No. 12 Wahine defeat No. 20 Broncos in four
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Defense and two sophomores having career nights helped 12th-ranked University of Hawai'i hold off 20th-ranked Santa Clara, 30-25, 28-30, 30-19, 30-25, last night in a non-conference wom-en's volleyball match.
Kim Willoughby set a career high, and UH four-game record, by slamming 35 kills. Maja Gustin added a career-high 23, hitting .444 and making her transition to the left side look less awkward with every swing.
A crowd of 4,591 entered Stan Sheriff Center under a Manoa rainbow, stood on the verge of tears through a moment of silence, the National Anthem and God Bless America, then followed the hand-holding Wahine's lead for nearly 2 1/2 hours.
"After we sang, we were like, 'Gosh, we're depressed,' " Willoughby said. "But then we looked at it like, if we play hard, we can get the fans' minds off of it. Give them something positive to look at versus all the negative things going on right now."
Both teams managed the difficult feat with an intensity that sizzled despite their emotions, a two-week layoff and a match that often bordered on ugly.
Offensively, it was 2-on-4, and Willoughby and Gustin improbably won.
"Everything was left side, left side, and that's not OK ..." Gustin said. "For tomorrow, we have to set more middle and right side, but when it's risk, then balls go left. It was so clearly unbalanced. ...
"(But) Kim was just in a zone. Nobody could stop her. I think she can't be tired."
Defensively, it was a dig-a-minute performance, with the teams combining for 141.
"Both teams just gave a tremendous effort considering what's been going on," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "The emotion was different. It wasn't a real celebration when we were doing well. It was more business-like. But that's to be expected."
UH (5-4) opened an 8-3 advantage in the first few minutes. The Broncos — who hit .133 in the game — couldn't keep the ball in long enough to come back.
Willoughby's seven kills, and four each — without an error — from Gustin and Tanja Nikolic pulled the Wahine ahead, 28-19. Santa Clara (7-2) scored the next six points, but Gustin broke the string and the Broncos' eighth hitting error ended it.
The Wahine held Jami Bari, Becky Potter and Toni Muratore — Santa Clara's most prolific hitters — to a combined .032 percentage in Game 1. They would come back, combining for 36 kills, while Jessie Mechem got a team-high 16.
With the exception of Game 2, they would not be enough. Hawai'i brought Nohea Tano in to play middle and setter Jennifer Carey to play right the final three games, and pushed through despite the unfamiliar look.
The Broncos prevailed in the second game, which was tied 20 times, by hitting .341 and overcoming a 27-24 deficit. But Willoughby hammered seven quick kills to put the Wahine ahead 15-7 in the third, and UH never lost control again.
"She has unbelievable skills," Santa Clara coach Jon Wallace said of Willoughby. "Not only did she hit the ball well, she dug and passed the court extremely well. Her teammates didn't have to handle any pressure tonight because they'd just find Kim and give her the ball and she delivered. She really did."
Willoughby broke her career mark with her 25th kill five serves into the fourth game. Gustin reached a new high 10 serves later, with No. 17.
"No doubt they had their best matches," Shoji said. "Those are incredible numbers — 35 kills and Maja to have three errors in 45 attempts is just phenomenal.
"She loves to hit, and she takes a swing at it."
The teams play again tonight at 7.
QUICK SETS: Kim Willoughby collected her eighth double-double (35 kills, 16 digs) of the season. ... UH sophomore Lauren Duggins had a career-high 22 digs. ... Nevada, coming off an upset of seventh-ranked Pacific, swept Tulsa (30-19, 30-27, 30-15) Thursday in the season's first Western Athletic Conference match. ... San Jose State swept Boise State (30-24, 30-20, 30-25) last night. ... The Wahine open WAC play next Saturday at Louisiana Tech.
