LONG BEACH, Calif. >> The fun is in the adventure. De avontuur as Stijn van Tilburg would say in his native tongue of the Netherlands.
It’s why he would leave home to make his second home half a world away. The 12-hour time difference between Amsterdam and Honolulu is day and night for van Tilburg and his family. It’s nearing their bedtime when he is heading to class, and they often enjoy an extended breakfast listening online to Hawaii’s volleyball matches in general and how the Rainbow Warriors’ 6-foot-8 hitter is doing in particular.
Van Tilburg’s been particularly good during his three-year career, celebrating his 22nd birthday on April 7 when becoming the 17th Warrior to reach the 1,000-kill mark. He had 14 when helping Hawaii compete a historic sweep of the series at UC Santa Barbara, the Warriors taking two in Rob Gym for the first time.
Van Tilburg’s done it with a day-and-night career. After a sophomore All-American season at opposite, he has switched to being predominately a left-side hitter, a role where he also is in the serve-receive formation. It’s a difference in positions but little difference statistically where van Tilburg, again named first-team all-conference on Monday, is again averaging over four-plus kills a set for the second consecutive season.
“He’s a strong contender for All-America again, which is impressive because you don’t see a first-time opposite move over to the left and put up the same kind of numbers,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. “You gotta be impressed with the progress he’s made in his overall game.
“He’s blocking better, he’s really cracking his serve and his (serve) reception is better. It’s because he’s gone in and gotten extra reps in the gym. He’s kept working at it because he wants to keep getting better.”
It is reminiscent of how that work ethic has translated to his English. Junior setter Joe Worsley said van Tilburg’s English “was pretty broken when I first met him,” said Worsley, who spent time working on the connection with van Tilburg over the summer in California. “But now you hardly tell he’s foreign. He has engulfed himself in American culture.”
It didn’t take long for van Tilburg to immerse himself in Hawaii volleyball culture, including the rivalry with Long Beach State. He had 20 kills in the heartbreaker of a five-set loss last Friday and 17 on Saturday when the Warriors snapped a six-match losing streak to the 49ers to give Hawaii a second-round bye into Friday’s inaugural Big West tournament semifinal.
It was the first victory over The Beach for all of Hawaii’s players; none of the Warriors was on the active roster in 2015 when UH went 3-0 against the 49ers. It also ended Long Beach State’s undefeated season.
If the seeding holds true, it would be the Warriors and the 49ers in the tournament final on Saturday for a second year in a row. Last season, Long Beach State topped Hawaii 3-1 for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title, also played here at the Pyramid.
The Warriors (18-7) will face the winner of today’s first-round match between UC Irvine (20-8) and UC San Diego (9-18). The 49ers (24-1) meet the winner of the other first-rounder between Cal State Northridge (15-10) and UC Santa Barbara (11-12).
“Can we win? Of course,” van Tilburg said. “Can we win it all? First, we have to put ourselves in the position that allows that to happen. We won this match (the semifinal) last year so for us to be a better team than last year, results-wise, we would have to win (Saturday).
“It’s a very different team this year. Last year, we won because we had so much fun. This year is very business-like. Part of our struggles was to find a way to mix business and fun.”
Van Tilburg was planning to graduate this semester with a degree in economics but pulled his paperwork on Monday. Instead of pursuing his graduate degree in his final year of eligibility, he is adding a minor in finance and a certificate in peace studies and negotiations.
“I postponed graduation because going to grad school and playing was going to be too much,” he said. “The certificate is something really cool to do. I like exploring everything I can. I am very adventurous.”
De avontuur continues in volleyball this week.
BIG WEST VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
At Long Beach, Calif. All times Hawaii time
Today’s first round
>> UC Irvine (20-8) vs. UC San Diego (9-18), 2 p.m.
>> Cal State Northridge (15-10) vs. UC Santa Barbara (11-12), 4:30 p.m.
Friday’s semifinals
>> Hawaii (18-7) vs. UCI-UCSD winner, 2 p.m.
>> Long Beach State (24-1) vs. CSUN-UCSB winner, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday’s final
>> Friday’s winners, 4 p.m.
TV: None
Radio: 1420-AM (Hawaii matches only)
Online: ESPN3.com (All matches)
