Posted on: Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Rainbows up to No. 3 in volleyball Top 25 poll
| • | Ferd Lewis: Shoji must keep UH grounded |
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team yesterday climbed to third, its highest position in the USA Today/College Sports Television Top 25 Coaches Poll this season, but coach Dave Shoji doesn't think the Rainbows Wahine would be favored against anybody in the Top 10.
None of them?
"OK, take us and play someone on a neutral court and, I think, we'd be underdogs against just about anybody in the Top 10," Shoji said.
But the Rainbows have so far won over members of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, who vote in and distribute the poll. From two months ago, when the preseason rankings were announced with the Rainbows 13th, they have been riding the escalator. From 13th, their lowest start since 1998, the Rainbows have gone 11th, 7th, 6th, 4th ... and, now, third.
"People keep losing and we don't, so, I guess, we move up," Shoji said.
The unbeaten (14-0) Rainbow Wahine trail only Washington (13-0) and Minnesota (16-2) after sweeping Boise State and Texas-El Paso over the weekend.
Ohio State (16-0) and Texas (15-0) join UH and Washington as the only remaining unbeatens. But in the regular season, Shoji concedes, "I don't know if anybody else (other than UH and Washington) can run the table."
Washington, which received 63 first-place votes, and UH, which earned two, were the only schools receiving them. National champion USC (9-3), which had been No. 2, dropped after being swept by California.
UH plays Thursday at Louisiana Tech and Saturday at Southern Methodist.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
"I'm surprised we're that high; there are a bunch of quality teams below us and that worries me a little bit," Shoji said. "We're moving up because we're undefeated but there (are) still a lot of good teams in the Top 10 and we probably wouldn't be favored against any of them, if we played them head-up."
