I’ll cut Vinnie Lopes some slack because I’m told he has not been to the University of Hawaii for a men’s volleyball match. As UH football coaching legend June Jones would sometimes say about someone who did not quite get it about the run-and-shoot: “He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.”
Lopes is founder and editor of “Off The Block,” a website that has covered men’s volleyball since 2011. He’s from Ball State, where the sport matters so much that the school could be nicknamed men’s volleyBall State.
He provided analysis for the NCAA’s video revealing its national championship tournament field Sunday.
Lopes compared a player and a team to Taylor Swift and the Beatles in terms of fanatic popularity. Exaggeration? Sure, but that’s fine; hyperbole is good to have in your toolbox if sports commentary is your thing — and I’m certain Lopes was speaking in relative terms, and about a subject he is obviously very passionate about.
In many parts of the continent, men’s volleyball is an emerging sport. It will continue to grow. In most jurisdictions it will probably peak somewhere between flag football and pickleball. It’s like what they’ve said about hockey for decades: See a match in-person and you will be hooked.
Yes, Long Beach State freshman Moni Nikolov, a 6-foot-8 setter with an explosive serve, gets plenty of deserved attention — along with the rest of The Beach’s star-studded cast that is ranked No. 1 and earned the top seed in the NCAAs.
The only problem I have with Lopes’ take is that perhaps he did not have time to see what happened Saturday night here when Hawaii’s serve receive was money against Moni. The four-ace bombardment in the third won the set for LBSU, but it also made what the Warriors’ serve-receive, featuring libero ‘Eleu Choy, did most of the match even more jaw dropping.
Like coach Charlie Wade said, the effort led by the smallest guy on the court was the difference in the match’s outcome.
It has long been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. But preventing those Nikolov cannon blasts from finding the floor might give foul-tipping a 100-mph fastball a run for the money.
“Yeah, like a cutter,” the soft-spoken Choy said with a very slight chuckle.
Choy has nothing but good things to say about everyone.
“He’s such a great player,” he said of Nikolov. “It’s an honor to be on the same court as him.”
He also wasn’t bothered by Lopes not mentioning UH’s serve-receive or fervent fan base.
“It’s really all good. We just work hard and play our best to have our brothers’ backs,” he said. “And volleyball is different in Hawaii. It’s kind of like a pride and joy of the state and we love our fans.”
He deflects all praise, describing the passing of teammates Louis Sakanoko and Adrien Roure as “very wonderful.”
Of his own role, Choy said he just tries to remember what Wade told him: He has one job.
“Just keep the ball off the ground,” Choy said.
The spectacular digs are eye-catching, but the consistently solid passing keeps Hawaii in system and routinely siding out. When a well-placed pass gives setter Tread Rosenthal options, it’s sideout, Hawaii serve.
The Big West Championship win was in some ways a re-run of the teams’ most recent previous meet-up, two weeks earlier.
By Sunday’s NCAA show, Lopes must have read, heard or seen what happened at the Stan on April 12, when the Warriors also beat the Beach in five sets, on Senior Night, and with none of Nikolov’s rocket serves falling in for an ace. He did, however, make six service errors.
Nearly 10,000 fans attended that one, almost as many who showed up the night before, when Long Beach State beat Hawaii. Nikolov had no aces in that match, too, with two errors.
Lopes gushed over crowds of 1,400 and such filling other venues. Well, he needs to see, hear and feel 10,000.
LBSU coach Alan Knipe is right when he says Hawaii is at an advantage playing these big matches at home, especially the conference championship. But his team winning one here helped the Beach retain the top-seed in the NCAA tournament. UH fans certainly have a right to be unhappy with that since the Warriors took two out of three, including the conference championship. But it’s a nice chip for the Hawaii players to let smolder on their shoulder for the next week.
Back in the mid ’90s, the great UH teams that filled the house had a front man, Yuval Katz. But that was pre-internet, when going viral meant getting sick.
This Warrior team’s strength is its depth — and the steadiness of its conductor, Rosenthal, and primary defender in the back row, Choy.
Lopes had nice things to say about UH, including that Rosenthal has the potential to be a future Olympian.
One night last week, dozens of players and coaches and thousand of fans were worn out, but hungry for more. Those who had the energy left to do so shook their heads, astounded at the level of competition they’d just participated in and witnessed for 10 sets of scintillating postseason men’s volleyball.
And that was before the top two teams in the Big West — and maybe the country — had even taken the court for Friday’s semifinals.
“We’re the SEC of men’s volleyball,” said CSUN setter Donovan Constable, after the marathon match he had just played in, but lost despite his team scoring 15 points in the fifth set (it was so close, UC Irvine had to get 17).
How else do you explain a 15-3 nonconference record, but then 3-7 in the Big West?
As the Anteaters and Matadors traded blows some Irvine players sensed more cheers for CSUN points than for theirs.
“They’re scared of us,” Hilir Henno said, who clarified as quickly as he could get the mic again.
“I mean nothing negative, at all,” he added, saying the huge, loud crowds at the Stanley are good for the conference and growing the game.
Cheers for both teams seemed equally loud, just appreciation for great play by both. If it seemed like there was more for CSUN it’s an underdog thing. Hawaii folks love underdogs because that’s what we are … maybe not often in college volleyball, but in many other aspects of life we relate more to David than Goliath.
UH also had reason for genuine respect of CSUN, since the Matadors had swept the Warriors less than a month ago.
“In this conference anyone can beat anyone at any time,” Choy said.
Choy is scheduled to defend his master’s thesis two days after the end of the NCAA Tournament. The engineering graduate said it’s about the importance of building structures that can withstand tsunamis.
That’s pretty fitting for a 5-foot-7 guy who — with rare exception — handles pretty much anything a 6-foot-8 server can throw his way.
Lopes said he would not be surprised to see two Big West teams in the NCAA final, like they were when the Warriors swept the Beach in 2022.
Choy has been to Columbus, Ohio, before. It was 2021. He is one of the last links to the first national championship, the one over BYU. But he was redshirting.
“It was great to be there. But I was sitting in the stands,” Choy said. “I get to be on the court for this one.”
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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com.
