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No surprise: Jose Delgado loves surprises.
Delgado’s a prize
UH coach Wilton says the
Watch out for Watumull
freshman is continually improvingBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comIt doesn't matter if he's on the receiving end or the giving end, the thrill remains the same.
The best one by far, says the Warriors' outside hitter, was when his mother Ivonne, sister Michelle and 3-month-old niece, Amanda, showed up in Hawaii for the Outrigger Classic in January without telling him.
"My mom said, 'Jose, I have a surprise for you.' I thought it was a package," Delgado said. "But when I got out of school, somebody called and said 'Jose'. And it was like 'Hi mom. Where are you at?' And she said 'Here in Hawaii.'
"She surprised me and told me to come to the hotel. I was crying. I was so excited. That was one of the best surprises of my life."
The 6-foot-3 outside hitter was hardly a surprise to the Warrior coaching staff. Delgado was the prize of the recruiting class. He didn't commit until May after narrowing his choices to Ohio State, Lewis and Hawaii.
Though the rookie struggled last week against Pepperdine, he has been a solid contributor most of the season, hammering almost three kills a game and blocking one ball per game.
Who: Hawaii vs. UC Irvine Warrior volleyball
When: 7 p.m., today and tomorrow
TV: Live, KFVE
"When he came here for his visit, I knew he was a special kid. I knew he was genuine," Hawaii coach Mike Wilton said. "He's a good player. He's got a lot of talent and a big upside to him. He's still a freshman.
"Jose does well in school. He's diligent. He's multiskilled. He's a fiery competitor, yet he's very much a team player. He's just got a lot of game. He still does freshman things, but he's getting better all the time."
Delgado definitely talks like a freshman. He's exuberant. He doesn't hold back, and he'll tell you that the Warriors are going to win a national championship. While the rest of the team stopped uttering those words in January after a season-opening loss to Loyola-Chicago, Delgado doesn't shy away from it.
One place Delgado has shown maturity is in the classroom. Wilton has noticed a tendency for freshmen to struggle. But Delgado hasn't, pulling a 3.0 GPA his first semester.
"It's pretty hard for me," Delgado said. "I don't know English that well. But I was studying a lot. I did really well last semester, but it's not easy for me. I miss my family. I miss everything back home. But it's a new life here. It's one of my dreams. And it's a good place to live."
It was a dream that almost didn't come true. His father, not his mother, pleaded with him not to venture so far.
The Puerto Rico native doesn't regret his decision. Hawaii's climate, the people and the team suit him, and he knew that after his recruiting visit.
But it still hits him every once in a while that he is a 14-hour flight from home and a long distance from the niece he adores madly. He combats all that by burning up his phone. Delgado talks to his parents daily, usually after practice.
"My dad was upset because we're so close," Delgado said. "He said, 'Please don't go so far.' But I told him, 'Dad it's my dream.' It was really hard for him the first semester when I left. He's my first fan. He calls me after every game. My mom kind of understood. She wanted what I wanted for my life."
Delgado's life didn't include volleyball in the beginning. An athletic kid, he played basketball first before trying volleyball in junior high. From then, he was hooked and he gave up basketball to concentrate on volleyball.
Delgado competed with the Puerto Rican Junior National team and played with and against several former collegiate greats. Lewis' Victor Rivera and Brigham Young's Ossie Antonetti and Hector Lebron are some of the players he considers mentors.
Ironically, the Warriors can be grateful to the Cougars because both Lebron and Antonetti advised Delgado to come to Hawaii. The freshman feels fortunate to have a new set of mentors to show him the ropes.
"The guys on the team, Costas (Theocharidis), Dejan (Miladinovic), Eyal (Zimet), I learn so much from them," Delgado said. "They're not supposed to be nice, but they have been. They made me feel comfortable here and they treat me really well. They explained every part of the game to me, how to hit, how to block."
Not that he had much to learn.
"Jose is a pain in the ass," Theocharidis said, jokingly. "He does so much for this team. It's weird, but I would say he brings some experience to this team. He's only 18 years old. He played games before he came here.
"He has one of the best reaches I've ever seen in my life. He doesn't even have to jump. Hittingwise, it's just amazing. He can see the block so well. He's got great hand-eye coordination. His blocking was OK at the beginning of the season. He's getting better."
And that's no surprise.
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Brenden Watumull was another Hawaii volleyball player who couldn't resist the call of the mainland. Watumull has been
a key for UC IrvineBy Grace Wen
The all-state selection out of Punahou didn't consider staying home for college though he has ties to the University of Hawaii. Watumull's mother was a UH alumnus and he grew up watching Warrior games coached by his uncle Alan Rosehill, the former Hawaii coach.
Watumull's heart, however, was set on going to school in Southern California. When UC Irvine recruited him, Watumull was thrilled at the opportunity to play. It wasn't a hard move and his parents encouraged him to go.
"It's pretty similar," Watumull said. "It wasn't too big of an adjustment. I just had to get used to no local food, colder water and a little colder winters. But it's not too bad."
The 6-foot-6 senior middle blocker misses Gina's Barbeque and sushi, but doesn't have too many complaints otherwise.
And he shouldn't.
During his freshman campaign, Watumull helped the Anteaters reach the conference playoffs for the first time in school history. UCI coach Charlie Brande said Watumull was a key reserve in the program's first wins against UCLA and Hawaii during a breakthrough season in 1999.
"When he came out of Punahou, he was a tall skinny guy," UC Irvine coach Charlie Brande said. "By far, he wasn't the best guy on that team. He's really improved for us. He's become a tremendous blocker. He's been on the floor for a lot of big, big wins."
Watumull ranks 10th in the country in blocking with 1.25 per game. He shares the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation season record for most block assists (13) with Pepperdine's Brad Keenan.
The Anteaters missed the playoffs his sophomore year, but pulled together to reach the postseason after losing top outside hitter Ty Loomis to a broken leg last February.
Watumull is hoping for one more playoff appearance, but the Anteaters have been inconsistent this season. They'll need somewhat of a Herculean effort against the Warriors today.
"It's been a really fun four years at UCI and to cap it off with this Hawaii trip is awesome," Watumull said. "It's a great way to cap off the season and hopefully come out here and play really good volleyball.
"If we come out and play the way we're capable of playing, we can compete with any team in the conference including Hawaii. I know they're really good, but if we can play the way we are at our best, then we can definitely give them a game."
When: 7 p.m., today and tomorrow GameDay
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: Live, KFVE
Radio: Live, 1420-AM
Internet: kccn1420am.comNotes: Hawaii leads the series 18-1. The Warriors swept the season series last year. Hawaii completed its regular season traveling with two losses to Pepperdine. ... Middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic is first in the nation in blocking with 1.77 per game and 10th in the country in hitting percentage at .466. ...UC Irvine has had a two-week break since losing 3-2 to UCLA on Mar. 15. ...The Anteaters' roster features three players from Hawaii. Punahou's Brenden Watumull and Wade Ichinose and Kapaa's Kaipo Kealalio are playing for the last time in the arena. ... UCI coach Charlie Brande is married to former Wahine volleyball player Pam Lawrence.
Projected starters
Hawaii (15-6, 12-4)
Ht. KPG Aces Digs S Kimo Tuyay (So.) 6-2 0.35 3 89 MB Dejan Miladinovic (Sr.) 6-7 2.14 2 34 MB Brian Nordberg (Jr.) 6-5 1.69 9 11 OH Costas Theocharidis (Jr.) 6-3 5.54 27 118 OH Eyal Zimet (Jr.) 6-2 2.64 8 101 OH Jose Delgado (Fr.) 6-3 2.93 7 92 L Vernon Podlewski (Sr.) 5-8 N/A N/A 142 UC Irvine (11-12, 5-11)
Ht. KPG Aces Digs S David Kniffin (So.) 6-2 0.17 13 70 MB Erick Helinihi (Sr.) 6-8 4.23 21 26 MB Brenden Watumull (Sr.) 6-6 1.25 6 29 OH Jimmy Pelzel (So.) 6-6 3.14 22 112 OH Spencer Bemus (Jr.) 6-5 1.76 6 5 Opp Jarett Jensen (Jr.) 6-5 2.64 30 75 L Monte Tucker (Jr.) 6-3 N/A N/A 101
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