Posted on: Sunday, November 23, 2003
Rainbow Wahine sweep Wolf Pack
| • | Game statistics |
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
RENO, Nev. — On a frigid Sierra Nevada day when the temperature never rose above freezing, second-ranked Hawai'i came out smoking in the Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship semifinals.
Two weeks ago, in the same Virginia Street Gym, Nevada boldly went where no conference team had gone before this season when it took a game off the Rainbow Wahine. Last night before 1,211, the 'Bows beat all the boldness out of the Wolf Pack from the start and won, 30-16, 30-19, 30-17.
"It didn't matter what we did," Nevada coach Devin Scruggs said. "They were just awesome."
Top-seeded Hawai'i will go for its sixth straight WAC championship against sixth-seeded San Jose State in this afternoon's (1 p.m. HST) final. The Spartans (10-17) continued their improbable run by taking out second-seeded SMU, 30-23, 24-30, 30-25, 30-16. SJSU upset third-seeded Fresno State in the opening round.
The Mustangs (23-7) and Bulldogs (21-6) are both hoping for at-large bids into the NCAA Tournament. Today's winner gets the WAC's automatic berth. Nevada's season, which ended in the NCAA Tournament three of the past four years, is over at 16-15.
In the midst of hammering the fourth-seeded Pack, Hawai'i looked as happy as it has during this entire 29-1 season and 28-match winning streak. Playing to near-perfection and enjoying a freedom they allowed themselves and Nevada never discouraged, the 'Bows were brilliant.
"How fun was that?" UH senior Lily Kahumoku asked no one in particular when it was over. "Wasn't that fun?"
UH coach Dave Shoji said Nevada's success against his team in its four-game loss earlier caught the 'Bows' attention.
"They seemed real motivated," Shoji said. "Technically, this was probably our best match of the year. Nothing hit the floor. We executed the game plan just the way we talked about it."
The Wolf Pack never knew what hit it.
UH freshman Kanoe Kamana'o set balls from her knees and her senior hitters scattered spikes off and around Wolf Pack players.
Nohea Tano took seven swings and buried six. Kim Willoughby, playing on a shin sore enough that she didn't jump serve, was erratic but often devastating, planting a few of her 18 kills into the floor and one warmup swing into the basket of balls under the net. Kahumoku and Lauren Duggins each nailed nine kills, some coming off spectacular transition plays where Kamana'o transformed miraculous digs into unstoppable quick sets.
"We had such good energy," Tano said. "We got genuinely excited on every point."
Added Kahumoku, who prepared her own game plan to augment the coaches': "We made a decision amongst ourselves that we weren't going to let anything hit the ground. We were going to go after it. Bodies were flying and balls were coming up. It's so motivating to see your teammates dive for balls and pop them up."
The Wolf Pack, without a senior and playing its best volleyball of the season coming into this tournament, was in awe.
Two weeks ago, freshman Tristin Adams shredded the UH defense with 13 kills, an outrageous number for a setter. Last night, Shoji joked he "put a bounty on her dumps." Every time Adams tried to put the ball down on the second hit, Hawai'i was waiting. She slapped her first try into the net, put her second one down, then was rejected nine straight times.
With her team trailing 15-5 in the final game, Scruggs subbed out Adams. The all-conference freshman walked tearfully to the bench and rubbed her sore knees while the thrashing was completed.
"If there were any weak spots in Hawai'i, we weren't able to find them this time," said Scruggs, who felt one of her team's "worst matches this year" coincided with meeting "definitely the best team we've played."
QUICK SETS: Only two Nevada players hit for a positive percentage as flying 'Bow bodies brought back 48 digs — 14 by libero Melissa Villaroman — and the UH block stuffed a dozen balls, with Maja Gustin in on half. ... Hawai'i has now won its last 89 matches against WAC opponents. ... UH coach Dave Shoji told SJSU coach Craig Choate before his team beat Fresno in the first round that he felt the Spartans "had a shot" at the upset.
Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.
