Warriors using week
off to get better

It says "bye" week on the schedule, but that doesn't mean being idle for the No. 3 Hawaii volleyball team.

The Warriors are using the "off" week to get better, on and off the court. Three of the players missed practice yesterday due to "some bug that's going around," UH coach Mike Wilton said.

Not at practice were starters Maulia La Barre and Jose Delgado, and reserve Lauri Hakala. The rest of the team continued to prepare for home matches against USC next Thursday and Friday.

Hawaii (8-1 overall) is the only undefeated team in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Warriors will put their 6-0 league record on the line against the struggling Trojans (3-9, 1-6), who are in 11th place in the 12-team league.

USC is at the Penn State Invitational this week, taking on Rutgers-Newark and the host Nittany Lions. Hawaii's focus is on itself.

"It's nice to get a break, nice for school, nice for the body," said junior hitter Matt Bender, who's been hampered by a hitting shoulder injury. "But it's always good to be competitive, have the competition.

"We have a very good second team, who could beat some of the best teams in the league. They'll give us a good run in practice.

"For us, it's not so much an off week as it is another week because practice is always competitive."

The toughest part of Hawaii's schedule lies ahead. Much of it will be on the road, with trips to No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 Long Beach State and No. 6 BYU, the latter the only team to knock off the Warriors this season.

"Right now, we're focusing on playing, not the rankings," Bender said. "The only ranking that matters is at the end of the season. Last year, we were No. 1 and it didn't mean much and it didn't last very long.

"What matters is winning games and winning that last game. I think everyone feels good right now about how we're doing. We're feeling confident and are giving it 110 percent this week."