'Bows open WAC play tomorrow at San Jose
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
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The Rainbow Wahine (11-1) follow that opening act with the fine-tuning portion of their year, better known as the Western Athletic Conference season.
Hawai'i plays its first WAC match tomorrow at San Jose State (2-9). The 'Bows close their first 2003 road trip at 16th-ranked Santa Clara Sunday.
That match is part of the Sunday Night Spike package on CSTV. The 24-hour all-college sports network is only available in Hawai'i on satellite channel 610 DirecTV. Both road matches will be broadcast live on radio (1420 AM), beginning at 3:50 p.m. HST tomorrow and approximately 10 a.m. Sunday after 49ers football.
The Broncos (8-4) opened the season with a four-game loss to Pacific, which Hawai'i beat three weeks ago, and a four-game victory over SJSU. Santa Clara upset then-No. 10 Arizona the next week. Its other losses came against fifth-ranked Georgia Tech, seventh-ranked Nebraska and 14th-ranked Michigan State.
The Broncos open their home season against UH. All five of their hitters are averaging more than two kills, with Becky Potter averaging four. Potter was the MVP at last week's Gamecock Invitational, leading Santa Clara to three victories.
"They have played such a tough schedule that I'm not sure what their mental health is, but they are certainly very competitive," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "They've seen the best teams all on the road so maybe they're ready to roll at home."
The only other ranked team left on Hawai'i's regular-season schedule is Arizona (now No. 22), which plays here Oct. 19. No WAC teams other than UH got votes in this week's Top 25, but Fresno State has in the past.
The Rainbow Wahine have not lost to a WAC team since Nov. 10, 1998, winning their last 74 regular- and post-season conference matches. They have lost just three times since joining the WAC in 1996. All three losses came against Brigham Young, which is no longer in the conference.
Hawai'i senior Kim Willoughby continues to lead the country in kills, at just under seven a game. Willoughby averaged 7.6 last week, hit .556 and had more than 5 1/2 digs a game. She is hitting .430 for the season, which ranks 13th nationally. Teammate Lauren Duggins (.429) is 14th.
QUICK SETS: With 1,509 kills, Lily Kahumoku is 44 short of Suzanne Eagye, who ranks fourth in UH history. ... Maja Gustin needs 29 kills to become the 14th Rainbow Wahine with 1,000. ... Freshman setter Kanoe Kamana'o is averaging 13.30 assists per game, which would be fourth-best in school history if the season ended today. Kamana'o ranks 13th nationally. ... UH leads the country in kills per game (17.95) and is third in hitting percentage (.342) and assists (16.41).
Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.
