[UH VOLLEYBALL]
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Final 4 preview STATE COLLEGE, Pa. >> They are strangers to this land in more ways than one.
UH says the time has come
By Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comThe last time the Hawaii volleyball team officially traveled this far east, it was making its first appearance in the NCAA championship. The 1995 final four was held at Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of volleyball.
That first trip marked the first and only back-to-back appearance in the Big Dance for Hawaii, the runner-up a year later.
Six years have gone by and now only the Warrior coaches have experience here. But even they have had to dust off their dancing shoes.
"They asked me what's it like to dance," Hawaii coach Mike Wilton said. "The tune is the same. It's just a different orchestra, a different location, but it's still playing volleyball. Because I've been to two, it's kind of familiar territory."
Four of the top teams in the nation will try to outdo each other so that one can hoist a championship trophy on Saturday at Recreation Hall. Second-ranked Hawaii (22-8) battles No. 4 and host Penn State (25-3) tomorrow at 2 p.m. Hawaii time. Top-ranked Pepperdine (28-4) plays No. 7 Ball State (23-7) tomorrow in the first semifinal. The survivors meet Saturday at 1 p.m. for a national title in the championship match televised live nationally by ESPN2.
For the teams whose trips to the final four are few and far between, they understand the meaning of carpe diem.
"Let's make it worth it. We're coming all the way over here from Hawaii," middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic said. "As Coach pointed out, this might be a once-in-a lifetime chance. I got this chance in my fifth year and some people got it in their first year. It may be the last time, you never know. You better hold onto it and make the best of it.
"I'm sure that all the teams think the same. It's going to be tough. Both teams are going to be ready to play. I expect some great volleyball, definitely a show for the crowd."
At the other end of the age spectrum, one of the younger starters on the court has a similar perspective.
"It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," sophomore setter Kimo Tuyay said. "You always wish for it, so that's why you play hard during the regular season. We have all the ingredients to mesh together and play hard. We just have to work hard."
The Warriors' work ethic this year has made a preseason practice trip to Happy Valley worth all the trouble. In the fall, Hawaii and Penn State split two matches in front of a lively crowd at Rec Hall. Since then, the Warriors have maintained a No. 2 ranking most of the year and finished second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. They're starving for a national title and desperate to prove that the time has come.
Wilton wasn't the only one who thought this would be the year for the Warriors. Back in January at the Outrigger Classic, Penn State coach Mark Pavlik had a funny feeling he'd be seeing Hawaii again, only this time it would be on his turf three months later.
"It's a great honor (to be hosting), made so by the great friendships," Pavlik said. "I really want us to win it, but the fact that we're sharing the court and the national collegiate spotlight with dear friends and their teams is very special to me."
Pavlik had no idea how special this season would be when the Nittany Lions first started. Back in January, a preseason No. 1 ranking didn't last long, as Penn State plummeted to seventh in the coaches poll after losses to Hawaii and UCLA at the Outrigger Classic. But the Nittany Lions were solid after that, winning 16 straight and running the table in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
Penn State's only loss after the Outrigger was to Loyola-Chicago in five games. Pavlik is just worried that the Nittany Lions won't be as crisp after a season of EIVA volleyball.
"We've been through some battles," Pavlik said. "We know our guys know the level of volleyball that's played at this tournament. I hope they gain an understanding of how the game is played at this tournament. We have to be a little bit cleaner this weekend because we're not playing an EIVA opponent."
The Warriors definitely aren't overlooking the Nittany Lions, though volleyball east of the Rockies can be a little like the NBA playoffs, where the Western Conference has hammered the Eastern Conference survivor in the last few years.
"It's going to be a tough match," Miladinovic said. "They can definitely play volleyball. They have more than one guy who can deliver. They know what we can do. We know what they can do. It's basically going to be whoever responds better, whoever follows the plan better and executes on a given night. It's going to be a good match.
"We have to bring the 'A' game. We have to serve the way we can serve and pass the ball the way we can. It's going to determine all the other aspects of the game. Whoever makes fewer mistakes is going to win."
Here is a look at the teams:
No. 1 Pepperdine (28-4)
Pepperdine has already compiled the best record in school history and would love to cap it off with a fifth national title. The Waves won national titles in 1978, 1985-86 and in 1992. This is their 11th appearance at the NCAA championships.The Waves haven't loss since February and own a 16-match win streak, including the MPSF title last Saturday. They have one of the best players in the country in Brad Keenan, the MPSF Player of the Year, who is a force at the net and from the serving line.
The Waves should feel comfortable in this venue. The last time the championship was played at Rec Hall was in 1986, when Pepperdine captured its third national title.
No. 2 Hawaii (22-8)
Hawaii wants to be in Saturday's championship and play Pepperdine for the fourth time this season. The Warriors figure they should be able to crack the Waves at least once this year.Standing in Hawaii's way is a sizable obstacle in host Penn State. The Warriors lead the overall series against the Nittany Lions 8-1 and beat the then top-ranked Nittany Lions in the Outrigger tournament in January. The only time Hawaii faltered was in the 1995 semifinal when a travel-weary squad crossed several time zones and flew over 3,000 miles in four days.
This time around, Hawaii was smart. The Warriors stayed put on the mainland and they're hoping to put it all together for the elusive national title.
No. 4 Penn State (25-3)
Jose Quinones is the driving force of the squad and the one who has steered the Nittany Lions into the final four. The senior setter has rewritten nearly all of the Nittany Lion setting records and was the EIVA Player of the Year again.The Nittany Lions have made 17 NCAA championship appearances, the most of the teams in this year's final four. Penn State was the only team not from the MPSF to win a national title (1994), but has lost the semifinal match in its last five appearances.
The Nittany Lions squeaked by Rutgers-Newark in five for the EIVA's berth.
No. 7 Ball State (23-7)
The Cardinals are the only ones (besides host Penn State) who didn't go the planes and automobiles route of getting to State College. Instead, Ball State opted to bus all the way from Muncie, Ind.They may have a long bus ride back, as the Cardinals have never won an opening-round match (0-14) in the NCAA championship. They have finished third eight times and have an 11-28 overall record.
Ball State defeated Loyola-Chicago in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association tournament for the final-four berth.
Senior Tom Tegethoff was the tournament MVP, blasting 29 kills and hitting .478 in two matches.
Hawaii Vs. Penn State
UH PSU 22-8 Record 25-3 2 Ranking 4 L 1 Streak W 8 .344 Hitting Pct. .390 15.8 Kills per game 17.2 14.7 Assists per game 16.0 77 Aces 151 9.2 Digs per game 8.5 3.5 Blocks per game 2.7 3 Final fours 17 0 National titles 1
Ball State Vs. Pepperdine
PU BSU 28-4 Record 23-7 1 Ranking 7 W 16 Streak W 6 .355 Hitting Pct. .344 16.0 Kills per game 16.4 14.8 Assists per game 15.3 214 Aces 113 8.6 Digs per game 9.7 3.6 Blocks per game 3.1 11 Final fours 15 4 NCAA titles 0
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