Warriors up for road trip to Pyramid

Hawaii volleyball player Sinisa Zarkovic understands the grandiose wonder of the pyramids.

As a youngster, he went on an Egyptian tour during which he entered a pyramid.

Zarkovic and his Warrior teammates will experience a different sort of pyramid power when they play matches against Long Beach State today and Saturday in one of volleyball’s most intriguing settings.

"The Pyramid," UH associate coach Jeff Hall said of the 49ers’ home arena, "is a really unique place to play. It’s one of the more difficult places, mostly for the setters. Spacial awareness is really difficult with that high ceiling, and just the way it’s designed and built. It’s really a challenging place to play. We look forward to the challenge."

The Warriors will be at full strength. Setter Max Wechsung, who experienced shoulder discomfort during last week’s Outrigger Invitational, has resumed practicing. At 6 feet 6, Wechsung provides an obstacle for opposing attackers.

Joby Ramos, who set in UH’s upset of UCLA, is an athletic setter, particularly on transition plays. He also is an offensive threat. Against UCLA, he had swings on five second-touch plays. The Warriors will wait until pre-match warm-ups to name the starting setter.

The Outrigger tournament helped smooth some of the problems incurred during the Warriors’ opening two-match series against Brigham Young two weeks ago.

JP Marks has adjusted to the move from left-side hitter, where he had a significant role as a passer, to opposite, where he hits from the right side in five of six rotations.

While Marks has embraced being a go-to hitter, he misses some of the left-side duties, such as passing.

"I like passing," Marks said. "It’s very challenging. I like to develop as a whole player."

Zarkovic and Jace Olsen, a transfer from Penn State, played well on the left side in the Outrigger.

Zarkovic is a demonstrative player who provides an emotional boost.

"I think the (Stan Sheriff Center) crowd make me play better," Zarkovic said. The Warriors usually have a strong following when they play road matches in Southern California.

There will be one Hawaii resident who will be troublesome for the Warriors — Long Beach State outside hitter Taylor Crabb, a Punahou graduate.

Crabb is 6 feet and 155 pounds, but he has a powerful arm and he is an accurate passer.

UH’s game plan?

"Trying to slow down Crabb," Hall said. "He’s a terrific player. They set him a lot of balls. He probably hits as many from the front row as he does from the back row."

Crabb averages 3.83 kills per set.

The 49ers have made some moves this past week. Jeff Ornee, a middle blocker, has been used at opposite. That opens the way for second-year freshman Taylor Gregory to open in the middle.

The biggest change is the return of Alan Knipe, who coached the U.S. national team the past few years.