Wahine sweep Gauchos

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Lauren Duggins digs the ball for teammates, from left, Nohea Tano, Kim Willoughby and Tanya Nikolic. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Willoughby's 34 kills and the University of Hawai'i's tenacious defense lifted the 12th-ranked Wahine to their 18th consecutive volleyball victory, 30-26, 35-33, 30-27, over the 22nd-ranked Gauchos.

Willoughby broke Teee Williams' UH record for a three-game match by six kills, and missed the NCAA record by six more. She tied the UH mark five serves into the final game, after blasting 13 kills in each of the first two.

"I wanted to see what this team was all about," Willoughby said. "(Long Beach State's) Cheryl Weaver and Tayyiba Haneef, 6-3 and 6-7 ... Santa Barbara was digging and playing with that team. I got to bring the A-plus game, I can't just bring the A game. And I knew if I established myself early our middles could go one-on-one."

Willoughby established herself in the first eight serves, blasting five kills in six swings as the Wahine went up 9-1. From there, the Gauchos chased relentlessly, catching and passing UH for a short time in Game 2, but never finishing the Wahine off.

That has become a UCSB trait this season. It is tied for second in the Big West with 17th-ranked Pacific, trailing top-ranked Long Beach. The Gauchos (13-11) have lost to both teams in five games and are now 1-9 against ranked teams.

Coach Kathy Gregory replaced All-American senior setter Brooke Rundle early in the season, calling it "the hardest decision I've ever made." Even that drastic move hasn't changed the karma of a team that played here 11 months ago, losing to UH in the NCAA regional final.

With 4,176 watching at Stan Sheriff Center last night, Hawai'i (21-4) won again, with five players diving for double-digit digs and Willoughby, Gustin (13 kills) and Nohea Tano (7-for13) providing the offense.

"Mainly our defense is digging a lot of balls and everyone is getting involved," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "We're creating a lot of points through defense.

"And when you've got Willoughby you can terminate. Santa Barbara has a lot of good players, but obviously they don't have a Willoughby. There were some she hit today you just can't coach. Just elevate, go over and hit really hard. There's no defense for some of the stuff she's doing out there."

If there was, the Gauchos would play it. They dug in against Hawai'i, taking a few in the face but bringing 60 digs back to Hawai'i's 73.

Santa Barbara closed within one twice in the first game, and took its first lead nearly an hour into the match, at 19-18 in Game 2. The Gauchos were up as much as 24-20 before Hawai'i rallied in what both coaches called the critical juncture.

After UCSB served for the game at 29-27, the Wahine tied it on two Willoughby kills. The Gauchos would serve for it three more times, but were denied by the UH defense, two Willoughby kills and a Danielle Bauer foot fault.

"We gave them the second game," Gregory said. "Danielle foot-faulted, we made a bad set for game point, we let a tip go down. We had chances. We should have won."

Instead, Erica Menzel's kill stifled the Wahine's first serve for the game at 33-32. Gustin's roll shot, after yet another long rally, gave UH a second chance and it converted when Menzel hit out.

UCSB scored the first point of the final game, but trailed the rest of the night.

The Gauchos were led by Courtney Guerra's 15 kills. Bauer, their leading hitter, had just six kills.

"Santa Barbara is really, really good — defense and blocking — but actually Kim Willoughby was just out there," Gustin said. "She was a good leader today."

The Wahine, away from their safe haven of Western Athletic Conference sweeps, needed her.

"It would be nice to play a match like that every week," Shoji said. "But not twice a week."