Few mysteries surround Wahine-Wolf Pack match

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Surprise will not be an element of tonight's Western Athletic Conference volleyball match between 11th-ranked University of Hawai'i and Nevada at Stan Sheriff Center.

•	Western Athletic Conference women's volleyball • WHEN: Tonight, 7:05 • WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center • ADMISSION: Upper level only: $9 adult, $8 senior citizens (65-older), $6 students. Lower level, single seats only $12. UH Ticket Office (956-4482) open 2 hours before matches. • PARKING: $3.

Hawai'i (15-4, 7-0) might be the easiest team in the country to scout, and not just because every home match is televised.

"They will set (Kim) Willoughby, and then Willoughby, and then Willoughby," Nevada coach Devin Scruggs says. "And every once in a while (Maja) Gustin will get set. You don't even need videotape. It's phenomenal Kim takes as many swings as she does. But I'm not knocking that. If I had her, I'd get her every ball, too."

Willoughby leads the country in kills, by a bunch. She averages nearly seven a game and is hitting .435 in the WAC — outrageously high for anyone, but especially an outside hitter who is a marked woman from the moment she begins her elaborate finger-taping.

The Wahine have won their last 12, and last 48 against WAC opponents. But coach Dave Shoji will be the first to admit that his team's most compelling challenge between now and the postseason is to create viable alternatives to Willoughby's performances.

"We've taken a lot of repetitions with our middles," Shoji says. "We're just trying to have Margaret (Vakasausau) and Jen (Carey) set them any opportunity they can in practice so when it happens in a game they'll have done it already. That's not to say we're not going to get Kim and Maja the ball on the left. They're definitely our strength. But we have to feel more confident going other ways.

"At the beginning of the game, we need to be able to set everybody because at the end, especially the way rally-scoring is, if you're at 27 the ball is probably going outside."

The Pack's attack is much more diversified. Junior setters Jill Couwenhoven or Jaclyn Anderson find junior middle Michelle More (3.5 kills, .311) early and often, but liberally swing the ball out to seniors Shannon Stemler, Navonna Chambers, Suzanne Stonebarger and Kellie LaBossiere.

All average at least two kills and, in Nevada's system, present a particularly tough challenge to the Wahine block on the left and sophomore middles Lauren Duggins and Nohea Tano.

The Wolf Pack blitzed then-No. 7 Pacific five weeks ago with a diversified offense set free by strong serving. But, after winning nine straight, Nevada has lost three of its last five.

Scruggs says part of her players' problem was that teams no longer overlooked them.

The rest was self-inflicted.

"We're playing tougher teams now and we have to get better and we haven't gotten better," she admits. "We're making the same mistakes we've made for a long time. We've got to quit making those mistakes, mostly at the net. We need to be better than we are now."

If the Pack can make that leap, and re-discover the confidence that allowed it to coast past Pacific, its postseason chances are enhanced immensely. Shoji knows his team provides ample motivation to any opponent on the NCAA bubble, which now includes Nevada, San Jose State and Fresno State. He says an upset of Hawai'i tonight, or next Friday in Reno, would "assure" Nevada its second NCAA Tournament berth.

He has little doubt Nevada, with four senior starters, can make the leap.

"Somehow Devin needs to keep their interest in practice," Shoji says. "Obviously, when you're a senior you've done all the drills. But she's a good coach and I think she can get them excited about the last month of their careers."

QUICK SETS: Tomorrow's WAC match against Boise State starts at 5 p.m. at Stan Sheriff Center. ... The Wahine play host to Hawai'i Pacific, ranked No. 10 in NCAA-II, at 7 p.m. Tuesday.