Hawai'i volleyball setter Sean Carney has been patient, waiting and waiting through a redshirt semester and two seasons as the backup to All-American Brian Beckwith.

But now time is Carney's ally as he enjoys every precious moment with his father who also is his best friend.

Tom Carney is being treated for a serious illness in Boston. He has been ill for the past three years, but he suffered a bad relapse while visiting friends and Carney's mother this summer.

Tom's goal is to return to his island home.

"I'm 100 percent sure my dad will make it back to Hawai'i," said Sean, noting his father is receiving excellent treatment in Boston. "He's one of the toughest people. He was diagnosed three years ago. He's been fighting, fighting, fighting. I'm confident he'll push through it."

During fall training — which features exhibition matches against British Columbia tomorrow and Saturday in the Stan Sheriff Center — Carney has moved into position to succeed Beckwith, a four-year starter who completed his UH eligibility last April.

Spending extra time with conditioning coach Mel deLaura, Carney worked on improving his leg strength. He also threw medicine balls to help his wrists, a key source in successful setting. DeLaura pushed Carney to work out up to six days a week.

"He spent a lot of free time helping me, and I appreciate that," Carney said. "I owe a lot to coach Mel."

Carney also mastered the Warriors' quick offense, drawing praise from the coaches and earning respect from teammates.

"I could play well," Carney conceded, "but what was wrong with me, I didn't have the emotions I usually have. I knew I had to get that to be successful."

Teammates and coaches urged Carney to take a leave of absence and visit his father. He had resisted, honoring his father's wishes to focus on the team and school.

"One day, I was like, 'I need to go up,' " said Carney, who did not give his father advance notice.

"When I showed up, it was bittersweet," Carney said. "He wanted me to be there with him, but at the same time, he wanted me to be (in Hawai'i) for volleyball and school. It was tough the first couple of days to be accepting (that) this was something I had to do. After a while, he knew it was good for me."

Father and son were always close, with sports as one of the bonds.

"We have a relationship where he knows I love him, and I know he loves me," Sean said. "It wasn't like that was worrying us. It's a scary time. It was nice to go up there. The day I left, I could feel a weight off my shoulders. It felt like something I hadn't felt in a while. That week with him, I didn't think it would be as big a deal as it turned out to be."

During his trip, coaches and teammates called frequently. The parents of libero Ric Cervantes sent well wishes through text messages.

"That's why I know we'll have a good team," Carney said. "We're a family. We care about each other."

Carney left Boston Tuesday morning. He practiced yesterday morning.

"It was a good farewell," he said. "He was doing better. It put a smile on my face. It was good to see him progress, crack jokes, smile. It was special."

Visit Tsai's blog at www.HawaiiWarriorBeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.