Hawaii volleyball coach Charlie Wade recalled a 2010 match when an assistant coach vehemently argued to replace a slumping outside hitter in mid-set.
Wade responded: "And put in who? Who have you got? Are you going to suit up?"
That was Wade’s first season as UH head coach, and it turned out to be successful. The Warriors advanced to the league’s semifinals that year. But there was a structural flaw in the roster, with little depth.
By design and circumstance, the Warriors are deeper at every position entering tonight’s season-opening road match against Brigham Young in the Smith Fieldhouse. Wade said each of the 14 players on the travel roster is expected to play. The starting lineup won’t be revealed until pre-match warmups.
Last year’s No. 1 setter, Sam Biscaro, has retired from collegiate volleyball, choosing to focus on academics this semester. At setter, Max Wechsung, a transfer from Long Beach City College, appears to have a slight edge over Joby Ramos, a Roosevelt High graduate who played the past two seasons at Pacific.
Ramos is the more natural setter. Wechsung, who is nearly 6 feet 7, has not played setter full-time since his club-17 season three years ago.
Assistant coach Sean Carney, a former Warrior setter, said Wechsung has improved in his scheme recognition. Carney said Wechsung’s odomoter is nearing 10,000.
"The 10,000 rule is you have to do something at least 10,000 times to be good at it," Carney said. "Max is getting there."
Libero Matthew Cheape, a fifth-year senior and lone holdover from former coach Mike Wilton’s tenure, played well during fall training. His emergence is traced partly to his experience, partly to the challenge from freshman Kolby Kanetake. Both will play against BYU.
J.P. Marks leads a group of outside hitters who are threats from both pins and behind the service line. All but one of the outside hitters — Scott Hartley — is a jump server.
"We’ve got the arms," Wade said, noting the goal is better serve placement. "We’re trying to calibrate the brains with the arms so the can put it in (play) 85 to 90 percent. All of the pins (outside hitters) are pretty good (servers). If you’re not starting and it doesn’t look like you’re going to play in that set, you’re probably going to be a serving sub."
Wade said Nick West, Aniefre Etim-Thomas and Davis Holt will rotate at the two middle positions.
With low holiday airfares and the winter break, the Warriors arrived in Provo on Wednesday. They had a 3-hour practice that evening and a 2-hour workout on Thursday. They will have a serve-and-pass session today. Wade said he hopes the practices will help the Warriors in Provo’s thin air, where serves float and stamina is tested. The shallow area behind one end line gives teams little room to chase down volleyballs.
"It’s a small venue," Wade said. "It’s cramped. It’s going to be a challenge."
