Duggins takes WAC honor

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

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NCAA VOLLEYBALL WHAT: Central sub-regional WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center WHEN: 5 p.m. Thursday, Washington (19-10) vs. Colorado State (22-9), followed at approximately 7 by sixth-seeded Hawai'i (30-1) vs. Western Kentucky (33-4). Winners play Friday at 7 p.m. TV/RADIO: 1420-AM will broadcast live. TV information will be announced later TICKETS: First- and second-round packages $26 (lower level), $20 (upper), $16 senior citizens, $10 students 4-older. If seats remain, individual match tickets sold game day at $14, $11, $9 and $6. PARKING: $3

Duggins, a University of Hawai'i junior, is the Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week. It is the first time Duggins has earned the award. She hit .528 and averaged 3 1/2 kills a game against Brigham Young and Utah. She also dropped in on more than half the Rainbow Wahine blocks.

Duggins is now hitting .408 for the season, which puts her in the top 10 nationally. She leads Hawai'i in hitting percentage and blocking.

The sixth-seeded Rainbows play Western Kentucky Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Washington and Colorado State play in the sub-regional opener at 5 p.m. at Stan Sheriff Center. The winners meet at 7 p.m. Friday for the right to advance to the Central Regional.

Western Kentucky revolves around setter Sara Noe, its only senior and the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Noe is among the top-10 nationally in assists. The Hilltoppers have won 19 in a row, with their last loss Sept. 21 against Dayton. Their other losses were to Iowa, Eastern Michigan and Indiana-Purdue (Ft. Wayne). The only tournament team they played was Cincinnati, which they swept.

The NCAA Committee will announce regional sites following the second round. Nebraska has the inside track in the Central Region because of its No. 3 seed. The Cornhuskers open against Tennessee-Martin Friday in Lincoln. Cincinnati (23-8), coached by Hilo's Reed Sunahara, takes on Arizona State (14-11) in that sub-regional's other first-round match.

The other two WAC representatives in the tournament received first-round rematches. Nevada opens against Pacific and Fresno takes on eighth-seeded UC Santa Barbara. The Wolf Pack lost to UOP in four games last Friday while the Bulldogs fell in four to the Gauchos three months ago.