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Friday, January 26, 2001

UH pounds
on Pacific

Despite several ill players,
Warriors pull off a sweep

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By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

YOU know it's a good night when half of your starters are sick and you still get most of your offense from them in a sweep.

Costas Theocharidis, Torry Tukuafu and Brenton Davis weren't fit for much more than a trip from the dorms to the arena and back, but they combined for 27 of Hawaii's 48 kills in a 30-21, 30-22, 30-27 win over Pacific.

"We had three guys in bad shape physically, but they did a job tonight," said Hawaii head men's volleyball coach Mike Wilton.

The Warriors (4-1), in their Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener, took care of business in an hour and 32 minutes before a Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 3,022.

Hawaii outblocked the Tigers, 12-7, and outhit them, .333 to .162. Pacific came in hitting .343.

The Warriors will play a rematch with the Tigers (2-2, 0-2) tomorrow night.

"I was a little weak at the beginning -- my legs were a little weak," said Theocharidis, who had a team-high 11 kills in just two games. He hit a match-high .556.

"When you go on the court you forget everything and just focus on your game," said the All-American outside hitter.

Wilton sent Tony Ching in for Theocharidis in the third game.

"I had to run the pipe a little bit and give Costas a rest -- it's a long season," said Ching, who had five kills and hit .154.

Tukuafu has been battling a relapse of an illness he had at the start of the season.

"I was a little tired because I was out of condition for four days," said Tukuafu, who had 10 kills, four blocks and hit .316.

"I didn't even leave my house Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, except maybe to go to the store for five minutes."

Wilton was paying particular attention to Davis, the weakest of the basket cases.

"He was in a bad way yesterday," said Wilton. "He could barely get off the chair at the end of a light practice."

Davis played in all three games, glassy-eyed and pale as a ghost, finishing with six kills and a match-high six blocks.

But the senior middle blocker hit a paltry .083, well below his team-leading .574 going into the match.

"I told Kyle Denitz when he was bouncing the ball near me that if it hit my stomach I'd throw up," said Davis, managing some humor as he headed out of the arena.

He said he went two days without solid food this week because he couldn't keep it down.

Pacific head coach Joe Wortmann, whose program is now 1-16 against Hawaii, said the Warriors' tough serving set up their big block.

"They beat us up and made us look kind of silly at times," said Wortmann.

Hawaii def. Pacific, 30-21, 30-22, 30-27

Tigers (2-2 overall, 0-2 MPSF)

	g	k	e	att	pct.	bs	ba	d
Bernsten	3	11	6	24	.208	0	2	6
Hoefer	3	4	0	8	.500	0	4	0
Eithun	3	5	4	11	.091	1	0	1
Andric	3	5	3	19	.105	1	2	3
Gerlach	3	11	6	29	.172	0	2	2
Tamas	3	1	3	6	-.333	0	0	5
Macaranas	2	0	0	0	.000	0	0	0
Wachtfogel	3	0	0	0	.000	0	0	4
Wisniakowski	1	1	0	2	.500	0	0	2
Totals	3	38	22	99	.162	2	10	23

Warriors (4-1 overall, 1-0 MPSF)

	g	k	e	att	pct.	bs	ba	d
Miladinovic	3	5	2	9	.333	2	2	0
Tuyay	3	2	1	3	.333	1	0	6
Zimet	3	9	2	16	.438	0	3	11
Theocharidis	2	11	1	18	.556	1	1	3
Davis	3	6	5	12	.083	0	6	1
Tukuafu	3	10	4	19	.316	0	4	3
Podlewski	3	0	0	0	.000	0	0	8
Denitz	2	0	0	0	.000	0	0	0
Ching	1	5	3	13	.154	0	0	0
Totals	3	48	18	90	.333	4	16	32

Key--g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.

Aces--UOP (1): Bernsten UH (6): Theocharidis 2, Tukuafu 2, Zimet 1, Davis 1..

Assists--UOP (35): Tamas 32, Eithun 2, Gerlach 1. UH (44): Tuyay 41, Podlewski 2, Zimet 1.

T-1:32. Officials: Wayne Lee, Ernest Ho.

Turnstile: 3,022.

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UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii