Nevada's looking for better result against UH

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Dave Shoji squirmed desperately on the bench six weeks ago as he watched Nevada serve and slap his Rainbow Wahine volleyball team silly while Virginia Street Gym rocked.

Shoji

Somehow Hawai'i did, 15-13 in the fifth game. Heading into conference matches against San Jose tomorrow and Nevada Saturday, the second-ranked 'Bows (21-0, 11-0 WAC) remain unbeaten and all but unbelievable.

"What they've done is amazing," Nevada coach Devin Scruggs says. "It shows how good a coach Dave is. It's a completely different group and he has made them successful and got them to believe in themselves.

"He's a little surprised by their success I'm guessing. My guess is, a lot of it has to do with the confidence they gained the first three weekends. Those kids didn't know they were supposed to be in a rebuilding year. They thought they were supposed to be as good as they were in previous years."

A week earlier Nevada had hit bottom at Rice, according to Scruggs. The coaches challenged their players in a post-match plea to "be here for the right reasons." Every phase of the Wolf Pack program was toughened up.

"It could have gone either way," Scruggs admits. "They responded in a very positive way. We've played well ever since."

Nevada was two points from an upset of Hawai'i in each of the last two games. It would have had a serve for the match but for a referee's over-rule.

The Wolf Pack were the first to work over the UH passing, acing Hawai'i 10 times. Freshman Teal Ericson shredded the UH block for 20 kills, nearly all offspeed. Nevada silenced Hawai'i's left side, which had been heroic, and got 17 more kills from Christine Harms, who averages less than two a game.

All-WAC middle Salaia Salave'a had an off night offensively, but supported a roof that out-blocked the 'Bows for one of the rare times this year. "Salave'a did not have a great match against us," Shoji said. "If she had, we probably would have lost."

The same might be true Saturday. Nevada (17-6, 9-2) has not lost since and has incentive. An upset here could launch it into the NCAA Tournament. And the memory of last month's win-that-could-have-been remains vivid.

"It was not so much a turning-point match for us as the realization that we can do this. The turning point was the Rice match. The Hawai'i match strengthened our belief that we are good."

The Pack is also a little like the Rainbows. Both teams have just two seniors and are relatively balanced. The most dynamic attacker comes from the middle — Salave'a and UH transfer Victoria Prince, who hit .419 last time the teams played, and kicked in 15 kills and 13 blocks. She and freshman Tara Hittle (19 kills, .545 hitting) were about all the UH offense had going.

"The key to the match is how Salave'a responds," Scruggs says. "She gets so excited and pumped up to play Hawai'i that sometimes she doesn't play her game. She hit almost .400 against Stanford, but only .158 against Hawai'i. We hope to keep her consistently good in our offense. If she plays like she's been playing every other match it will be much different for us. They did not see us play that well."

The 'Bows disagree. They saw all they wanted to see.

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