Tom Carney's final wishes were to watch his son, Sean, complete his Hawai'i volleyball career and earn a bachelor's degree.

Tom Carney died Monday night after a long battle with cancer. But he knew his son would fulfill both wishes.

Carney will graduate next month, and he will play his final Warrior matches tomorrow and Saturday in the Stan Sheriff Center.

"He'll probably still see me," Carney said. "He'll probably have a better seat than the one he had last week."

It has been an emotional week for Carney, who returned to practice yesterday. Teammates and coaches greeted him with tearful embraces.

"My father was a good man," Carney said, his voice trailing into a whisper. "He liked everybody."

Carney, an 'Iolani School graduate, said he was grateful to play in Hawai'i — "my home" — after spending his freshman year at Lewis University in Illinois. His father was able to watch most of his matches.

"I've had a great time here," said Carney, who is back at setter after playing outside hitter as an injury replacement for a month.

Carney, outside hitter Jim Clar and libero Michael China will play their final UH matches when the Warriors face Southern California tomorrow and Saturday.

"It'll be bittersweet," Carney said.

These also will be the final UH matches for Mike Wilton, who is retiring as head coach. He has filed retirement papers with the UH system. Wilton will be an assistant coach for the Brigham Young women's volleyball team in the fall.

The Warriors did not qualify for the postseason for the second consecutive year. Key injuries and inconsistency in the serve/pass phase doomed their chances.

"We didn't end my senior year the way I wanted to, but I had the time of my life here," said Clar, the team captain who was raised in Rochester, N.Y. "I wouldn't trade it for the world. I got to travel, meet these great guys, play in front of great fans, and live in Hawai'i for five years. I hope to come back."

Last year, Clar underwent surgery on his right (hitting) shoulder. At the end of fall training, he aggravated the shoulder. The injury kept him from being productive for long periods.

Clar will earn his bachelor's degree this summer. He said he plans to rest his shoulder for at least two months. After that, he will explore the possibility of playing overseas.

"One reason I came here was because I wanted to experience another culture, something totally different from New York," Clar said. "I wouldn't mind seeing something else."

He added: "I'm not the same person I was when I first came here. I was a skinny little brat. You learn a lot in five years here — about yourself and the world. This has been my life for five years. I'm going to be sad, but it's time to move on."

For China, whose surname is pronounced Chee-nuh, these probably will be his last organized matches. He graduates next month, and already has accepted a job as a financial planner.

"The serious part of volleyball is going to be gone after this," China said.

Then again, China always has managed to have fun in the sport.

"I knew this was my last year, and I wanted to keep upbeat," he said. "I tried to enjoy this more than anything. It's been a hard season, but at the same time, I've had fun."

Before a recent practice, China marveled at playing on the same Teraflex court used by Yuval Katz, Clay Stanley, Costas Theocharidis, Eyal Zimet and Tony Ching.

"I used to come and watch when they packed this arena," he said, gazing around the Stan Sheriff Center.

After a year at Lewis, the Punahou graduate recalled, "I didn't know I would come back. But it's been great getting to play in front of my family and friends. We have a great group of guys on the team. We all get along on and off the court."

China's family also is grateful for his time at UH.

"My uncle is always correcting people about the (pronunciation of the) last name," China said. "He told me I've done the most to help our last name out, when they announce it at games, and everybody hears it. He told me one of the best things about playing here is now they'll know how to pronounce it."