RAINBOW WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL
UH impresses coach of No. 1 Pepperdine
Hope may spring eternal but, when it comes to making the postseason tournament, hope is pretty finite for the Hawaii volleyball team.
The Warriors come into the week with their lowest ranking in 20 years (14th) and mired in 10th place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Hawaii (3-11, 3-9 MPSF) needs to start making a move over the next six weeks if it hopes to make the eight-team conference tournament.
The Warriors believe it will happen. So does the coach of top-ranked Pepperdine, this week's opponent, which arrives today riding an 11-match winning streak.
NO. 1 PEPPERDINE AT NO. 14 HAWAII
When: 7 p.m. tomorrow, 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: Live, KFVE
Radio: Live, 1420-AM
Tickets: $3-$14
Promotion: One free child's ticket (18-under) with each paid adult ticket
Series: Pepperdine leads, 32-21
Next up: vs. CSU Northridge, March 16-17
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"The NCAA won't let coaches gamble, but I would bet that Hawaii goes deep into the (MPSF) tournament," Waves coach Marv Dunphy said. "I've only seen two tapes of UH, but we know the quality of our opponent this week.
"I agree with what Mike (Warriors coach Wilton) has said. They're solid with a very good balance. And they're a real good blocking team."
But so is Pepperdine (14-1, 11-1), which trails only Hawaii in team blocking in the MPSF. The Warriors are at 3.63 bpg, the Waves 3.42, with both having two players ranked in the top six in blocks.
Pepperdine's Tom Hulse (2.02 bpg) and Hawaii's Dio Dante (1.74), both senior middles, rank 1-2 in the MPSF. Wave sophomore setter Jonathan Winder is fifth (1.37). Warriors freshman middle Matt Rawson is tied for sixth (1.31).
However, in Wilton's opinion, blocking is a highly overrated statistic. The reason Pepperdine has lost just once -- a five-setter to Long Beach State with Winder out hurt -- is the Waves' consistency in hitting, passing and serving.
Waves sophomore opposite Paul Carroll leads the MPSF in kills (6.00) and is second nationally. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound member of the Australian national team also is second -- nationally and in conference -- in aces with 37.
"We are a one-man show," Dunphy said. "Paul Carroll has hit well and he's carried us. He carried us when Winder was out. When we got Winder back, we lost John Parfitt, and Paul carried us then."
Carroll's supporting cast is a good one. A very good one.
Winder, who missed the first five matches with a knee injury, is one of the best blocking setters in the country. Nationally, he ranks eighth in blocks (1.39 bpg) and fourth in assists (13.36).
Hulse leads the country in blocking (1.96 bpg, including games outside of the conference) and is hitting .395. However, Parfitt, a senior hitter (3.00 kpg) likely will see limited action against Hawaii; he has missed six matches with a shoulder injury that will require surgery after the season.
On the other side of the net, Hawaii is getting healthier but is not 100 percent. Dante missed a second day of practice after stepping on wana (sea urchin) and his status is day to day.
Senior libero Eric Kalima, 11th nationally in digs (2.35 dpg), was out yesterday with an apparent stomach virus. Rawson was back yesterday after missing Monday's practice with a flu bug.
But senior All-American hitter Lauri Hakala (strained stomach muscle) appears rested and ready to go and "from what I've seen, all they've needed was a healthy Hakala," Dunphy said. "From an outsider looking in, I feel good for Mike (Wilton) and Tino (associate coach Reyes). They have a good team."
After 12 days off from MPSF play, the Warriors are anxious to prove that.
"We know we'll have to play really well to beat them," UH sophomore opposite Jim Clar said. "We know they're really good, that's why they're No. 1. That's something to think about, but we're not playing the ranking.
"For us, it's about being consistent and putting it all together in a match."