KEN IGE/KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Li Na, Lin Chun Li, Weng Yu Chuan and Xu Dan have combined to account for 69 percent of the Seasiders' kills and 81 percent of their blocks while helping the team rise from unranked to No. 2 in the nation in just three weeks.
GREAT WALL Consider only their native language, height and sport they play, then stand them side by side, and the comparison comes easily.
OF SEASIDERS
Brigham Young-Hawaii is back
on top thanks to the Far EastBy Brandon Lee
Special to the Star-BulletinThey are Brigham Young-Hawaii volleyball's version of the Great Wall of China: 6-foot-1 Lin Chun Yi, 5-11 Xu Dan, and Weng Yu Chuan and Li Na, both 5-10.
Though they all speak Chinese, the comparison wouldn't be entirely accurate, however. See, seniors Xu and Li are indeed from China. But freshmen Lin and Weng hail from Taiwan, a separate island nation off China's southeastern coast.
KEN IGE/KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Yu Chuan Weng has become BYUH's go-to hitter in only her freshman year.
Then again, it's not like this distinction has mattered much for the Seasiders' opposition. No. 2 BYUH (11-0 overall, 2-0 Pacific West Conference) is undefeated on the season, and the "great" play of these four Asian players -- particularly the freshmen -- is a big reason why.
"Oh, yes," answered BYUH coach Wilfred Navalta, when asked if the Seasiders again have national-championship expectations. BYUH's last title came in 1999, but in the last two seasons the Seasiders failed to make the NCAA postseason.
"Especially with Yu Chuan and Chun Yi," he added. "The two players from Taiwan definitely have added more strength and depth and experience for us. And the players from last year (Xu and Li) that came back have matured more and really showed they're serious."
Lin, a middle blocker, and Weng, an outside hitter, are both still several days shy of their 19th birthdays. They came to BYUH from the same high school, Chong Sanh, of Kaoshiung, whose team won the Taiwanese national championship from 1998-2001 and the Asian high school championship in 2000.
Navalta said that after reviewing videotape of the Taiwanese duo during recruitment, he expected the pair to make a big impact at the collegiate level.
And they have.
On the final day of August, in just the third match of the season -- for the championship of the Barry Invitational in Miami, Fla. -- Weng led then-unranked BYUH with 17 kills to upset defending national champion and top-ranked Barry on its home floor.
Weng was named tournament MVP, and PacWest and AVCA Division II National player of the week. Still, she remained humble.
"This year is my first year playing with a lot of collegiate players," Weng said. "I have to learn other things about volleyball from them; I think I need to learn more."
Not to be outdone, Lin snagged PacWest honors the subsequent week after leading the Seasiders in kills in all four matches en route to winning the Western Washington Invitational. She also was named tournament MVP.
"No," said Lin, when asked if she expected herself and her team to be doing so well, so quickly. "But I think our team is united, together is really strong."
To be sure, newcomers Lin and Weng meshed immediately with Li, Xu and the rest of the Seasiders. BYUH did not drop a single game on its eight-game, season-opening roadtrip.
After dropping their first two games, but coming back to win in five in their home opener against Cal State L.A. last week, the Seasiders have since won their first two conference matches in straight games. BYUH next plays at Chaminade in a PacWest affair next Saturday.
Though Lin and Weng have deservedly snagged the spotlight, Li and Xu are also skilled players vital to the Seasiders' success. They prepped together (Shenyang Sports High School), and both joined BYUH last season after two years of collegiate action at Xi'an Institute of Physical Education.
"Before we came here, we heard about this school: the volleyball team is famous, they got a lot of championships," Xu, 23, said. "So, we want to challenge, we came here."
After being named second-team all-conference and PacWest newcomer of the year last season, Xu remains a starter at outside hitter and a big reason why BYUH leads the PacWest in nearly all offensive and defensive categories this year.
Li sees significant time both as a libero and backup setter, and is one of the toughest servers on the team.
Like their coach, Li and Xu both feel the Seasiders have a chance to win a national championship this year. But as veterans, they also know success must not only be achieved, but also sustained to reach that goal.
"We need to do just do our best and keep the same level," said Li, also 23. "If we win, don't feel like proud of it -- (instead feel) like we have long way to learn, so we keep doing."
BYUH Athletics
