It's March Madness, but the Hawaii volleyball team is experiencing its own kind of madness. UH in midst
of travel madnessBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comHawaii arrived in California on Sunday for the second of three road trips during March. The Warriors' Mountain Pacific Sports Federation schedule has UH traveling for eight of 10 matches this month.
The second-ranked Warriors (12-3, 9-1) play sixth-ranked UC Santa Barbara (12-5, 8-5) today and tomorrow at 5 p.m. Hawaii time. Then Hawaii faces Cal State Northridge on Friday and Saturday. The Warriors will return home before heading back to California for two matches next week at Pepperdine.
"Usually, it balances out to one trip each month," Hawaii coach Mike Wilton said. "This is definitely different going out three times in one month. Hopefully, we can figure out a way to avoid this in the future."
Wilton says his team hasn't felt the effects of travel yet. But the Warriors have also had some local hospitality to help pass the time.
After practice yesterday, one of Wilton's former players, Tina Taylor Brown from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, hosted the team for a four-hour barbecue, complete with food, trampoline and Ping-Pong table.
It was too bad more players weren't there to enjoy it.
Middle blocker Delano Thomas didn't make the trip because he fell short of academic obligations. Thomas is checked before each trip and did not qualify to make the California connection this week. Wilton hopes Thomas will take care of business so he can travel next week to Pepperdine.
Outside hitter Tony Ching also did not travel with the team. Ching was reinstated on Friday after being suspended for an infraction of team rules.
The junior was ill last week and under the care of a doctor. If Ching recovers this week, there is a possibility that he will meet the team for the matches against Northridge.
Hawaii could lose another outside hitter. The NCAA gave UH notification that it is investigating the Puerto Rican summer league that Jose Delgado participated in. Although Delgado is an amateur, he may have played with and against professionals.
Jan Gouveia, the university's attorney, advised Wilton to take every precaution, which means Delgado could sit out today's match.
If the freshman is penalized for playing in seven games as an amateur, he would sit two matches.
The Warriors could start Geronimo Chala in his place and move Eyal Zimet to one of the left-side hitting spots.
"(UCSB) is a real good team," Wilton said. "They're a good serve-and-pass team, so it's going to be a challenging match.
"I want us to serve and pass well and be able to overmatch their tenaciousness. They're going to be real tenacious and I want us to meet that challenge."
So does UCSB transfer Brian Nordberg, who is playing against his former teammates for the first time.
Santa Barbara has won four of its last five games. The Gauchos' only loss during that span was to top-ranked UCLA.
Outside hitters Andy Rivera (3.74 kills per game) and Ben Kioski (3.67 kpg) anchor the Gaucho attack.
Notes: Hawaii leads the series 32-18 and has won seven of the last nine contests. The Warriors split with the Gauchos last year. ... The AVCA coaches' poll will be released today.
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