had all the skills, could block and pass, and that's what we needed.
"Plus, he's an island boy. The only problem at first was (head coach Mike) Wilton couldn't understand him."
But it is Delgado who has become bilingual. And more.
"Jose has always been a really good volleyball player," Wilton said. "The difference is that he finally understands that he is. His confidence has grown. He's become a better blocker and better all-around player. And, of course, he's matured."
Delgado says he's become "a man" since his arrival, with volleyball helping his maturation process. Although he still calls his best friend -- his mother Ivonne -- every day in Puerto Rico, missing her as much as her cooking, Delgado knows he will be a different person after returning home with his business management degree in May.
"I began a whole new life here," he said. "I am different, way more calmer than I used to be. But as much as I would love to stay in Hawaii, I miss home too much. I miss my 4-year-old niece Amanda Michelle, my goddaughter who calls me before games to tell me good luck. She's already started playing volleyball because she wants to be like her uncle.
"There's a lot of things I want to do when I get home."
One would be to get back into the Puerto Rican national team scene or pro league. If that doesn't work out for the former junior national team member, he said he'll go back to school to further his business education.
But the focus now is making his final season last as long as possible.
"I couldn't have asked for a better year ... so far," Delgado said. "This team is special. There's no drama. No superstars. Everybody does their job. It started in the preseason. The coaches said they saw something different in us. We took that and it became part of us. The coaches believed in us and we believed in us."
That belief has the Warriors riding a school-record 17-match win streak into tonight's match with the Cougars. Delgado hopes it will be 19 straight before the first of the leis is draped over his head tomorrow night.
"The most fun I've had has been playing in front of the greatest fans in the world," Delgado said. "I have made so many friends who will be with me for a lifetime. I learned so much from being part of that team (in 2002) with Tony (Ching), Eyal (Zimet), Costas (Theocharidis).
"To win that first year was so great. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
Delgado gave his 2002 championship ring to his father Jose, whom he calls his biggest fan. Being able to bring a second ring home to bookend his career would make it doubly sweet.
Ka'aihue commits early to Rainbow Wahine
Punahou junior Liz Ka'aihue, who helped the Buffanblu to a state volleyball championship last fall, has orally committed to play for Hawaii in 2007.
Ka'aihue, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, is projected as a setter/libero for the Rainbow Wahine.
"She's just a pleasure to coach," Punahou coach Scott Rigg said last night. "Her play speaks for itself, but she's also a great person. Dave (UH coach Shoji) scored a good one."
Shoji is not allowed to discuss a recruit until she signs a binding letter of intent no earlier than the November signing date, her senior year in high school.
Rigg felt Ka'aihue could make the transition to setter or libero in college.
"She's got a good sense of the game," Rigg said. "She's a great reader (of opposing hitters), one of the best readers I've ever coached."
Rigg also said that his daughter, Spenser, was returning home after one season at Barry University in Florida and was hoping to walk on at Hawaii. Spenser, captain of Punahou's back-to-back state title teams in both volleyball and water polo, led the NCAA Division II Buccaneers in digs (4.12 dpg) as a freshman libero. She also was named to the Sunshine State Conference's All-Freshman team.
Kama signs with Pacific: Dancyne Kama, an all-league setter for Kamehameha-Hawaii, has signed to play for Pacific next season under former Hawaii associate coach Charlie Wade.
Kama was the MVP of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation last season. She also helped the Warriors to the state Division II basketball championship as a junior.