Wahine turn back Miners
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Without Kim Willoughby, the University of Hawai'i Wahine would have had a fair WAC volleyball fight with Texas-El Paso last night. Instead, Willoughby went off, again.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
The 13th-ranked Wahine rode the sophomore's career-high 36 kills to a 30-23, 23-30, 30-22, 30-21 victory. Willoughby broke her three-week-old school record for most kills in a four-game match, and broke the Miners' hearts.
Hawai'i's Melissa Villaroman passes a UTEP serve during the second game of last night's WAC match. The Wahine beat the Miners in four games.
"We have been working on really tough serves," UTEP coach Revis Ward-Daggett said. "Tonight, we executed better than we have. ... So they were passing off the net, and where do you go then? High and outside. And that's Willoughby, dangit."
A season-low Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 4,990 watched the Miners (5-8 overall, 1-4 WAC) take their first-ever game off Hawai'i (11-4, 4-0).
It was the Wahine's first WAC game loss in 363 days, ending their streak at 45. They had won their past 18 —conference and non-conference — this season. They still take an eight-match winning streak — and 45-match WAC streak — into tomorrow's 4 p.m. matchup against Southern Methodist.
"We did a good job preparing all last week," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "I think it gets old for the players to hear the staff try to pump the other team up. Tonight, they just didn't believe us.
"UTEP was certainly the most competitive WAC team we've played so far. They competed hard. That was the difference."
The Game 2 speed bump came with the Miners' serving at its most effective and their block stuffing seven balls. They had just nine blocks all night. They harrassed Hawai'i into .061 hitting and were tough on Maja Gustin, who had zero kills with four errors, and hit loudly into the block to end the game.
Gustin, who had been brilliant lately, had her worst match of the season. She hit zero for the night (8 kills, 8 errors in 33 swings).
"Maja, it was obvious just visually, was having a hard time tonight," UH setter Margaret Vakasausau said. "Everyone gets in a rut at least one match. We all tried to work her out of it.
"After the game she thanked us for trying. ... What we need to build on is, if you're not having your A-Game, it's nothing less than a B-Game."
The Miners' serving kept Hawai'i's middles out of the offense most of the night. About all that was left was Willoughby, who insisted this was her worst match of the last five.
No one else seemed to notice.
"Kim is our best option, Vakasausau said. "If we need a point, we're going to go to her. It's obvious. She is the one on the court who constantly begs for the ball. What am I going to do? Ignore her? She's leading the nation in kills. There's no doubt in my mind that I will go to her no matter what.
"And when she wants it, it makes the others jealous. Then they want the ball too. Then I know everyone wants to be involved."
QUICK SETS: The Wahine moved into first place in the WAC's Western Division when Nevada lost at Fresno State last night. ... In matches Thursday, fourth-ranked Stanford held off fifth-ranked UCLA, 15-13 in the fifth game, and Utah State upset 12th-ranked Pacific, 15-11 in the fifth. ... Wednesday, Cincinnati i coached by Hilo's Reed Sunahara i upset No. 22 Louisville, 15-9 in the fifth.
