University of Hawaii players focused on volleyball, not Wade’s dilemma

The band played, the boosters cheered and the cameras rolled.

But one person was conspicuously absent from the considerable fanfare of the Hawaii men’s volleyball team’s departure from the Stan Sheriff Center for the NCAA tournament on Monday morning.

That would be head coach Charlie Wade, who made his way to the airport separately.

Players, at least, were available for comment for the first time since allegations of misconduct against Wade surfaced last week. The Orange County Register first reported that Wade has been put on interim measure-suspension by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and USA Volleyball pending a SafeSport investigation of the alleged incident involving a female athlete approximately 30 years ago.

It does not prevent Wade, 55, from coaching the top-ranked Rainbow Warriors (27-2) in an NCAA semifinal matchup at 2 p.m. Thursday against USC or Lewis at Long Beach State.

The mood among the players and the rest of the coaching staff was jovial as they boarded the bus to shuttle them to the airport. Five of the ’Bows — Stijn van Tilburg, Rado Parapunov, Joe and Gage Worsley and Patrick Gasman — were announced as AVCA All-America honorees earlier in the morning.

A few of them fielded questions about the awards, the fan support and the team’s outlook heading into the tournament. Then Joe Worsley, the senior setter, was asked how the team dealt with the headlines about its coach over the last few days.

“Sorry, I’m not allowed to comment on that,” Worsley replied, adding, “This team is so motivated … anything can happen (and) I guarantee we’ll be ready to go for Thursday night, for sure.”

Van Tilburg glowed about his teammates and the opportunity presented for the team but offered less than Worsley to the same question about Wade.

“We just practiced, and we just focused on volleyball,” the senior hitter said. “So that’s about it.”

Minutes afterward, the players waved goodbye to the fans in attendance and headed for the airport.

The Star-Advertiser reported Friday that the AVCA national coach of the year announcement has been postponed pending the conclusion of a SafeSport investigation. Wade’s case is the only one known.

According to the Orange County Register article, which used documents from SafeSport and USAV, the alleged incident involved someone who played for Wade at the club level. Wade founded Magnum Volleyball Club in Anaheim, Calif., in 1986 and ran it until 1995, when he joined Dave Shoji’s Rainbow Wahine staff at Hawaii and served as an assistant and associate head coach through 2005.

UH has voiced its support of Wade while it conducts its own review. Wade’s attorney, Michael Green, has mounted a vociferous defense of his client.