UH, volleyball making van Tilburg feel at home

It’s easy to love a sport when one is good at it. Which is why it was easy for Stijn van Tilburg to become passionate about volleyball instead of the Orange mania known as football (soccer) in his native Holland.

Volleyball was physical without the violent force that often makes its way to the pitch. It felt more like a team game, with hugs and huddles after every play.

It felt like home. Which made it very easy for van Tilburg to move halfway around the globe from his native Amsterdam to where he could embrace volleyball and be embraced by the sport’s culture uniquely found in Hawaii.

It made sense on so many levels for the 6-foot-8 outside hitter who was initially looking to play professionally but serendipitously found Hawaii about the same time Rainbow Warriors coach Charlie Wade found him.

“His video was sent to me from a friend who knew Stijn was looking to play (collegiately in America),” Wade said. “Things happened pretty quickly. I got on a plane on one of those ‘seek and destroy’ missions where I spend more time in the air than on the ground.

“I needed to see him in person, meet with him and his family so that both sides had enough information to make a decision.”

That personal touch sealed the deal for van Tilburg, who was about halfway through his economics degree at Radboud University. His econ degree requirements have since been fulfilled at Manoa, where it’s all business in the classroom (his minor) and on the court.

It feels like an accelerated degree program in volleyball for van Tilburg, who made history last week as the first two-time Most Outstanding Player in 23 years of the Outrigger Resorts Invitational. In his mind, the next requirement to be met is growing attendance at the Stan Sheriff Center, where the Warriors once sold out some 20 years ago and where the Rainbow Wahine have long been among the top two in attendance nationally.

Van Tilburg’s roommates are Wahine players Kalei Greeley and Emily Maglio and “we want the stands to go crazy, just like they do for the girls’ matches,” he said. “We want to pack the stands.

“I think this team is fun to watch. You want people to witness that and be part of this team.”

There is a strong sense of ohana this season, van Tilburg said. There is a better balance of talent, talent that has a deep, experienced international flavor, with the majority of the Warriors having represented their respective countries — U.S. Norway, England, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Netherlands — at global competitions.

“I think the difference is there is a balance that wasn’t there last year,” said van Tilburg, who played for the Dutch youth and junior national teams. “The balance was off with the ball usually going to three of us, Siki (Zarkovic, who graduated), Kupono (current senior Fey) and me. This year, we have balance at all positions

“You always want to make the team your own and I feel like everyone is doing that. We have a lot of things that are ours, more people who speak up and have something to share. On campus, people are already telling us, ‘We love the way you guys play.’ ”

Personally, van Tilburg said, there is much to work on. Although he leads the team in kills (3.75 kps), he isn’t happy with his hitting percentage (.256) and feels his serving could be tougher.

“I’m impressed by how well he’s developed in a year,” Wade said. “He recognized he needed to be stronger in order to perform at a higher level and handle the rigors of a long season. Last year, he kind of hit the wall. He was committed to get in better shape and it has really translated to every part of his game.”

Out of necessity, van Tilburg moved from left-side hitter to opposite last year. Currently he’s at opposite, but that could change with the Warriors able to use senior Iain McKellar or freshman Rado Parapunov there.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” van Tilburg said. “Left is more of a challenge, you have more contact with the ball, more responsibility when having to pass the first ball. The ‘oppo’ is more fun because all you have to do is hit, end plays.”

The well-traveled van Tilburg said he is looking forward to playing in different gyms this season. The Warriors — in their final season of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — have the top three ranked MPSF teams on the road: No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Long Beach State and No. 4 BYU.

After this week’s matches with Grand Canyon, Hawaii’s first road trip is at Long Beach State (Jan. 18, 20) and a single match at No. 7 UC Irvine (Jan. 21).

“That upcoming trip will be huge,” he said. “We are 3-0, but those are to be forgotten. It’s about the next match, then the next one.”

Van Tilburg’s parents, Theo and Brigitte, made the 26-hour trip from Amsterdam for last week’s tournament and, after a trip to Kauai, will return home after Friday’s match with Grand Canyon.

“They are happy I made this decision,” van Tilburg said. “The biggest adjustment to Hawaii was the weather, but it’s a convenient difference.”