Posted at 11:19 a.m., Monday, July 1, 2002
Volleyball coaches pick Wahine to win
Advertiser Staff
The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team has been picked to win its seventh consecutive regular-season conference title, according to voting by Western Athletic Conference coaches.The Wahine, who return All-Americans Kim Willoughby (selected in 2001) and Lily Kahumoku (2000), received nine of 10 first-place votes in the preseason WAC coaches poll released today.
UH totalled 81 points. San Jose State received the other first-place vote and was picked to finish second with 68 points. Fresno State, Rice, Nevada, Southern Methodist, Texas-El Paso, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech and Boise State followed in that order.
Hawai'i, which finished 29-6 last season when Kahumoku took a year off for personal reasons, advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinals before losing to UCLA, 3-1 in Long Beach, Calif. In 2000, with Willoughby and Kahumoku, the Wahine went 31-2, reaching the final four, where they lost to Nebraska in the semifinals.
Willoughby, an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America first team selection last season, is spending working out this summer with the United States women's national volleyball training team.
Kahumoku also was WAC player of the year in 2000.
The Wahine's season begins Aug. 30 with the 15th Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.
