Warriors land 5 new volleyball recruits

The Hawaii men’s volleyball team went ocean to ocean to add to its roster.

Joining the Warriors are:

» Siki Zarkovic, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter from Serbia.

» Ian McKellar, a 6-7 opposite attacker from London.

» Ryan Leung, a 2010 Hawaii Baptist graduate who was an outside hitter for Pepperdine the past two years.

» Jace Olsen, a 6-7 outside hitter who played the past two years at Penn State.

» Kainoa Mitchell, a Roosevelt High graduate who is transferring from Orange Coast College.

Zarkovic will help fill the vacancy created with the graduation of left-side hitter Steven Hunt.

Head coach Charlie Wade learned of Zarkovic through a mutual friend. Zarkovic’s father has coached Serbia’s junior national team for 11 years.

“He’s one of the top coaches in that part of the world,” Wade said.

Wade described Zarkovic as a six-rotation player who has “a really good arm. He’s very well skilled. He’s very comfortable playing at a really high level.”

Zarkovic’s age-group team (born in 1993) has won two youth world championships and a European title.

“Not only is (Zarkovic) comfortable playing at a high level, he’s used to winning at a high level,” Wade said.

McKellar has qualities coveted in an opposite attacker who hits from the right side in five of six rotations. McKellar is tall and left-handed.

McKellar attended a boarding school the past two years.

“He’s an exceptional student and he wants to be the best volleyball player he can be,” Wade said.

As an HBA senior, Leung was named as a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 player.

Mitchell is expected to compete at libero. Nick Castello, who was UH’s libero the past two years, has graduated.

“It’s nice to have local players who went away and then realize that playing in front of family and friends means something,” Wade said.

Olsen will be reunited with his childhood friend, UH opposite Taylor Averill. Averill underwent shoulder surgery in May and is expected to be ready in time for the season opener in January.

Wade also confirmed that outside hitter Stanley Hinkle has decided to pursue options elsewhere.