RAINBOW WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL

UH volleyball

Warriors absent from AVCA selections

Beckwith and Hakala were first-team All-America picks last year but made only the third team

Star-Bulletin staff
sports@starbulletin.com

Disappointed, but not surprised.

That's how Tino Reyes saw the absence of Hawaii from the AVCA All-America volleyball teams announced yesterday. And not just because the Warriors' associate head coach was already at the final four site with only coach Mike Wilton as company.

"I think a lot of it is based on how the team does and we fell short as a team," Reyes said of the 13-14 season. "But to say that Lauri Hakala isn't one of the best opposites in the country then you don't know volleyball. That Brian (Beckwith) isn't one of the best setters or that Dio (Dante) isn't one of the best middles ... then you don't know volleyball.

"In my opinion, there are only one or two players in the same class as Lauri, Brian and Dio at their positions."

It was the first time since 1992 that Hawaii did not have at least one All-American, and only the third time -- 1991 being the other --since 1983.

Beckwith and Hakala were first-team All-America picks last year as juniors. The two made only the third team when the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation selections came out last month.

Dante, a senior middle who led the MPSF in blocks -- second nationally -- was on the All-MPSF second team.


VOLLEYBALL

AVCA Division I-II All-America

First Team

Player School Pos Yr.
Theo Brunner UCSB MB Jr.
Yosleyder Cala BYU OH So.
Paul Carroll Pepperdine Opp So.
Marc Honore St. Francis MB Sr.
Tony Ker UCLA DS/L Jr.
Daniel Mathews Ohio State S Jr.
Evan Patak UCSB Opp Sr.
Ivan Perez BYU OH Jr.
David Smith UC Irvine MB Sr.
Jonathan Winder Pepperdine S Jr.

Second Team

Matt Anderson Penn State Opp So.
James Grunst Loyola-Chi MB Sr.
Russell Holmes BYU MB Sr.
Jayson Jablonsky UC Irvine OH Sr.
Steve Klosterman UCLA Opp Sr.
C.J. Macias IPFW OH Jr.
Ian Peckler Ball State DS/L Jr.
Pekka Seppanen Pacific OH Jr.
Brian Thornton UC Irvine S Sr.
Matt Webber UC Irvine Opp Sr.

National Player of the Year

Jonathan Winder, Pepperdine

Newcomer of the Year

Yamil Perez, BYU



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