honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, October 9, 2004

No. 4 Wahine stay unbeaten

 •  Match statistics

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i's first WAC home match of 2004 looked much like its last WAC home match of 2003. The fourth-ranked Rainbow Wahine (13-0, 3-0 WAC) remained unbeaten with a 30-20, 30-25, 30-26 volleyball victory over Boise State.

Victoria Prince

The Broncos (14-4, 3-2), who won just two conference matches their first three years in the WAC, could have moved into first in the Western Division with a victory.

A Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 6,275 watched Hawai'i win its 93rd consecutive match against a WAC team. It has won its last 185 against unranked opponents. UH hosts Texas-El Paso (6-8, 0-5) tomorrow at 4 p.m.

The Rainbow Wahine got at least seven kills from four hitters and used 14 players.

In a rare show of dominance, they ripped through a first game that was so one-sided they didn't get their first kill until the eighth serve and still led. That kill came from Susie Boogaard, who would get five more in the game — three during a 4-0 run with Ashley Watanabe serving. In the next rotation the 'Bows scored four in a row again, this time with Tara Hittle serving, to go up 16-8.

The Broncos never cut their deficit below six again as they had nearly as many hitting errors (10) as kills (12). They struggled most against the littlest blocker, with 5-foot-8 Kanoe Kamana'o dropping in on four of Hawai'i's five stuffs.

The Rainbows didn't have any blocks in Game 2, fell behind 23-20 and never blinked. They caught and passed the Broncos when Boogaard served five straight to make it 26-23. BSU served out, hit out twice and mangled a pass in the 'Bow burst.

Alicia Arnott collected all seven of her kills in the second game when she hit .545.

Hawai'i brought in Teisa Fotu at libero and Kari Gregory in the middle in Game 2. It tried a third combination in Game 3. For the first time since opening night, Juliana Sanders and senior captain Melody Eckmier were in the middle, with Victoria Prince on the right.

The Rainbow Wahine kept coasting, and substituting.

• • •