Friday, April 20, 2001
[ UH WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL ]
Setting The KIMO TUYAY looked every bit the typical freshman.
Warriors’ Table
Kimo Tuyay settles into volleyball
full time and watches it pay off
with a starting spotBy Grace Wen
Star-BulletinAt an interview before practice on Monday at the Stan Sheriff Center, he was nervous. He fidgeted. He played with his hair. It was obvious that he wasn't quite at ease.
But see him on a volleyball court and its apparent what comes naturally to him.
Running the offense and winning.
The 6-foot-2 setter turned 18 just six months ago and already has the opportunity to accomplish a feat that some of the most celebrated collegiate volleyball setters never did in their rookie campaigns -- win a national championship.
Tuyay could enter the record books should the Warriors advance through the MPSF's conference playoffs and earn the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
The Warriors host Southern Cal this Saturday at 7 p.m. in a first-round playoff match at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"Kimo is setting well enough for us to go all the way so it's up to everybody else to do their job," UH head coach Mike Wilton said. "He sets a nice ball. Obviously there's a lot of areas he can get better at. Experience is going to be the great teacher in that regard. He's the youngster out on the court right now.
"This is a tough situation for a freshman right out of high school to come and play in this arena. There's a lot of big-time expectations that goes on everybody's head within this program. If you don't win the national title, you aren't a success. That's big challenges for a young freshman guy."
The last time a freshman set a team to the national title was Chip McCaw of Pepperdine in 1992. Some have come close like Brandon Taliaferro at UCLA in 1997, but the Bruins fell short in the championship match.
In fact, it's not often that a freshman would be handling the setting duties for a title-contending team. Most freshman typically back up the incumbent setter for a year or two before earning the starting nod.
"I didn't think I'd be able to start right away," Tuyay said. "I thought I would be able to compete for the position.
"It's very unexpected. In high school, people always said I was a good setter, but I always felt like I needed to do a lot more to get better. But coming here and playing with the guys on the team, they help me get better with their experience and their knowledge of volleyball."
The San Diego native improved enough to win the starting role last fall. Ranked ninth nationally in assists per game (12.95), Tuyay started every match but one and has amassed 1,062 assists, 119 digs and 66 blocks.
Tuyay set the Warriors to a .314 hitting percentage in conference play, fifth in the MPSF. The freshman accomplished other impressive feats this season, including notching 68 assists in UH's first win in 18 years over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
Success, however, is nothing new to Tuyay. It came often as a youngster.
According to his father Jim, a University of Hawaii alumnus, Kimo competed in championships for three sports in eighth grade -- football, baseball and volleyball.
"He's one of those kids where things come easy," his father Jim said. "He made friends easily. He made good grades. He never had problems. Kids like that turn out that way."
The junior national team member first became interested in volleyball after watching his sister Pualani (currently a setter for the Rutgers University women's volleyball team) play.
"My sister first got me involved because I'd always go to her club practices," Tuyay said. "I wasn't really interested when I was younger. I played all the other sports -- basketball, football, baseball -- but my dad told me to try it out one day. I started to like it a little bit so I played club. From there, I just stuck with it. I quit all the other sports because I was having more fun playing. The competitive nature of it appealed to me more than the other sports."
Called the best pure setter of his class by UH assistant coach Tino Reyes, Tuyay was recruited by several volleyball powerhouses but the decision came down to Hawaii and UCLA. In the end, Tuyay chose Hawaii for the chance to play in an atmosphere where volleyball receives top billing and because he felt there were greater opportunities for him to start and play.
He was right on both counts, and now is poised to quarterback UH through the playoffs.
And he's calm.
"I'm not nervous," Tuyay said. "I'm just anxious to repay some overdue losses."
WARRIORS VOLLEYBALL
When: 7 p.m. tomorrow
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: Live, KFVE
Radio: Live, KCCN 1420-AMNotes: The University of Hawaii broke a four-match win streak Southern Cal had earlier this season. ... USC leads the all-time series 25-20, including 4 of the last 6. ... Trojans outside hitter Eli Fairfield recently quit the team due to irreconcilable differences with coach Pat Powers.
Starting Lineups
HAWAII (17-6, 12-5)
Ht. KPG Aces Digs S Kimo Tuyay (Fr.) 6-2 .33 15 119 MB Dejan Miladinovic (Jr.) 6-7 1.87 19 24 MB Brenton Davis (Sr.) 6-5 2.44 14 52 OH Costas Theocharidis (So.) 6-3 5.15 21 125 OH Eyal Zimet (So.) 6-2 2.23 44 162 Opp Torry Tukuafu (Sr.) 6-5 2.96 21 88 L Vernon Podlewski (Jr.) 5-8 N/A N/A 185
SOUTHERN CAL (15-10, 10-7)
Ht. KPG Aces Digs S Miles McGann (So.) 6-5 .39 22 59 MB Josh Day (So.) 6-6 2.16 7 16 MB Donny Killian (Sr.) 6-5 1.65 29 29 OH Beau Rawi (Sr.) 6-5 1.75 14 10 OH Trevor Julian (Sr.) 6-5 2.14 31 104 Opp Brook Billings (Jr.) 6-5 4.90 19 114 L Greg Burden (Jr.) 6-0 N/A N/A 99
UH Athletics
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