Willoughby stricken by back spasms

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

	UH volleyball WHO: Second-ranked Hawai'i (11-0, 1-0) vs. Louisiana Tech (12-7, 0-1) WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center TV/Radio: KFVE (5) and 1420 AM will broadcast the match live. TICKETS: $12 lower bowl, $9 upper, $8 senior citizens and $5 students. PARKING: $3

Wil-loughby, an All-American hitter who is third in the country in kills, is suffering from lower back muscle spasms and could take the week off to rest. Last year, she had the same problem but rarely missed any time during her record-breaking sophomore season. She also suffered spasms last week.

The problem "comes and goes" and apparently it was gone against Rice Friday, when Willoughby went for 23 kills, on .625 hitting, and 13 digs.

Gustin, an all-region middle blocker, has played in only seven games this season and missed the last eight matches with a stress fracture in her left foot. She is wearing a soft cast and working out in the pool. If there is no pain this week, she will run on dry land next week.

If that goes well, team doctors would like Gustin to see "limited action" on the Rainbow Wahine's first trip, to Texas-El Paso and Southern Methodist, Oct. 17 and 19. Gustin's ability to play with the nagging injury will be judged primarily on her "pain tolerance."

For now, Gustin is so bored she has taken to giving scouting reports to the media before matches. The second-ranked Rainbow Wahine (11-0) have seen Tech just once, in a sweep at Ruston last year.

Last week, the Lady Techsters lost their WAC opener to SMU. Tuesday, they fell in five to Stephen F. Austin. Before that, Tech (12-7) had won 10 of 11 — more than it won all last year, in its first WAC season.

"The biggest thing I'm trying to do here is build any kind of winning tradition," Tech coach Heather Mazeitis says. "It's the first year we've done any winning at all. We've beaten some nice teams this year. I hope we can continue to have confidence, but every once in a while the doubt creeps back. It happened Friday against SMU and again Tuesday. Those losses together were a hard pill to swallow."

Tech revolves around its Brazilians — sophomore setter Lia Mora and junior opposite Cristine Sant'Anna, the WAC Player of the Week Sept. 23. Sant'Anna had her ninth double-double (14 kills, 10 digs) Tuesday. She will be in an upcoming edition of Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd."

QUICK SETS: Hawai'i has won its last 59 matches against WAC opponents, 53 in the regular season. Third-ranked Florida broke the NCAA record for most consecutive regular-season conference wins Sunday, hitting 100 with a sweep of Mississippi State in a Southeast Conference match. ... Western Michigan held the old mark of 99, set from 1982-89. Florida's last SEC loss came in the final regular-season match of 1994, against South Carolina. ... Nationally, Hawai'i is first in kills per game (18.26), second in assists (16.89) and hitting percentage (.334) and fourth in digs (18.74). ... Kim Willoughby is third in kills (6.37) and 10th in aces (0.86) while Lily Kahumoku is 19th in kills (5.03). ... Willoughby needs four kills to tie Deitre Collins at No. 6 on the career list, and 30 to move into fifth with Tita Ahuna. Willoughby currently has 1,381. ... San Jose State lost its fourth in a row Saturday, falling in five to 15th-ranked Santa Clara. ... The WAC is 81-46 against non-conference opponents this season, with 11 tournament titles.