Thursday, January 17, 2002
|
Finally E.Z. The volleyball season is a marathon, not a sprint. And for once, outside hitter Eyal Zimet isn't starting the race two miles behind.
With Eyal Zimet healthier than
he's been in his 3 seasons with
Hawaii, Warrior fans are seeing
what the outside hitter can doBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comThe Warrior junior has not made it through a season in which injury hasn't limited him in some capacity.
The outside hitter was hampered by a sore back his freshman year. Last year, he had pain in his shins but continued to play anyway. In mid-March, his leg pain was diagnosed as a stress fracture. He sat out some practices but played through the pain in matches.
Though it's early, Zimet is playing almost pain-free for the first time in his Hawaii career, and he's happy.
"Obviously you can play better because you don't have all these worries on your mind," Zimet said. "But during games, the adrenaline is so high that you barely feel it anyway. It's mainly for practice. The harder I can practice, the better it is for the team."
Being a team player was something that came from growing up in Kibbutz Ein Hamifratz, (a kibbutz is an Israeli collective settlement).
Zimet grew up in a communal living environment where work, school, money and life were shared. He estimates that there were 800 to 1,000 people in his kibbutz.
"Everything was shared and nobody was allowed to have any personal possessions," Zimet said. "For instance, the house you lived in -- like my parents -- when you get married, you move up to a better house. When you're single, you're in a different house.
"I was not sleeping in my parents' house the whole time except for the first month or two. I moved to the baby house and then from there to a little bit older baby house and from there the children house."
It was in the kibbutz that he picked up volleyball. He played a variety of sports growing up (soccer, basketball and tennis) but stuck with volleyball because that's where he felt he gained the most improvement and it was a family sport. Zimet has two cousins who played with the national team (Gilad and Shai Doron), who are both coaching at Temple University.
"This game goes in my family way back," Zimet said. "My dad played, my cousins played. It's a big tradition in the kibbutz where I come from. That's what initially drew me. My family pushed me towards that."
Volleyball is also what kept him from being in the front lines during his time in the military. Three years of service to the army is mandatory after a student finishes high school.
He went through boot camp and spent time on the military base, but because of his skill in volleyball, the military recognized his ability to serve his country on the volleyball court.
The 6-foot-2 hitter spent five years competing with the national team and briefly served as captain of the squad. After he completed his military service, he wasn't sure about his future. He only knew that it would be outside of the kibbutz.
Zimet wanted to challenge himself, and he wanted to see what life outside of the group would be like.
Former Hawaii star Yuval Katz was from the same kibbutz and recommended that Zimet come to Hawaii. Zimet considered other universities briefly, including top-ranked Penn State, Hawaii's first opponent in the Outrigger Invitational today.
But he had the best contact with Hawaii and he's served the Warriors faithfully since his arrival. As the oldest on the team, the three-year captain maintains an even emotional level on the court.
"He's a good source of court calmness for us," Hawaii coach Mike Wilton said.
But some players would like to see Zimet get just a little riled up.
"Believe me, he has feelings too," junior Costas Theocharidis said. "He might not show them, but deep inside, he's really angry when he's making mistakes and he's really happy when the team wins.
"Sometimes it's pretty irritating, you know? He's so quiet, without showing any emotions. You just have to get used to it."
Zimet is a computer science major. He's not sure what he wants to do when he finishes school in two years, but much of it depends on the political situation in the Middle East. He may go back to Israel and put his degree to use or he may stay in the United States and find a job.
Zimet hopes to continue volleyball as long as he can. He hasn't ruled out returning to the Israeli national team, though he has also considered the U.S. national team.
He has dual citizenship (his mother is from New Jersey), so there is the possibility of trying out for the U.S. team as a libero. Defense and passing have been his strongest skills.
"He's pretty much the engine of the team," Theocharidis said. "He's the main wheel. He passes well. He serves well. He's a really decent digger. Everything goes around him. It's not me. If they don't pass well, I'm not going to kill the balls. I'm the last cog on the wheel. He makes us play better."
Notes: Tony Ching will miss today's match against Penn State and is doubtful for the rest of the weekend. Ching has a torn tendon in one of the muscles in his right shoulder. Freshman Jose Delgado will start in his place. ... Marvin Yamada celebrated his 20th birthday yesterday.
When: 7 p.m. today tomorrow and Saturday Warrior volleyball
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: Live, KFVE
Radio: Live, KCCN 1420-AM
Internet: kccn1420am.com
Notes: Penn State middle blocker John Mills will not play in the tournament. Mills is waiting for a decision from the NCAA regarding his eligibility. He transferred to Penn State last year after San Diego State dropped its program.
Hawaii (1-1) Probable starters
Ht. KPG Aces Digs S Kimo Tuyay (So.) 6-2 .67 0 7 MB Dejan Miladinovic (Sr.) 6-7 2.71 0 1 MB Delano Thomas (Fr.) 6-7 1.33 3 1 OH Costas Theocharidis (Jr.) 6-3 6.43 1 12 OH Jose Delgado (Fr.) 6-3 1.00 1 7 OH Eyal Zimet (Jr.) 6-2 2.71 2 18 L Vernon Podlewski (Sr.) 5-8 N/A N/A 20 Penn state (1-1)
Ht. KPG Aces Digs S Jose Quiones (Sr.) 6-3 .50 0 6 MB Zach Slenker (Jr.) 6-5 4.25 1 2 MB Norm Keil (So.) 6-9 1.50 0 3 OH Carlos Guerra (Jr.) 6-5 3.50 0 4 OH Kevin Hodge (Jr.) 6-4 1.00 1 7 Opp Zeljko Koljesar (Jr.) 6-5 5.00 1 9 L Ricky Mattei (So.) 5-11 N/A N/A 8
UH Athletics