UH vs. Stanford not typical exhibition
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Stanford is here with one of the world's best volleyball players — Hawai'i-born Logan Tom — and its fifth NCAA women's championship.
• WHAT: Exhibition collegiate volleyball • WHO: Hawai'i vs. Stanford • WHEN: Tomorrow, 7 p.m. • WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center. • TICKETS: $7 for lower bowl, $6 for upper and $4 for senior citizens, students age 4-high school and UH students. • PARKING: $3.
Lily Kahumoku is back, giving the University of Hawai'i All-America bookends and allowing one of the country's finest middle blockers to move back to the middle.
Wahine volleyball
And two of the country's premier volleyball programs are playing tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
What is wrong with this picture?
It's April. The teams won't play for real points until Nov. 10.
Tomorrow's match between the Rainbow Wahine and Cardinal is an exhibition. Players will be pushed and pulled at a relatively dizzying rate. This concludes offseason training, which is more about crunches than crunching volleyballs.
"Spring is so low key that nobody plays to win a match, they play to get better," UH coach Dave Shoji says. "Winning is not the only thing at stake. Last week in Las Vegas there was no urgency to any of the games. This one will have more."
This one will have spectators and about as much spectacle as a women's volleyball match in April can provide.
It will be Hawai'i's first look at Kahumoku since she lifted the Rainbows into the final four in 2000 as a sophomore. She left last semester to take care of personal business and came back in January. Teammate Maja Gustin said her return was seamless.
"It is like nothing happened," Gustin said. "Like she was always here. ... She belongs to us, of course."
Kahumoku also said she had no trouble with the transition.
"It came together right away," she said. "I don't even remember being in Florida. All I remember are the good times. It was so nice to be back."
Kahumoku sprained her ankle last week, but Shoji is still surprised at how fast she's returned to All-America form.
"She's the same if not better," he says. "She hasn't lost anything and she's in better shape. The ankle injury will slow her Friday, but people will still see how much stronger she is and how much authority she has out there."
In her absence, Kim Willoughby led the country in kills during a record-breaking sophomore season. Gustin, an all-conference middle blocker as a freshman, rotated outside. She will be back in the middle tomorrow, giving Hawai'i dramatic improvement at two positions.
Gustin is happy to have her teammate back, and happier to have her friend back. She missed Kahumoku's gifts on the court and her wisdom off it. But mostly she missed her joy.
"She did what she wanted to," Gustin said. "I know it was the best for her, even though it wasn't the best for us. Now she looks much more happy. And even though it's been practically half a year, she's even better.
"If you are happy with yourself, you can give much, much more. And she is very satisfied with herself, very confident."
And very intent on winning tomorrow.
"It does count for something," Kahumoku says. "Pride."
QUICK SETS: UH coach Dave Shoji said he will start Maja Gustin and Lauren Duggins in the middle, Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku outside, and Nohea Tano opposite setter Margaret Vakasausau. Melissa Villaroman starts at libero. ... So far, 2,500 tickets have been sold for tomorrow's match.
