Hawai'i beats Fresno in 5
Advertiser Staff
Third-ranked Hawai'i stared a second straight volleyball loss in the face and didn't blink last night, holding off Fresno State and its rowdy crowd, 30-19, 30-24, 25-30, 22-30, 15-10.
All-Americans Lily Kahumoku (33 kills) and Kim Willoughby (30) combined for a rare 30-30 performance and accounted for 72 percent of the Rainbow Wahine kills. Kahumoku, whose total was a career high, hammered the final four Hawai'i points after UH went on a 7-3 surge to take control of Game 5.
That, and an astonishing 33-dig performance from libero Melissa Villaroman, was barely enough to fight off the balanced Bulldogs, who got double-digit kill totals from four players. Their versatility fractured the 'Bow block and left Villaroman to dig a barrage of shots.
"Their lefts were hitting cross-court and we couldn't slow them with our block so everything was going to Melissa," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "She could have had 43 if she'd made every play, but she did a great job."
With the victory, Hawai'i (24-1, 12-0) clinched its eighth straight regular-season conference title and the top seed in next week's WAC Tournament. FSU (22-5, 10-3) is the second seed. The teams could play again next Sunday for the WAC championship.
Last night's match would have made an ideal finale.
The Rainbows, coming off a loss to Stanford Sunday, ran over Fresno in the first game and outscored it 11-4 at the end of the second. But the Bulldogs, buoyed by 1,396 in tiny North Gym, found their way back to win the third and blocked UH off the court in the fourth.
"We didn't have much emotionally," Shoji said. "It was pretty predictable. After losing, it's hard to get yourself back up. I though it might be a night where we would struggle. I was right."
QUICK SETS: Tonight's match at San Jose State (13-13, 6-6) will be broadcast live on 1420 AM, at 4:45 p.m. ... Melissa Villaroman's 33 digs was the fourth-best total in school history and most since 1989. Teee Williams holds the record, with 45. Villaroman's previous high was 18. ... Hawai'i has been the opponent for Fresno's three biggest crowds, counting last night. The Rainbows attracted 1,982 in 1996 and 1,692 a year later.
