Rainbow Wahine strive for consistency

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

In the first two weeks, Hawai'i has featured a vast number of volleyball looks. Who knew a final-four team with seven seniors and returning starters at every position but setter would be so unsettled?

They served up their soft side in the loss to top-ranked Southern California and Monday's marathon victory over 11th-ranked UCLA. Hawai'i gave the fourth game away against the Bruins, and nearly did the same in Game 5, turning what could have been a relatively easy night into a "character builder."

"It was disappointing on one hand, but we won a great match and that really keeps us in position for what we want to do at the end of the season," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "If we had lost, it would have hurt us nationally, but now that we have the win it will stay with us all year. That was a huge win."

It also highlighted persistent problems. Most sobering was the 'Bows' eight-point blackout that cost them the fourth game and the runs they allowed UCLA to make at the end of the final two games.

Kim Willoughby called the lapses "unacceptable" and Shoji agreed.

"Good teams and good players want the ball at the end of the match," he said. "We backed away sometimes. That's something we've got to get over."

The day began badly when the 'Bows heard in the afternoon that team physician Allen Richardson had passed away. Lily Kahumoku dressed in black and was in tears after the match.

Hawai'i also dealt with Willoughby being benched for arriving late to the game-day practice. Her absence snowballed into first-game confusion and the Rainbow Wahine never really got a grip the rest of the match, despite dominating statistically.

"It's still very early," Kahumoku said. "It's a matter of figuring out who is going where. It's not like we have all seven starters. That's vital. There's still one part of our team that's up in the air and that affects us. And, we have a very young setter (freshman Kanoe Kamana'o). She might become one of the best setters in the country, if not the best, but she's still very young."

Willoughby, who has missed a start every season for the same reason, thought practice started at noon instead of 11 a.m. She said she immediately apologized to her teammates and coaches and offered no excuses.

"I basically told them I'm going to accept the consequences and go on," Willoughby said. "I have to take responsibility."

Hawai'i will play unranked teams for the first time this week. Wichita State, tomorrow's opponent, is coming off an upset of then-No. 19 Washington State — the first time in coach Chris Lamb's four years at Wichita that the Shockers beat a ranked team. Wichita and Washington State both lost to San Francisco.

Junior Sara Younes was named all-tournament after averaging four kills a game. She ranked second nationally in serving last year, at more than one ace a game. The Shockers have six starters back from last year's 18-13 team.

Baylor and Pacific, which dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in history 11 months ago, play in tomorrow's first match. The Tigers opened with an upset of then No. 14 Santa Clara. Jennifer Joines, a three-time second-team All-American, had 28 kills in the four games.

The Bears won their Baylor Classic last week. Tischa Schwartz averaged more than five kills to earn Most Outstanding Player honors.

QUICK SETS: Hawai'i senior Kim Willoughy is the first Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for 2003. It is the seventh time Willoughby has earned the honor. She is a two-time WAC Player of the Year. ... Willoughby hit .493 last week against Minnesota and Louisville, with 41 kills in six games.

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