Monday, April 30, 2001

Warriors ride
‘what ifs’ into sunset

Hawaii volleyball coach
Mike Wilton has no regrets

By Grace Wen
Star-Bulletin

PROVO, Utah >> Just one win shy of the final four, the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team has to be thinking about what could have been.

What if ... Hawaii didn't lose two matches to BYU to close the regular season and had home-court advantage for the playoffs?

What if ... the Warriors had all been healthy when they played -- and lost to -- Long Beach State?

What if ... Hawaii had beaten UC Santa Barbara early in the season like it was supposed to?

"You can look along the schedule, anyone can do this with their teams, but that loss to Santa Barbara didn't help," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "We never should have lost to that team.

"There's no regrets. I'm just very, very deeply disappointed right now, as is the whole team."

Would the Warriors have been awarded the at-large berth to the NCAA championship instead of BYU if any of the "what-ifs" had gone the other way?

Maybe, but it's all speculation now.

The loss to nemesis UCLA Saturday night still stings, but the Warriors have much to look forward to next year.

With a mix of seniors and underclassmen, including a freshman setter, the Warriors finished 19-7, an improvement from last year's 19-10 record.

Despite falling short in the end, the Warriors accomplished much in the 2001 season:

>> Hawaii advanced to the finals of the MPSF tournament, a first since 1995.

>> Dejan Miladinovic shattered Hawaii's career blocking record and topped the MPSF in blocking with 1.83 per game after redshirting last season.

>> Eyal Zimet led the conference in serving while nursing a shin fracture in his left leg.

>> Hawaii ranked 10th in the national in hitting percentage (.322).

>> And for the first time in five years, Hawaii held the No. 1 ranking.

Though that was short-lived, the Warriors were consistently in the Top 5 and held the No. 2 spot for much of the season.

At times this season, the Warriors showed signs of brilliance -- serving well, controlling the net, and playing solid defense. But, at other times, the Warriors had problems with the basics. Hawaii will need to establish more consistency next year.

Although the Warriors lose the senior leadership of Brenton Davis and Torry Tukuafu, the nucleus of the team remains intact. Outside hitters Eyal Zimet and MPSF Player of the Year Costas Theocharidis will be back as well as sophomore Tony Ching, who provided a boost from the bench many times this season.

Miladinovic tore up the charts and led the nation in blocking while becoming Hawaii's career leader in blocks. His counterpart in the back row, MPSF first team selection Vernon Podlewski, also returns.

Setter Kimo Tuyay guided the Warriors to the MPSF finals in just his rookie season. The MPSF Co-Freshman of the Year will look to improve upon this year's performance.

"We went a pretty long way with a freshman setter this year," Wilton said. "The kid got some valuable, valuable experience and really grew up and really became a nice player."

And Hawaii has a couple of recruits who should boost the program along with the players in the program who have been waiting in the wings this year.

Delano Thomas, a middle blocker from Sacramento, has already signed with the Warriors. And Hawaii is in the driver's seat for a couple of high-profile players.

"You don't really try to replace people because no two people are the same," Wilton said. "You replace the positions that they play and we're doing that but next year's team will have to assume a new identity.

"But, I like what we got coming back. Brenton and Torry gave us a lot of heart and spirit and soul but there's a lot of heart remaining."

The question is, can that heart take the team one step further next year?

BYU gets at-large berth Brigham Young was awarded the at-large berth into this week's NCAA Tournament at Long Beach State. The Cougars face Penn State in one semifinal Thursday. Defending national champion UCLA was awarded the top seed for the final four. The Bruins will play Ohio State in the other semifinal.

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http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu