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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, September 28, 2001

Wahine expecting tougher WAC play

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

From the moment Brigham Young broke away three years ago, the University of Hawai'i's Western Athletic Conference volleyball competition has consisted solely of self-imposed challenges. The Wahine have won their last 32 WAC games and last 42 WAC matches — a streak of domination that goes back nearly three years and popularized the phrase "uno, dos, adios."

But the recent rumbling in the WAC is not someone hitting Megabucks in Nevada. It has nothing to do with dot.bomb discussions in San Jose, nor even the raisins wrinkling in Fresno. It is about the state of Hawai'i, which had an uncharacteristically slow volleyball start, and has had to claw its way above .500.

"It will be much more competitive every night now," said UH coach Dave Shoji, whose team opens WAC play tomorrow at Louisiana Tech. "I think a lot of it is the other teams' perception of our team. I really think in the past the WAC teams never truly believed they could beat us. Now they might think they can. It's our job to not allow that to happen."

The 12th-ranked Wahine's 6-4 record is deceiving, with all their losses against Top 10 teams. But still, the rest of the WAC's new Western Division — with the winless exception of Boise State — has been streaking. Nevada swept seventh-ranked Pacific last week and is one bad night from being unbeaten. San Jose State and Fresno State have won their last seven.

"It should be more interesting," FSU coach Lindy Vivas says. "Rally scoring will change outlooks . The whole thing with the terrorists will affect how well every athlete handles the travel, in every sport.

"And the fact that it seems like maybe, possibly, the WAC could finally be up for grabs — I went to Punahou, I'm not saying more than that — will be exciting for the conference. Fans like to see it. It adds more uncertainty and uncertainty is good. I think it's fun."

Shoji, SJSU coach Craig Choate and Nevada's Devin Scruggs look at one another and see "three legitimate NCAA teams." They were picked to finish 1-2-3 in the preseason and all are among the Top 30 in the informal Ballicora power rankings.

The Wolf Pack earned its respect with last week's upset and being the WAC's most worldly team. Scruggs starts four seniors and two juniors, including all-conference players Michelle More and Suzanne Stonebarger. More is fourth in the WAC in kills (4.21 per game), but the Pack is stacked. All five hitters are in the top eight in efficiency and the team is sixth nationally at .316.

Last week, Scruggs fielded "lots" of calls asking if her UOP score was reversed. This week, her team was three spots from breaking into its first Top 25.

"We're the same team as last year, there are no different players," Scruggs says. "We're no different, but we're extremely different.

"There is incredible chemistry this year. Our starters have played together a minimum of three years. We went to Europe in the offseason. They get along great. And they have this hunger to win that's pretty incredible to see."

The Spartans, who have won 20 matches the past three seasons, have five starters back, but the missing link is Joslynn Gallop, their career kills leader and new assistant coach. Brianna Blair and Kimberly Noble have lessened the loss by upping their load; they are Nos. 2 and 3 in WAC kills, after Hawai'i's Kim Willoughby.

"The one person we lost was our heart and soul the last three years," Choate says. "Teams change personalities, some good and some not. We went the good way. No one demands balls and our offense is now by committee. So it's fine now, we like each other. We're a good team, not a final four team."

Fresno State is also a good team, but will have to mature quickly to be a final four team in the WAC Tournament. Vivas has been starting a freshman setter and three sophomore outside hitters. Senior Shauna McQuaid leads the WAC in hitting (.367) and is second in blocks (1.41).

Whether any of those teams can take Hawai'i down is still to be determined. But at least this season there is some suspense.

"Physically, Hawai'i is still the most gifted," Choate says. "In years past it was a given — it doesn't matter if you play well, you're not going to beat these guys. I don't know if that's still true. If Nevada has a great match it has a chance. They have four seniors who have been playing together 100 years and they absolutely know this is their year. We might have to play out of our heads against Hawai'i, but at least we know if we do, we have a chance.

"But I still think Hawai'i is the cream of the crop."

Scruggs characterizes a WAC title as a "feasible goal," but basically echoes Choate's sentiments. Hawai'i's uncharacteristically unimpressive start has not changed that.

"Those (Nebraska and Wisconsin) were two phenomenal teams they played," Scruggs says. "The outcome didn't surprise me because I knew where Hawai'i was at, but it didn't make me think they weren't very good now. A friend who saw it said they were not as good as last year, but they're still very, very good. I wish she'd told me they were not good."

QUICK SETS: The Louisiana Tech match will be broadcast live on 1420 AM, at 1:45 p.m. HST tomorrow. ... The Techsters have won their last four. Hawai'i is the highest ranked team they have ever played. ... This is the Wahine's first road match since Aug. 25. ... This week, Kim Willoughby became the first WAC player in three years to win AVCA National Player of the Week honors. Willoughby leads the WAC in kills, and is third nationally, at 6.12 per game. ...

The WAC's new volleyball format divides the 10 teams into Western (Hawai'i, San Jose State, Nevada, Fresno State, Boise State) and Eastern (Louisiana Tech, Rice, Southern Methodist, UTEP and Tulsa) Divisions. Each team plays one another twice within the division and once outside the division. ... All 10 teams play in the revived WAC Tournament, Nov. 15-18 at San Jose State's Event Center. To seed the tournament, teams will be given one point for wins within the division and two points for wins outside. ... Hawai'i has led the nation in attendance the past seven seasons. It has the Top 30 crowds on the WAC's all-time list. ... Second-ranked Long Beach State stopped fourth-ranked Stanford this week, 30-27, 21-30, 30-21, 30-23, and 14th-ranked BYU swept 19th-ranked UC-Santa Barbara, 30-27, 30-26, 30-23.