BYU rallies from 0-2 deficit to win in five
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Rainbow's winter of discontent came to a symbolic end last night. They humbled fourth-ranked Brigham Young for two games and most of a third and then were humbled themselves.
The Cougars (20-5) won their Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first-round match, 13-15, 6-15, 15-11, 15-12, 15-13, before 5,347 delirious fans at Smith Fieldhouse. The students stormed the court and charismatic Oswald Antonetti flung his jersey into the adoring masses while the ninth-ranked Rainbows watched silently. Which is all they can do the rest of this year.
In 3 hours and 14 minutes, Hawaii played out every rollercoaster high and low of its 18-11 season. The Rainbows were thankful only that they went out with grace.
"We didn't win a fifth game all year," senior setter Curt Vaughan said. "We didn't come through, except against USC, all year. But I really don't feel like this game was like the year.
"During the year we gave up a lot, we didn't play hard a lot. I think that didn't happen this game. We gave everything we had."
Even Hawaii's severest critic - coach Mike Wilton - called his players "valiant" in a defeat that swung on BYU's grit and the Rainbows' elusive search for a hero.
I honestly felt we should have won," Wilton said. "We didn't get it done, but we have to give BYU credit. They came back. They lose the player of the year (Ryan Miller), and they still come back."
The Cougars overcame a 9-3 deficit in the third game to avoid a stunning upset to a team they crushed 2-1/2 months ago on their way to their first No. 1 ranking.
"We actually lost it in the third," said Hawaii captain Naveh Milo, who finished with 31 kills. "We should have swept and we didn't do it. And then the fifth game ... This is not a very good fifth-game team. We let it go."
BYU coach Carl McGown was out of options by the time his team finally rallied. He had switched setters and brought in Antonetti - out since the 11th match of the year with a broken finger - in the second game to no avail.
The thought of losing eventually salvaged his team's season.
"Give them credit on that one," Wilton said. "They had the resolve to come back and win and pretty soon we just couldn't stop 'em. It was real difficult for us to score points for the longest time."
The emotional lift McGown had so desperately needed finally came early in the fourth game. But it was shocking and scary and had nothing to do with McGown.
The Cougars were up 4-3 when Millar, the MPSF Player of the Year, whiffed an easy shot. His feet went out from under him and he fell with full force and a sickening thud on the back of his head.
He lay on the floor for 17 minutes while doctors checked him and eventually wheeled him out on a stretcher. BYU officials said they thought Millar had suffered a concussion and sent him to Utah Valley Hospital as a precaution.
Minutes after play resumed, the Cougars ran up a 13-6 lead and the Rainbows looked confused. "There was some interesting dynamics at that point," McGown said. "They looked over and said they could relax because Ryan was gone and we looked over and said we have to give it everything we've got because we have to win."
The Rainbows agreed that losing Millar gave BYU a lift. "It was a boost for them," Aaron Wilton said, "and we somewhat let down. That's been our trademark for the whole year. We get up and just can't quite finish it. They played a very inspired volleyball game after Millar left."
But the Rainbows had some rally left in them. Mike Wilton brought in Kahinu Lee and Jason Salmeri - reserves who bailed UH out last week - for ailing seniors Aaron Wilton (bronchitis) and Jason Ring (sprained ankle). The new look outscored BYU 6-1 as McGown madly called timeouts. Finally, the Cougars came up with the 15th point to force a rally-scoring fifth game - the Rainbows' fifth of the season.
They lost all five. This time they trailed most of the game, then caught BYU at 12 when Salmeri and Wilton stuffed Justin Spain. Salmeri hit long but Wilton - who subbed into the front row at 11-12 - tied it again at 13.
Ingo Lindemann drilled his 28th kill to get BYU to match point, then stuffed Salmeri with Kennan Vance to set the crow free.
"We had them in a world of hurt," Wilton said. "I could see them going through something like we went through last year when we lost to Santa Barbara in the semis - huge crowd, giant expectations. I could see them carrying that weight on their shoulders. Only trouble was they got out of it."
The Cougars accomplished that with Millar (26 kills, 7 blocks) and then outside hitters Lindemann and Richard Lambourne (25 kills, 23 digs).
Hawaii countered that with everyone; Vaughan spread the ball out to Milo, Ring (33 kills) and Wilton (20) while middle blockers Sivan Leoni and Rick Tune helped the Rainbows out-roof one of the country's best roofing teams.
It wasn't enough.
"It was only us," Milo said. "Maybe it's the last time I can say it this year, but I'm sure we're a better team than the other team. We had this game. We didn't build confidence for ourselves this year. Maybe it symbolized tonight. We had the game in the third. We just didn't push it all the way."