The long journey to the top
Big events don’t just happen.
They take long periods of planning, arguing, Bridezilla meltdowns and hard work. It takes a lot to make something look easy.
And so it was with last night’s volleyball match, in which the Warriors out-dueled nemesis Pepperdine to move into first place for the first since … forever.
And while the Stan Sheriff Center had a 1996 vibe — or, at least, 2002 feel — this season’s Warriors are unique. The mid-1990s Warriors had the perfect marriage of a new arena and Yuval Katz. The 2002 Warriors were a scrappy bunch led by Costas Theocharidis, Dejan Miladinovic, Eyal Zimet, Tony Ching, Vernon Podlewski and Kimo Tuyay. But Theocharidis and the rest were always good. This year’s Warriors? Not so much. There are memories of Brook Sedore’s freshman struggles, Siki Zarkovic’s short fuse, Taylor Averill’s sore arm, Davis Holt’s inexperience, Scott Hartley’s annual struggle of do-I-stay-or-do-I-go …
This team transformed from the average people next door to a volleyball attraction.
Charlie Wade had success in his first five years as head coach. But he lost his top assistant at the start of the season, and, yet, Wade is doing his best coaching job. He’s making (most of) the right moves, his players and coaches are happy, and the lower bowl is full. All this from a coach whose initial five-year contract was allowed to elapse last spring. He eventually signed a two-year extension.
The Warriors, who play Hope International this coming weekend, will go 19 days before their next MPSF match — a road meeting against UC San Diego on March 27. The gap might help the Warriors. While other MPSF teams can accumulate more victories during that span, they can’t delete losses. UC Irvine and UH are the only MPSF teams with two losses. The Warriors can pad their lead without playing.
* * * * *
The Warriors are fourth in this week’s AVCA poll, their highest ranking since finishing the 2010 season at No. 4.
* * * * *
Last month, the AD was required to submit a report to the Board of Regents in which he had to outline the economic impact of dropping sports.
One of the hypothesis that he was asked to float was whether, in a worst-case scenario, the school should drop men’s volleyball.
Again, this was only a hypothetical argument. There are no plans to drop any sports.
But, still, it is an interesting situation when the AD, who still is doing AD work until his contract expires in June, appears on the court after every match. The AD really likes the program, roots like heck from his court-side seat and he only reported what he was asked to do. But, still, it’s like a kid learning his parents once discussed putting him up for adoption — hypothetically, of course. Awkward.
GOOD MORNING, HAWAII!
Congratulations, Coach Beeman!
And congratulations to our Men’s volleyballers and Coach Wade!
Morning Tom! Were you at the VB game yesterday? I sat next to someone who resembled you.
Guud Morning Tsaikos…bootiful day.
Congratulations to Coach B…great job!
IMUA WARRIORS!
#3 truegreen
Nah, that good-looking guy was someone else. 🙂
aloha everyone !! good morning !!
Congratulations to Coach B…great job! ladys side
congratulations to Hawaii basketball point guard Roderick Bobbitt was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Year in conference mans side
congratulations BJ on been a good boi !! lol
I wonder what the BOR is thinking? This, to me, puts them under scrutiny.
#5 tom: ah, guess it was your twin then lol. he was pretty quiet but he had fun. we had pretty good seats.
Wadda game last night! They opened the upper bowl – again! It looked like some strategically placed time outs for “wet floors” on the Wave’s side might slow the Warriors momentum during the last set – same for a very bad call at one point. But our guys played hard and got that win. Easy to see why Pepperdine is THE arch rival. Happy to see the Warriors sweep the series.
Congrats to Coach Beeman and the Wahine!
Ah.. What a match last night! If only OC broadcasted the deng game. Us outer island people want to watch too…
And congratulations to Rod Bob. He sure deserves that one.
You would recognize Tom.
He’s usually standing next to the person holding a big check.
(And a photo-bombing UH administrator.)
DPK:
Dry mops.
Best $10 UH ever spent.
Congrats to Coach Laura Beeman.
Congrats to na Wahine Basketball. I think King should have been 1st team too but it will come.
Thankyou Dave Shogi for Megan Huff.
Thankyou Hank McDonald for getting the ladies to hit the weights.
Stephen –
Yes about the mops. No more opposing players standing and asking the wonderful little floor driers to do a longer, better job with hand towels. You were right when you suggested the mops a few games back!
What’s funny is that even the Wave players were smiling at us from the court about the obviousness of the “wet floor” time outs. Two times they called wet floor later in the set, when the Warriors were pulling away.
I don’t often become a rowdy heckler, but when I do, I always prefer the giant Stella Artois for wetting the whistle between rants.
MVB Champions:
it was wrong for he NCAA to take away the 2002 championship by applying a post season ruling and applying it retroactively 5 years with the reasoning that UH “SHOULD HAVE KNOWN” – HOW CAN YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHEN THERE WAS NO RULE IN EFFECT WHEN UH RECRUITED COSTAS t.
IT IS RIGHT FOR THE NCAA TO GIVE BACK THE 2002 CHAMPIONSHIP AND OFICIALLY RECOGNIZE UH AS THE CHAMPIONS – better late than never – will also NEVER for give H Fraizer for backing down when threatened by the NCAA that they could make it worse.
Ahouses…I see you are in fine form this morning. We hear you…NO NEED SHOUT.
Congrats to coach beeman!
I hope the new AD gets in quick before a large carrot is dangled and rewrites her’s and her assistants contracts.
It will soon be a sustainable program if she is kept around.
Can someone tell me what the Hawaii football team plan is regarding D line recruiting? I thought I knew, but now I am just lost.
DT Leo Fuimaono contacted Hawaii when it was known we were thin at DL. 0 response. Today signed with Oregon St. I’m no genius but I think we have scholarships available, and needs on the D line. Last I saw, Oregon St was a notch above Hawaii. Are we just that bad at talent evaluation or do we have a couple secret studs in waiting? My guess is the 1st option.
Good morning everyone!
Congrats to all the Rainbow Warrior/Wahine teams for their accomplishments this season!
#19 AL
Coach Beeman signed an extension, so your birdie told me.
You Birdie also told me that another contribution came in. What does he/she do?
work in the accounting office?
Man what can you say about Bad Job that hasn’t been said already? He quit. But he here. Till June. But they looking for a one new guy.
Yet the new AD going pick the new basketball coach, which you’d think would need to be picked pretty quick.
But the old basketball coach, Fib, no like leave either. He want another $1.4 million to go away. Yet he broke a ton of NCAA rules, then lied about it, then told others to lie about it – allegedly. Yet he still think taxpayers should pony up his dough. He some huge huge olos. Either way, he’ll never work in college hoops again. Who would be stupid enough to hire him after all this?
What a mess is this university of ours. The interim chancellor don’t know donkey.
Okay back to Bad Job. He quit. He should be out of here. So utterly stupid is the situation. He going stay come or he going stay come go?
al:
writing in “capital letters” means or equals SHOUTING?????
then I guess it was meant to be cause I sick and tired of the mainlanders taking advantage of us and try make us look stupid.
will agree that there are some “stupid” ones, but they not all from Hawaii.
like I hear that UH game moved to Thursday nite and figga that UH gin be on TV – OK, tha’s good – come home only to find out that it was to give UH 2 extra days to practice for Ohio State
oh, I believe in miracles and hope it happens cause some of us will be there.
Beeman has signed an extension, but that does not equate to a Power5 school coming in, make an offer to take her and entire staff with hefty pay raises and agree to pay any “penalty” for breaking her contract
for example, Beeman and her staff gets a guaranteed 5 year contract starting at $300,000 and her assistants start at $150,000 + with incentives after every year to boost salary by a minimum of $25,000 including a brand new car every other year and all insurance premiums paid for by the school
is there a school who would do this? heck, I don’t know, but it happens in the NFL and NBA
moolah – all it takes is moolah!
Watched a game on you tube where Idaho State played Montana State last year. The offense looked to have quite a few play action with good misdirection downhill rushing.
Mr. A-house….is ok to ‘shout’ with caps….it puts emphasis on your subject matter…that is why Mr. Remington…or was it Mr. Underwood invented it…he he he
On the matter of ‘moolah’….have heard …money can’t buy happiness….maybe so… but it sure puts you on the right track to get there huh….
Just not understand why successful coaches get so much problems renewing their contracts…with what seems….to me ne way… ‘manini’
extensions’…Beeman…Wade…Taylor…
Taylor could have a 5 year contract…with incentives…n stipulation… can be terminated if 20 wins are not achieved in season…plus ‘no cause’ just to be sure the attorneys can make a living also….after all house payments n boat payments getting expensive huh…he he he
The mid-90s team wasn’t just Yuval, although he is the best volleyball player I have ever seen. There was Sivan Leoni, Naveh Milo, Jason Ring, junior Wilton, etc. that was a really fun team to watch.
The women’s volleyball team had Angelica and Robyn. The women’s basketball team had BJ and Nani. The men’s basketball team had AC, Alika, and the helicopter. Those were some good times at the SSC.
#20, Maybe UH offered Leo but he didn’t accept? He’s listed as DE so maybe he’s not good in the middle although he has the size? Maybe UH committed the scholarships to pending prospects and did not want to renege? I don’t know either although Leo looks like the type of lineman UH should be signing.
Rage, did all those players play for UH in the same year? I watched all those teams but didn’t realize it was all the same year. May not realize it until you start looking back but those were great teams.
ST kind to Ben recently, after being a bit ticked off by him for saying a few things awhile ago regarding the hard job he had to the StarAdvertiser and he wouldn’t have taken the job if he knew, etc.
However, Ben is enjoying the winning men’s volleyball and the Wahine basketball champions. Looks like the players love him, by the way the senior men and wahine basketball players gave him hearty hugs during the senior night presentations.
Hawaii has always had difficulty recruiting interior defensive linemen. I really don’t know why. The last really good interior D-Lineman UH recruited was Isaako Sapoaga who transferred from the College of the Canyons in 2002. Since then, there has not been a single outstanding DT that was recruited. Moses Samia was recruited as a DE in 2010. Even Marcus Malepeai was recruited as a DE in 2009. There were no, as in zero, DT recruits in 2011, 2012 and 2015. In fairness, there were no DTs recruited in 2006 and Ka’au Giifford may be the next best DT to be recruited. Saui Matagiese transferred to Hawaii from Portland State. I think he came as a walk-on.
.. in case you missed it, it’s on SA news …
Beeman named Coach of Year in Big West basketball
Kuehu, Karaitiana, Huff also honored
By Cindy Luis
POSTED: 06:53 a.m. HST, Mar 09, 2015
LAST UPDATED: 12:37 p.m. HST, Mar 09, 2015
#32. Vaughn Meatoga.
#20, that’s what happens when you hire a D/L coach this late in the game and has never recruited before.
They needed someone with some Mainland contacts with a guy like Rocky Savaiigaea as an intern to assist with local recruiting. As I recall, Rocky never loss a recruit he hosted while playing.
Quick question for everyone. How can a defensive player of the year in a conference not make it on the first team? Can you imagine if the MWC football defensive player of the year not make all conference? Is defense not important in basketball? If I can recall right, didn’t Bobbit hold down Caffey with his defense, yet Caffey makes all conference instead of Bobbit. I just think it’s weird…
36. Warbow; — Last year Mamadou was Big West Defensive Player of the Year, but only made Honorable Mention for the All-Conference teams.
Cocobean, yes, Vaughn was a good one. The same year, 2007, Josh Leonard and Ray Hisatake were recruited as DTs. Ray ended up playing on the O-line and Josh had a great senior season.
41. 3/8/’15
I think Frank Arnold left Hawaii to be an assistant coach at Arizona State.
Arnold did recruit the late Chris Gaines. Let’s give him some credit for that.
Megan Huff, 6th man of the year. Wow.
Some athletes don’t seem to understand what their best sport is.
Tony Akpan…hello…why? why? why? You were a great backup for Haim Shimonovich.
is it that time of year for no news about football recruits? dead period? new coaches catching up on who’s on the list? reviewing info?
are coaches prohibited from contacting HS juniors or sophomores now? or, maybe even freshman?
few great commitments can certainly lift spirits now.
22…yes that birdie did sing that tune. It is why my retort was that the new AD review that contract and rewrite it.
Murray State’s loss to Belmont freaked me out.
Long winning streak for the Racers, and poof.
NIT.
I wish Morgan Mason was healthy.
A pretty funny sign was caught by ESPN cameras in today’s game between the Furman Paladins and the Wofford Terriers. It read: “Even Sarah McLachlan can’t save these dogs.”
I wonder if Coach Boeheim was running a clean program when Syracuse faced Trevor Ruffin in 1993?
Sir ahouse…a very good read for you. Make a cup of hot chocolate drop a few marshmallows in it and top it with some whipped cream. Curl up in bed with a nice warm quilted blanket and read this. You might want a vanilla or cinnamon stick to stir it up.
al:
#43 – I am mystified by your comment – what am I supposed to read ( I hate reading books ) and reason for my very poor language skills and ultra-limited vocabulary
bemused cause I am totally confused – me no like hot chocolate with marsh mellow – like the warm, quilted blanket – a stick to stir, eh?
so, I get to read the UH coaches line by line item of each player they want to recruit locally, on the mainland, and internationally? OK, I can live with that cause it’s only a “wish list” and wishes do come true! just ask Dorothy.
WOW, al made a large contribution to UH athletics?
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!
#45 A-House
He may have but AL’s Birdie mentioned something about it! Whoever, good for them. Wish other people feel the same way – whether millions or a dollar or so!
tom:
seems al’s “little birdie” is a ubiquitous one and can be found – “he’s everywhere, he’s everywhere”
#47 A-House
But with Al’s Birdie, it can be relied on whereas some other comments “I heard …”
you can discount.
The real travesty, ’93-’94 squad notwithstanding, was when Coach Beeman got overlooked as Coach of the Year in her inaugural campaign. 3rd place finish, 13-5 conference record.
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