Friday, January 22, 1999
’Bows tame Lions
Hawaii enters tonight's match
By Al Chase
with UCLA as the only undefeated
team in the Outrigger
Hotels Invitational
Star-BulletinIt took the little guys to energize Hawaii last night and leave the Rainbows the only undefeated team in the fifth annual Outrigger Hotels Volleyball Invitational.
In a match that could determine the tournament winner, Hawaii plays defending national champion UCLA tonight at 7 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Lewis (2-1 overall, 1-1 tournament), an upset winner over the Bruins (2-1, 1-1) last night, meets Penn State (0-6, 0-2) at 4:30 p.m.
Russell Lockwood, a 6-foot junior swing hitter, and Jorge Alifonso, a 6-2 sophomore swing hitter, came off the bench to revitalize the 'Bows, who had stumbled after a positive start.
The Rainbows took care of business in Game 1, 15-9, but UH head coach Mike Wilton sensed things were not right as the Nittany Lions came back in Game 2, 15-8."We started with that big group and it became pretty clear to me in Game 2 that group wasn't getting it done," Wilton said. "It was lethargy, we were a step late, so I made a triple substitution late in Game 2. We got a little more enthusiasm out of that group.
"We went right back to the big lineup in Game 3, but we had to make some changes in there. We just rode with the Smurfs. They started playing with enthusiasm, started digging balls and passed consistently so we could run some semblance of an offense."
Hawaii rallied from a 14-10 deficit in Game 3 to win, 16-14. With Lockwood serving, the final three UH points came on consecutive hitting errors by PSU' Tony Mazzullo and a game-ending kill by UH's Dejan Miladinovic.
"We won that war, then had another war in Game 4," Wilton said.
In Game 4, UH went ahead, 14-13, when Miladinovic and Mason Kuo blocked PSU's Eric Houston, but the Nittany Lions won the next two points when Dan Hoechst stuffed Kuo and Miladinovic hit wide.
The 'Bows (4-0, 2-0) rebounded to go up 16-15 on successive kills by Torry Tukuafu, but Hoechst got a side out with a kill. A hitting errors by Lockwood and another Hoechst kill ended it, 17-16, PSU.
Penn State took a quick 3-1 lead in Game 5, but successive kills by Alifonso, Tukuafu and Brenton Davis put UH ahead, 6-4, a lead they would not surrender.
PSU pulled to within one point, 9-8, on Houston's cross-court kill. But two Penn State spike attempts went into the net and Miladinovic's crushing center spike made the score 12-8, UH.
Davis, normally an opposite hitter but playing in the middle last night, got the aloha ball kill, his 20th of the match.
"Davis didn't hit as well as the night before, but there was no one to put in for him. He gutted it out and made some great blocks down the stretch," Wilton said.
"We brought Lockwood in at the main passer position. He was real steady and dug a lot of balls. He gave us some rhythm to our offense by passing the ball. If you're passing the ball and can run an offense, that develops confidence and then you can focus on the hardest part of the game, which is scoring points.
"Alifonso came in and did some good things. He hit some balls for us, made some blocks and also dug well.
"I was going to ride with them until the wheels came off and the wheels never did come off."
Lockwood had 10 digs and Alifonso eight to go with his eight kills.
Miladinovic led the 'Bows with 35 kills while hitting .364.
Tim Hoffman had 23 kills for PSU.
Whether consecutive rally scoring matches leave the 'Bows weary or not won't be known until tonight. At least they are getting used to playing five.
"UCLA is probably madder than wet hens because they got beat," Wilton said. "They will be fully prepared for us. They are big and dangerous."
Lewis 3, UCLA 2: Victor Rivera had a match-high 32 kills and Eduardo Quinones added 22 as the Flyers won, 15-13, 7-15, 15-3, 7-15, 15-9.
Lewis senior middle hitter Guy Nembhard's kill dissolved a 5-5 tie and the Flyers built leads of 10-5 and 13-8 in Game 5 before a kill by Quinones and a hitting error by UCLA's Adam Naeve ended the 2 hour and 36 minute match.
Naeve led the Bruins with 23 kills with Mark Williams and Evan Thatcher each having 16.
Hawaii def. Penn State, 15-9, 8-15, 16-14, 16-17, 15-10 Box Score
At Stan Sheriff Center
g k e at pct. bs ba d Hoffman 5 23 7 39 .310 0 0 4 Hoechst 5 12 6 31 .194 1 6 2 Pollock 5 3 3 10 .000 3 4 16 Houston 5 22 9 52 .250 2 1 5 Mazzullo 5 20 15 48 .104 0 7 14 Pampena 5 20 4 36 .444 2 4 10 Schall 5 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Whitescarver 4 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Miller 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Lapp 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Hawkings 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Totals 5 100 44 216 .259 8 22 51
g k e at pct. bs ba d Miladinovic 5 35 11 66 .364 1 6 5 Kuo 5 2 2 6 .000 0 3 14 Kosty 3 5 3 10 .200 0 4 4 Davis 5 20 11 45 .200 0 7 7 Stanley 3 14 7 28 .250 0 2 2 Tukuafu 5 18 6 38 .316 0 4 10 Perez 1 1 1 3 .000 0 0 1 Kaven 2 0 1 2 -.500 0 0 0 Lockwood 3 3 2 9 .111 0 0 10 Alifonso 4 8 2 19 .316 1 1 8 Totals 5 106 46 226 .265 2 27 61Key: g-games. k-kills. e-hitting errors. at-attempts. pct.-hitting percentage. bs-block solos. ba-block assists. d-digs.Aces--Penn State (2): Hoffman 1, Hoechst 1. UH (6): Davis 3, Tukuafu 2, Stanley 1. Assists--Penn State (96): Pollock 89, Hoechst 2, Houston 2, Mazzullo 2, Pampena 1. UH (100): Kuo 90, Davis 2, Lockwood 2, Alifonso 2, Miladinovic 1, Kosty 1, Stanley 1, Perez 1.
A--6,216. T--3:04. Officials: Andy Smilovich and Randy Shaw.
Lewis def. UCLA 15-13, 7-15, 15-3, 7-15, 15-9
g k e at pct. bs ba d Taliaferro 5 5 3 10 .200 0 2 10 Williams 5 16 7 40 .225 2 2 10 Thatcher 5 16 8 37 .216 0 2 6 Robins 5 14 7 31 .226 0 1 3 Farmer 5 12 2 21 .476 0 1 5 Naeve 5 23 4 44 .432 0 5 80 Davis 3 2 1 4 .250 0 1 0 Champi 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Grace 3 5 0 5 1.000 0 1 2 Ratledge 1 0 2 3 -.667 0 1 0 Komer 1 0 1 2 -.500 0 0 0 Young 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Totals 5 93 35 197 .294 2 16 45
g k e at pct. bs ba d Rivera 5 32 14 66 .273 3 2 3 Quinones 5 22 10 39 .308 2 2 20 Deniz 5 4 3 13 .077 2 0 11 Aviles 5 14 2 23 .522 2 4 6 Zambo 5 6 5 18 .056 0 4 8 Nembhard 5 14 1 23 .565 2 3 12 Bindon 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Ludden 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Corsten 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Totals 5 92 35 182 .313 11 15 61Key: g-games. k-kills. e-hitting errors. at-attempts. pct.-hitting percentage. bs-block solos. ba-block assists. d-digs.Aces--UCLA (5): Williams 3, Taliaferro 1, Robins 1. Lewis (0). Assists--UCLA (92): Taliaferro 80, Williams 4, Thatcher 3, Robins 3, Farmer 1, Grace 1. Lewis (91): Deniz 80, Rivera 5, Quinones 2, Nembhard 2, Aviles 1, Zambo 1.
T--2:36. Officials: Dan Hironaka and Andy Smilovich.
