All-Americans STATE COLLEGE, Pa. >> Their responses were so nonchalant it seemed like nothing had happened.
want ultimate honor
Anything short of a national title
On TV
is not enough for first-teamers
Theocharidis and MiladinovicBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comAnd in their minds, nothing had, just yet.
Two Hawaii volleyball players were named first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Americans yesterday.
Senior Dejan Miladinovic and junior Costas Theocharidis both earned All-America honors for their efforts this season.
"It's flattering, I won't lie to you," Miladinovic said. "But we're here for some other reasons. It's extra, but it won't matter at all if you don't win (in today's national semifinal against Penn State)."
Added Theocharidis: "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter to me. You come here and you play for your team and you go for the big team award. You go for the big fish. First-team All-American is not going to matter. I've got it the last two years. It hasn't changed my life. What is going to change my life is a ring."
Theocharidis was the 2001 Player of the Year and the 2000 Newcomer of the Year. The outside hitter is a three-time first-team selection and could join an elite group in becoming a four-time All-American next year.
Theocharidis led Hawaii in hitting this year, crushing 5.49 kills per game while hitting .347.
Miladinovic was a second-team selection in 2001. The fifth-year senior topped the nation in blocking this season with 1.90 blocks per game. And he contributed some offense too, pounding 2.19 kills per game.
"It's very subjective. Once you make it, it kind of carries over," Miladinovic said of the award. "You get it again and again. It is recognition for the whole team. They made it possible.
"I thought last year was my best year. I think I'm doing better this year overall. Thanks to team cohesiveness, everything is smoother."
The AVCA added another player to this year's teams. The nine-member squad increased to 10 to recognize the libero.
Pepperdine swept the top awards, just as it had with the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference honors. Middle blocker Brad Keenan is the Player of the Year and freshman Sean Rooney is the Newcomer of the Year. The AVCA Coach of the Year award won't be voted on until after the final four.
"I'm happy for them (Miladinovic and Theocharidis)," Warriors coach Mike Wilton said. "They're very deserving. We submitted other names for consideration, but that's up to the committee."
Theocharidis thought the whole team was deserving of recognition.
"Even the bench (should be honored)," he said. "We're a great team. We work hard every day. We should have an All-American award for the whole team.
"Everything comes down to this weekend. We have to give it everything and win it all."
Perhaps more for themselves than anyone else, the Warriors ran through an intense and energetic practice yesterday. They did have a few people watching, including UH president Evan Dobelle.
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Today's national semifinal men's volleyball match between Hawaii and Penn State will be televised live on Oceanic Cable channel 16 at 2 p.m. Oceanic to televise
UH-PSU match liveOceanic secured the rights to the match from ESPN yesterday and will air it live and again on tape-delay at 6:30.
ESPN2 will show Saturday's championship live at 1 p.m.
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