I’ve been a little out of sorts this week again. No BYU webcasts, as the Cougars don’t have a match this weekend. The other schools do have some (I’ve only just found that Lewis provide free webcasts of their matches, which is neat, look for reports from their schedule later on), but they’re not so high-quality. Or ubiquitous. But Hawaii are perhaps second-best as webcasts go. It’s just they come on so stinkin’ late. It’s through bleary eyes that I write this match report 🙂
This is my first look at the Waves this season. Their leader is most certainly Maurice Torres, one of just two returning first-team All-Americans from 2012. The broadcast also called out the comparatively pint-sized Kyle Gerrans (he’d still tower over me) and Honolulu’s own Josh Taylor as other leaders for the Waves. They fawned over Taylor in particular, saying he could have ended up playing for any team he wished, he’s talented enough for that to be the case. Entering the match, Pepperdine were statistically the best hitting team and best blocking team in the MPSF.
Hawaii’s pre-match intros were a little bizarre. For some reason, Davis Holt (still wearing #24….still waiting for #18 to come) came out when JP Marks was announced. The announcer noticed, and sort of sheepishly said “already came out” when actually announcing Holt. After a moment then, Marks came out. I suppose Marks just had to tie his shoes or something.
Hawaii edged ahead very early in set 1 behind some good serving by Marks getting the Waves out of system, but Pepperdine ran back to go ahead 5-4 before the Warriors sided out to tie the set. Pepperdine’s only real mistakes early on were in serve reception — or lack thereof. Twice a ball landed in for an ace next to Taylor in left-back, who just let it go. The Warriors were able to hang close, though, behind some solid hitting. They went back up a point at 12-11 with Gerrans’ first hitting error in over two weeks (seriously). and with Brook Sedore beating a triple block to put the Hawaii up 13-11, Pepperdine called time.
The Waves came out strong out of the timeout, with a quick sideout and then 3 on serve from Torres. Parker Kalmbach got two of those kills, one on an overpass and one at the end of an impressively long rally with both teams displaying good defense, but neither really able to set their offense the way they might have liked. The timeout on the floor came with Pepperdine up 15-13. Sinisa Zarkovic sided the Warriors out (while the webcast was showing replays). But Taylor’s left-side block, at least his third of the set, put Pepperdine up 18-15, the first time either side led by 3. Hawaii took their first charged timeout there.
Pepperdine went up 4 on the first ball after the timeout, with Torres coming up with a great pancake dig leaping out of right-back to keep the ball alive. The Waves got to 20 first at 20-16. Johann Timmer and Harrison Phelps both came in as serving subs during the set only to shank their first and only opportunities, which has got to just take the wind out of your sails. After a triple-block of Marks, led by Nikola ‘Nik’ Antonijevic, Hawaii took their last timeout trailing 22-17. The diminutive Gerrans led a double block on 23-18 to make it set point for the Waves. Hawaii saved one, but just one, to make 25-19 the first set final.
Torres led the way for the Waves in set 1 with 7 kills, better than even his already sky-high KPS season average. Kalmbach with 4 kills and 3 blocks, and Pepperdine outhit Hawaii .480 to .167.
Hawaii came out strong in set 2, taking five of the first six points, three of them on blocks after Pepperdine had held a distinct blocks advantage in set 1. Pepperdine burned their first timeout trailing 5-1. Another attack error from Gerrans, who was not nearly so effective tonight as he had been in previous matches, made it 6-1 before the Waves finally sided out. And from there it was mostly sideout after sideout to the end of the set. Sedore’s second ace of the set made it set point for the Warriors at 24-17, and they converted on their second opportunity.
Pepperdine’s efficiency dipped in set 2, to .250, while Hawaii’s skyrocketed. The Warriors hit .481 for the set and allowed the Waves to take a point on serve just twice.
Hawaii took the early lead again in set 3. Hitting errors from Torres, Kalmbach, and Taylor contributed to the Warriors’ run, and Sedore’s third ace of the match made it 7-3 at Pepperdine’s timeout. The run continued after the timeout, with Hawaii’s lead reaching 6 after a wide hit from Torres made the score 10-4. The two sides traded mini-runs at that point, and the score was 15-10 in Hawaii’s favor at the automatic timeout.
After a few sideouts it was 19-13, and it looked for all the world like Hawaii were going to go up 2-1. But off the serve of setter Matt West, the Waves took 7 straight points, including a stifling triple block of Marks. Hawaii called time while they were still clinging to a 19-17 advantage, but three hitting errors, one for Zarkovic and two for Marks, put the Waves improbably ahead at 20-19. Hawaii finally sided out when West served the ball into the net. Pepperdine took the final three points of the set from a 22-all tie, going up 2-1 themselves with another big triple block sealing the deal. And the air kinda got sucked out of the Stan Sheriff Center.
Statistically, Hawaii dropped to a .227 in the 3rd, with the same number of kills and hitting errors as the first set (fewer total swings, though). Pepperdine weren’t a lot better, checking in with a .286, but it was enough to take the set, even after they had started in the hole 6 points.
It was almost strictly sideout after sideout in set 4 leading up to the automatic timeout. Pepperdine led 15-14, but that really only means they scored first, not best. Coming back from the timeout, Hawaii’s coach tried to shake it up a little by inserting the beleaguered Jace Olsen in place of Marks. Olsen has been a starter much of the season, but sat in favor of Sedore this evening because when you’re 1-6 why not try new things. Olsen immediately made his presence felt, leading a double block of Pepperdine’s Torres that, even though it made it only 16-15 in Hawaii’s favor, prompted Pepperdine’s timeout.
Ramos netted his serve after the timeout, and then Olsen had his only two scoring swings of the set — one for each team (an attack error and a successful kill). When Sedore and Taylor Averril blocked Pepperdine’s Scott Rhein, the Waves again called timeout, even though they again trailed by just a single point (19-18). Quick trigger finger. The Warriors got two more, on the serve of vaunted serving specialist Johann Timmer to go up 21-18. The Warriors extended to 23-19, and it looked like we were headed for a 5th set decider. Hawaii called time when West came up with a solo block of Zarkovic to make it a two-point set at 23-21. Back from timeout, Zarkovic redeemed himself nicely by beating West to make it set point. The Warriors converted on their first attempt, 25-21 the final.
The decider started off very evenly again — it was 8-7 Pepperdine at the side change, after the Waves had been on service reception first. Sideout after sideout it continued. A kill from Averril made it 11-all, and from there Hawaii went into a formation without a true setter on the floor, as Ramos was substituted out in favor of Nick West. Probably does make sense to have a defense-oriented six out there with the match on the line. And the move paid off. With Zarkovic moving to the service line, Hawaii scored on serve for just the second time in the set to make it 12-11, on a wide hit from Rhein. Pepperdine called time here, and then did again after the very next point when Torres also came up with an attack error. Zarkovic got it to Aloha Ball with a service ace, and Averril finished off a decidedly weird match with a right-side crosscourt kill.
Hawaii d. #2 Pepperdine (19-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 15-11)
Nice win for the Warriors. To me, this one counts a lot more than their win over UCLA — not least because it’s a conference match. This has me just starting to think I may be wrong about them being doormats. They’ll need to follow this up with some more good results (not just strong performances, but good results) to make sure.
After an awesome first set, Maurice Torres really struggled over the remainder of the match. He ended his night at 20/11/41 for .220, which isn’t that good. Especially not for a player of his caliber. Josh Taylor, who the commentators really talked up, also had a difficult night at the office, at 12/6/29 for .207. Kyle Gerrans, entering on a three-match errorless streak, hit zero at 4/4/14. The hitting star for the Waves was Kalmbach at 12/1/17, for .647. You have to wonder at least a little bit why setter Matt West only went to him 17 times.
Pepperdine had 24 attack errors to compare to “only” 10 total team blocks for Hawaii (10 isn’t a horrible total for a five-set match, but it does tend to suggest that most of Pepperdine’s errors were unforced), whereas Hawaii had 18 errors to 14.5 blocks for Pepperdine. Hawaii hit .364 for the night, a far cry from where they’ve usually been this season. Sedore and Zarkovic led the way. Sedore absolutely made the most of his starting opportunity and all but guaranteed that he’ll get more, going 17/4/31 for .419. Can’t argue with that at all. Zarkovic was even better, at 19/4/34 for .441, leaving JP Marks to bring up the rear at 12/8/26 for .154. Davis Holt and Taylor Averril also had good matches, combining for 11 kills on 20 errorless swings.
It was probably Hawaii’s best performance of the season. It’s certainly their best result. Now it simply remains for them to do it again. Same two teams Sunday night, and I’ll try to remain awake through that one. No reflection on the match — far from it. I was tired as hell. I had to reconstruct some of this report from consulting the stat sheet. You can probably tell from reading it. Just like the two teams on the court, I’ll try to do better next time ’round.
(and what the hell is going on in college volleyball this season, anyway? Hawaii beating the #2 team in the country? Expect the unexpected!)
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