Rainbow Wahine defeat BYU in three straight
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
PROVO, Utah — Last time the Rainbow Wahine and Brigham Young played volleyball it was wild and wonderful. Last night, it was wildly one-sided, as second-ranked Hawai'i iced the Cougars in the chill of their own lair.
Before a Smith Fieldhouse crowd announced at 813, Hawai'i hammered out a 30-23, 30-19, 30-17 victory to put coach Dave Shoji on the brink of becoming the fourth coach in his profession to win 800 matches. The 'Bows are 29-1 going into tonight's final regular-season match at 24th-ranked Utah. Shoji is 799-146 in 28 years.
The incentive against the Utes goes far beyond a big win on the road, where the temperature hasn't hit 40 degrees the past two days. The Rainbow Wahine want to win for Shoji and to give themselves the best shot at hosting the first two weeks of the NCAA Tournament. The field will be announced Sunday.
Utah beat BYU Saturday for the Mountain West title. The Utes are bigger, better, much healthier and have more to play for.
The Cougars, who dropped out of the poll Sept. 2 for the first time in six years, have started a dozen players this season. First-year coach Karen Lamb lost four of last year's starters to graduation, and the team has gone through a deluge of injuries and illness.
BYU (14-18) will finish with its first losing record. The Cougars' only shot at reaching their 20th NCAA Tournament came Saturday against Utah, after they had upset top-seeded Colorado State. When the Utes won, BYU had little left to play for.
"We were a lot better last weekend," Lamb said. "I have to think we haven't recovered yet. We played everybody tonight. That's what we have. If somebody is not playing good we don't have anyone else."
Four years ago, BYU and Hawai'i went 3 hours and 38 minutes in their last WAC championship match. Last night, it was over in 90 minutes.
"I know BYU and UH have a rivalry and take pride in their athletics," UH setter Margaret Vakasausau said. "I wouldn't say I expected more from them, but I thought they'd be fired up. We just concentrated on our side and focused on what we were doing to make sure they didn't get better in any way."
The Rainbows started sloppy in the 4,500-foot altitude — All-Americans Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku combined for 10 kills but hit just .155 — and still pulled away in Game 1. BYU did not have a dig until the 39th point of the night. It would finish with but 19 in the match, which is what Hawai'i averages in a game. The Cougars' passing was not much better, which left their hitters with little to hit most of the night.
Meanwhile, the 'Bows began to get in a groove, inspired by their defense. Kahumoku and Willoughby, who finished with a match-high 20 kills, played a huge part in that as well, sprawling and charging into benches and tables. Hawai'i won Game 1 with a late surge, Game 2 by outscoring the Cougars 20-10 at the end, and Game 3 with total domination.
"It was obvious that (the Cougars) weren't emotionally ready to play tonight," Shoji said. "They had a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament and they didn't so ... I felt if we came out and played real well they wouldn't respond. It just looked like they didn't care much about the match."
Hawai'i swept without starting middle Maja Gustin, who rested a muscle strain in her right leg that took her out of Sunday's WAC Championship. Shoji said it was caused because she was favoring her left leg, which kept her out of a dozen matches earlier. She will probably play tonight.
Melody Eckmier and Nohea Tano split Gustin's position and contributed 10 kills and four stuffs. Lauren Duggins continued to sizzle, going 8-for-13 without an error at the other middle. In her last two matches she has 23 kills and is hitting 72 percent.
QUICK SETS: Hawai'i takes on 24th-ranked Utah (24-7) tonight at the Utes' Crimson Court. Utah is led by co-MWC Player of the Year Kim Turner, who is among the top 10 nationally in blocks, as are the Utes. ... Utah was ranked in the top 10 earlier in the season. ... The Utes are 0-9 against UH. ...The Rainbow Wahine set WAC Tournament records for hitting percentage in every match last week. Kim Willoughby started it by hitting .577 in the opener. Maja Gustin hit .625 against San Jose State and Lauren Duggins .789 in the final. ... Sunny (Tonga) Mahe, BYU's all-conference hitter, took this year off to start a family. She gave birth to a girl Nov. 10. Her husband is BYU football player Reno Mahe. ... BYU coach Karen Lamb was an assistant for Elaine Michaelis the last eight years. Michaelis retired as coach in May after 40 years.... Junior libero Uila Crabbe, who set for Nohea Tano and Lily Kahumoku at Kamehameha, plays for BYU.
