Wahine ranked No. 2, behind USC

Advertiser Staff

The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team was picked second to defending national champion Southern California in the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 preseason poll released yesterday.

"I think the team is flattered with that," said UH head coach Dave Shoji. "It is a lot to live up to."

Shoji said: "I'm comfortable with (second). I thought we'd be picked either second or third just based upon what we did last season (34-2) and who we had back."

USC, which finished 31-1 last year, received 64 of the 65 first-place votes in balloting among Division I coaches. UH received the only other vote.

Shoji said he voted his team third behind USC and Florida.

Eight ranked teams are on UH's schedule this season. (Poll in Record, Page D4.)

• Willoughby hurting: All-American Kim Willoughby will be sitting out at least the next two days of practice after complaining of pain in her right knee, Shoji said.

He said Willoughby "planted and felt a twinge" in the knee during drills on Saturday.

Although Shoji said he did not initially believe the injury was serious, Willoughby was to have met with doctors yesterday to review test results.

• State Farm television: KFVE (Channel 5) will show the opening-round games of the State Farm Classic on Aug. 22, general manager John Fink said.

But ESPN will show the Aug. 23 championship game on a 12-day delay, Sept. 4th, according to a spokesman for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators, which operates the event.