UH basketball player to face USC in volleyball

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Volleyball All-Americans Kim Willoughby, left, and Lily Kahumo-ku will lead UH against national champion USC tonight. Advertiser library photo • Aug. 22, 2002 WHAT: Exhibition women's volleyball, Southern California vs. Hawai'i WHEN: 7 tonight WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center. RADIO/TV: None TICKETS: Admission is $8 adults, $6 senior citizens (65-older) and $4 students (ages 4-18); special court-side seats are available for $25

Those scenarios create as much a hardship as, say, a short-handed women's volleyball team facing the defending national champions.

The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine will have limited availability of their best player for tonight's exhibition against Southern California in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Kim Willoughby, an All-America outside hitter, will play but not start tonight because of her commitment to UH's women's basketball team. Willoughby and her basketball teammates have reservations on tonight's red-eye flight to Arizona, where they will compete in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

Willoughby, who originally signed with UH as a volleyball player, has played both sports the past two seasons, but now the basketball team pays for her scholarship. Rainbow basketball coach Vince Goo gave his blessing to Willoughby playing volleyball tonight.

Because Willoughby has not participated in spring volleyball practice, which began last week, and because of the scheduled flight, "I'm not sure how much action she'll see," UH coach Dave Shoji said.

Instead, Susie Boogaard will start at Willoughby's position on the left side, and either Nohea Tano or Melody Eckmier will replace Boogaard on the right side.

Maja Gustin, who missed matches because of a foot injury last season, will start at one of the middle positions.

"She seems OK, but I don't know if she's 100 percent," Shoji said, noting Gustin probably would need complete rest for six months to fully recover, an unlikely option. "We're watching it."

Because this exhibition falls within the same academic calendar as the Rainbows' 2002 season, senior setters Margaret Vakasausau and Jennifer Carey are eligible to play. Shoji said both only will be used in an emergency. Cayley Thurlby, a redshirt freshman from Illinois, will start.

"Cayley will get to run the team in the spring," Shoji said. "She's doing a nice job. She needs the competition this spring."

Shoji said he expects to open the job at setter in August, when Iolani School's Kanoe Kamana'o enrolls. But Shoji praised the 5-foot-10 Thurlby as being "real athletic, a hard-worker. She's big enough to block in the front row. She just needs game experience."

That should come against USC, which lost two starters, including setter, Tracy Lindquist, from last year's national championship team. Toni Anderson has been named as Lindquist's successor. Two All-America players, outside hitter April Ross and middle blocker Emily Adams, are back.

"They're an awesome team," Shoji said. "They're big and talented at every position. It'll be good to play them."

Shoji had hoped for a meeting in last year's NCAA title match. But those plans were sabotaged when UH lost in the national semifinals. The teams could meet in the State Farm Women's Volleyball Classic in August.

Tonight's match "is a gauge," Shoji said. "SC definitely will be favored to win it all in the fall. This (match) will show us where we are and where we need to be."