Match Notes

HONOLULU – The 11th-ranked University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team opens the 2012 season by hosting UC San Diego in a pair of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matches, Thursday, Jan. 5 and Friday, Jan. 6 at the Stan Sheriff Center. Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m.
 
The Warriors return three starters from last year's team which finished 15-13 and advanced to the MPSF playoffs for the second consecutive year. Among the returnees are three-year starting outside hitter Steven Hunt and one the nation's leading blockers in middle Shane Welch. Head coach Charlie Wade begins his third season at the helm of Warriors.
 
UC San Diego finished in a three-way tie for 10^th in the MPSF standings a year ago and completed the season with a 9-20 record. The Tritons return two starters – kill leader Carl Eberts and middle blocker Sebastian Brady. Head coach Kevin Ring begins his seventh season at UCSD.
 
Matches #1 & #2
Who: No. 11 Hawai'i (0-0) vs. UC San Diego (0-0)
When: Thursday, Jan. 5 and Friday, Jan. 6
Time: 7:00 p.m. each day
Where: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, HI
Television Coverage: OC Sports (Oceanic Cable Ch. 12) will televise both matches live with Howard Dashefsky (play-by-play) and Chris McLachlin (color). Rebroadcast at 10:00 p.m. each night. Fox College Sports will also televise both matches live nationally.
Streaming Video: Live video streaming is available on uhstreaming.oceanic.com.
Radio Coverage: ESPN 1420AM will broadcast each match live with Scott Robbs calling the action.
Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming on espn1420am.com
Live Stats: Live stats available on HawaiiAthletics.com
Tickets: Lower-level $11; Upper-level adult $8, Upper-level senior citizen $7; Upper-level student (4-HS) $4. UH-Manoa students receive admission with validated ID.
Promotions: Pepsi is the sponsor of the season opener on Thursday and will award a year's supply of Pepsi to the winner of the promotional activity at intermission.The California Hotel & Casino is the sponsor of Friday's match and will award a Vacations Hawaii trip to Las Vegas during the promotional activity at intermission.
  
SEASON OUTLOOK
 
Setter
Starter Returning: None
Starter Lost: Nejc Zemljak
Letterwinners Returning: Sam Biscaro, Harrison Carroll
Letterwinner Lost: Kala'e Camarillo
Newcomers: Taylor Averill, Dominic Lile, Ka'ahukane Leite-Ah Yo
 
For the first time in three years, the Warriors' offense will be in the hands of a new setter after sure-handed Nejc Zemljak exhausted his eligibility. A two-year starter, Zemljak finished his career with 3,449 assists, fifth-most in school history. Most importantly, he helped lead the Warriors to their highest hitting percentage in five years and led UH to back-to-back postseason appearances.
 
Returnee Sam Biscaro (6-4, So., Santa Barbara, Calif.) will battle for the starting nod with newcomer Taylor Averill (6-7, Fr., San Jose, Calif.), a transfer from UC Irvine.
 
Biscaro appeared in all 28 matches as a redshirt freshman last season and was used primarily as a serving specialist. He also saw minimal action at setter and was an MPSF all-academic team pick.
 
Averill attended UC Irvine for one semester. He spent the summer of 2010 as a member of the U.S. Junior National Training team and was also named to Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 list out of Branham High School in San Jose.
 
Harrison Carroll (6-1, Jr., Orange, Calif.) moves to the setter position after playing outside hitter in 2011, where he appeared in 16 matches and made one start against UCLA in the Outrigger Hotels Invitational. Last season, he was mainly used as a defensive and serving specialist.
 
Newcomers Dominic Lile (6-3, Fr., San Clemente, Calif.) and Ka'ahukane Leite-Ah Yo (6-3, Jr., Hilo, Hawai'i) will likely redshirt this season.
 
Outside Hitter/Opposite
Starter Returning: Steven Hunt
Starters Lost: Jonas Umlauft (OPP), Joshua Walker
Letterwinner Returning: Scott Hartley
Letterwinner Lost: Ian McKelvie
Newcomers: Stanley Hinkle, JP Marks, JJ Mosolf (OPP), Brook Sedore, Johann Timmer (OPP), Gus Tuaniga
 
The obvious strength of the team the past two years was its pin hitters. Opposite Jonas Umlauft was a two-time, first-team All-American while outside hitter Joshua Walker completed his career as one of the school's most prolific hitters of all-time.
 
Both are gone with Umlauft deciding to forgo his final two years at UH to return to his native Germany and Walker completing his eligibility. Umlauft led the nation in kills the past two years while Walker completed his career fifth on the school's all-time kills list with 1,428 and 10th in service aces with 85.
 
Three-year starter Steven Hunt (6-5, Sr., Toronto, Ontario) returns for his senior year. Last season, he averaged 2.24 kills, 1.42 digs and 0.59 blocks per set while hitting .271. He finished the season strong with three double-figure kill matches in the team's final four contests, including a 15-kill effort against UC Irvine in the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals in which he hit for a career-best .591.
 
The other returning letterwinner is Scott Hartley (6-4, So., Encinitas, Calif.), who appeared in 10 matches and made one start as a true freshman in 2011. His steady backrow play allowed him to see action as a defensive specialist last season.
 
Several newcomers are expected to contribute immediately for the Warriors this season, among them JP Marks (6-6, Fr., Schwerin, Germany) and opposite Johann Timmer (6-6, Fr., Auckland, New Zealand). Marks was a member of Germany's Junior and Youth national teams while Timmer played for New Zealand's Junior National team in both indoor and beach.
 
After taking off last season, junior Gus Tuaniga (6-3, Jr., Hemet, Calif.) returns to the Warrior lineup. In two previous seasons, Tuaniga made 19 career starts at outside hitter and tallied 162 kills and 129 digs. He will be used this season as a serving and defensive specialist.
 
True freshmen Stanley Hinkle (6-5, Fr., St. Louis, Mo.) and Brook Sedore (6-5, Fr., Grande Prairie, Alberta) will also push for playing time. Hinkle, a graduate of Webster Groves High School in St. Louis, Mo., can play both opposite and outside hitter positions. Sedore had an illustrious prep and club career in Alberta, Canada.
 
Freshman J.J. Mosolf (6-6, Fr., Saugus, Calif.), a highly touted prepster from Hart High School in California, will likely redshirt.
 
Middle Blocker
Starters Returning: Jarrod Lofy, Shane Welch
Starter Lost: Brennon Dyer
Letterwinners Returning: None
Letterwinner Lost: Michael Taxter
Redshirt: Davis Holt
Newcomers: Brian Beith, Nick West
 
Perhaps the deepest position in the Warrior line-up is at middle blocker where starters Jarrod Lofy (6-9, Sr., Long Beach, Calif.) and Shane Welch (6-10, So., Coral Springs, Fla.) return.
 
Lofy started 16 matches last season and averaged 1.00 kills and 0.83 blocks per set while hitting .348. The three-year letterman has made 27 career starts in the middle with 139 kills and 98 blocks.
 
Welch had a standout true-freshman season, starting 20 matches and leading the team with a 1.09 blocks-per-set average, including 1.20 in league play. The sophomore finished seventh in voting for the Off The Block Blocker of the Year.
 
UC Irvine transfer Nick West (6-8, So., Orange, Calif.) is already penciled in at one of the middle blocker positions. The Orange, Calif., native redshirted at UCI for the 2010 season after a decorated prep career at El Dorado High School in California.
 
Redshirt freshman Davis Holt (6-8, Fr., Honolulu, O'ahu) will provide depth at the position while freshman Brian Beith (6-5, Fr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) will redshirt.
 
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Starter Returning: Nick Castello
Starter Lost: None
Letterwinners Returning: Matthew Cheape, Troy Crutchfield
Redshirt: Harrison Phelps
Letterwinner Lost: Justin Ching
Newcomer: Daylan Chock
 
The starting libero job will be held by Honolulu native Nick Castello (5-8, Sr., Honolulu, O'ahu), who started all 28 matches last season. The Irvine Valley College transfer averaged 1.71 digs per set and boasted a reception percentage of 96.3 while recording two matches with double-figure digs.
 
The implementation of the new collegiate rule which allows each team to designate two liberos per set, will mean more opportunities for UH's other defensive specialists.
 
Returnees Matthew Cheape (5-10, Jr., Mililani, O'ahu) and Troy Crutchfield (5-11, Sr., Long Beach, Calif.) and redshirt Harrison Phelps (6-1, So., Laguna Beach, Calif.) will push for playing time.
 
Cheape saw action in 13 matches last season primarily as a serving and defensive specialist.
 
Crutchfield, a Long Beach City College transfer, appeared in nine matches as a defensive specialist.
 
Phelps, who redshirted last season, previously attended Orange Coast College, where he and current UH teammate Harrison Carroll helped OCC advance to the state championship match before falling one win shy of its sixth straight state title.
 
Daylan Chock (5-11, Fr., Kane'ohe, O'ahu) will redshirt this season after leading Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama to a state championship as a senior.