Posted on: Saturday, November 6, 2004
UH volleyball surges to 21-0
| • | Match statistics |
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Dave Shoji returned to the sidelines last night and the result was another win for his second-ranked University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team, this time against visiting Fresno State.
Advertiser library photo • Oct. 21, 2004 "Our team," UH setter Kanoe Kamana'o said, "is not complete without him."
A crowd of 6,169 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched Hawai'i (21-0, 11-0) win its 101st consecutive WAC match and 193rd straight over unranked opponents. Fresno State (12-12, 5-7) dropped its second match to the Rainbow Wahine this season.
With Shoji at the helm, Hawai'i also clinched the top seed in the WAC Volleyball Tournament, set for Nov. 19 to 21 at the Virginia Street Gym in Reno, Nev.
Last night's victory also brought some healing to Manoa, which had been hungry for good news after suffering multi-million dollar losses to area homes and the UH campus after a Halloween eve flood swept through the valley.
"I understand it was raining very hard during the match," Shoji said. "For everyone who braved the elements to come out, I think that was really nice. It was nice to see a big crowd. We're just hoping that we can take some people's minds off the bad stuff."
Added UH outside hitter Susie Boogaard: "It's a down time right now for the people who attend the school and for the teachers. If they're into volleyball, then this is going to put a smile on their face. We want to make people happy."
For the most part, the Rainbow Wahine did just that last night.
In Game 1, the 'Bows trailed 6-4 before they engineered an 8-2 run capped by one of Alicia Arnott's match-high 15 kills.
Hawai'i increased its lead to 24-14 and finished off the Bulldogs, hitting .306 to win Game 1.
In Game 2, Hawai'i battled back from an 11-7 deficit and pulled ahead 14-13 on a kill by Tara Hittle. The Rainbow Wahine maintained the lead until Fresno State clawed back to go ahead 28-27 on a kill by Christianna Reneau.
Following kills by Boogaard and Fresno State's Tiffany Bishop, Fresno State served for game point at 29-28.
But Hawai'i rallied for three consecutive points sparked by two kills from Boogaard, and finished the comeback with Kamana'o and Victoria Prince blocking Reneau.
"I just wanted to finish it," Boogaard said of the rally. "I wanted to hit hard, don't let up and put the ball down. I'm just so happy that we came through. We didn't want to go to four games. One of our goals is to finish the games."
In the final game, UH cruised to an 18-10 lead and was never threatened the rest of the way.
Hawai'i's Hittle added 10 kills. Reneau led Fresno State with 14 kills and Kahuku graduate Tuli Peters added 13 and hit .345.
Last night marked the homecoming of three Hawai'i players on the Fresno State roster — Peters, Mounia Nihipali (Kamehameha Schools) and La'akea Campbell (Iolani). Peters added 12 digs, Nihipali eight kills and Campbell one kill.
"We're very young and we go up and down at times," said Fresno State coach Lindy Vivas, who is a 1975 Punahou graduate. "We wanted to come here and compete hard, and put out a consistent and competitive effort. I think for the most part we did."
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.
After missing two road matches last week to be with his ill father, Kobe, Shoji took his familiar spot on the bench as the Rainbow Wahine defeated the Bulldogs, 30-24, 31-29, 30-17, in a Western Athletic Conference match.
Dave Shoji missed two matches to be with his ailing father.
"I was looking forward to being back on the bench," said Shoji, who missed his first matches since the 1980s. "It was tough to be out. There has been a lot of people who have expressed their concern about my dad and I really want to say thank you for thinking about him. He's doing better."
Alicia Arnott
Susie Boogaard
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