Hawai'i gains regional with sweep of BYU

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i's Kanoe Kamana'o and Brigham Young's Lexi Brown watch the ball fall on the Cougars' side. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Rainbow Wahine rolled into the regionals with a 30-19, 30-23, 30-22 victory in the second round of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship.

Hawai'i (34-1), ranked second nationally and seeded second in this tournament, will now host a regional next Friday and Saturday. Seventh-seeded Georgia Tech also qualified last night. The other two teams will be decided tonight.

With all but a few in the Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 6,492 watching in rapt enjoyment, UH drove BYU to distraction. Freshman setter Kanoe Kamana'o relentlessly found middle blockers Lauren Duggins and Karin Lundqvist free while the Cougar blockers released outside to stop All-Americans Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku.

The middles combined for 23 kills and hit nearly .500. The Cougars couldn't stop them and few have ever stopped Willoughby and Kahumoku. It made for a mismatch nearly as one-sided as last year's meeting in Provo, when BYU was suffering through a series of major injuries and ending a 14-19 season.

The Cougars (24-9) were supposed to be much closer this time. Instead, the scores were nearly identical.

"We came out and it wasn't spectacular, but we got off to a great start and that set the tone for the match," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "We never really celebrated like we did Thursday night, but we didn't need to. It was very efficient."

It was ruthless.

Before the Cougars knew what hit them they were down 10-1 and wondering if they would ever score again.

The Rainbows' brilliant opening flurry starred Willoughby, who finished with a match-high 16 kills, and a sparkling supporting cast.

Lundqvist started for Maja Gustin, who was injured in Thursday's first-round sweep. Lundqvist gave UH a 2-1 lead by drilling the first set she saw.

"Karin started a lot of matches last year and hasn't had a chance since Maja's come back," Shoji said. "She's been real patient, never had a bad attitude about not playing much, waited her turn. Sure enough we really needed her to step up ... and she did."

Willoughby buried Kamana'o's next three sets. BYU, already shaken, called time two minutes in, trailing 5-1.

Kamana'o set Lundqvist again after the break. Again she planted the ball. Kamana'o tried Nohea Tano with the same result. Kamana'o went back to Willoughby twice, and BYU was whistled for a ballhandling violation.

The Cougars finally got a kill to end their early nightmare, but the misery was just beginning. Hawai'i hit .541 in the first game against a BYU block ranked 13th nationally. Willoughby gathered nine kills and every other 'Bow, including setter Kamana'o, had at least two.

"I didn't know what to think," Shoji said. "Obviously BYU had a slow start. I didn't think we were doing anything extraordinary to earn points, we were just efficient and they struggled. They hit balls out, they got blocked. But I was very happy we got off to that start."

Hawai'i cooled somewhat in the second game and the Cougars actually led, 11-10. Then Willoughby launched a kill off Carrie Bowers and went back to serve. Seven points — and three aces — later, UH had seized control.

"That serve is like a rocket," Bowers said. "We were OK, until she served."

By the time Willoughby's run was over, it was clear the Cougars had no answer for Hawai'i's offense, which has been remarkably balanced so far this postseason. In Lundqvist's first start since the 10th match of the season, she had a career-high 12 kills and hit .556 with two blocks.

"It's just very enjoyable out there, great spirit," Lundqvist said. "You have to step up to the players around you. You just have to do it."

Duggins added 11 kills, three blocks and hit .476. With the 'Bows passing nearly every serve well enough to run all its options, there was nothing BYU could do to stop them. It came in averaging more than three blocks a game and finished with but five in the match.

"We lost to a better team," BYU coach Karen Lamb said.

QUICK SETS: The Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Banquet will be Sunday, Jan. 18, at Hale Koa Hotel. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails at 5:30. The cost is $35 through the end of the year and $50 in January. For information, call 735-8697. ... This is the first year that BYU has not been ranked through an entire season. ... UH now leads the series with the Cougars, 15-5. ... Kim Willoughby claimed another UH career record Thursday, passing Tita Ahuna as the program's dig leader. She now has 1,395. ... Regional tickets have been on sale since Nov. 17 and are still available.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.