Posted on: Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Pepperdine struggling as it visits No. 6 UH
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
More than seven years ago, Pepperdine upset Hawai'i in a volleyball match both teams basically mangled. The Waves leaped into the Top 25 the next week. The Rainbow Wahine haven't lost to an unranked opponent since, taking out the last 180 challengers.
Pepperdine is picked to win the West Coast Conference — it hasn't lost a WCC match since 2000 — but has to survive the preseason first. It comes here with five losses; Hawai'i's previous eight opponents came in with a combined record of 26-4.
After opening with a victory over then-No. 18 Georgia and a four-game loss to then-No. 1 USC, the Waves have gone 1-4 on the road. Hurricane Ivan provided a short respite, forcing a match in Colorado to be canceled.
The Waves are more balanced now — Seabury Hall graduate Lecca Roberts is one of five hitters averaging more than two kills — but clearly less lethal.
Sophomore Kekai Crabbe, a Kamehameha Schools graduate, plays behind libero Christina Hinds, the WCC Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Sixth-ranked Hawai'i has also found a balance while winning its first eight. Left-side hitters Susie Boogaard and Alicia Arnott are averaging 3.91 kills apiece. Transfer Victoria Prince averages 3.42 in the middle, where she hits a WAC-best .381. UH is also getting nearly three kills from the right, where freshman Tara Hittle and senior Teisa Fotu have shared time.
Former Rainbow assistant Charlie Brande, here with his UC Irvine team last week, believes a few other UH numbers are deceiving. Hawai'i has been out-dug and out-hit often this season, but has yet to lose.
"They just play hard. They all play hard..." Brande said. "Teams don't beat them because they don't score points."
Saturday's match will be UH coach Dave Shoji's 1,000th. His winning percentage of .850 (848-149-1) is the highest of any active coach.
The WAC season begins without Hawai'i this week. The Rainbows open conference play next week at Fresno State (Sept. 30) and Nevada (Oct. 2).
Alumnae game Among those committed to play in Saturday's alumnae game are Nahaku Brown, Jen Carey, Lauren Duggins, Lily Kahumoku, Karin Lundquist, Diana (McInerny) McKibbin, Toni Nishida-Chock and Karrie (Trieschman) Poppinga.
Statistically speaking The Rainbow Wahine are among the Top 20 nationally in winning percentage (T1 at 1.000), blocks (14th at 3.18), assists (17th at 15.36) and kills (20th at 16.45). Individually, freshman Kari Gregory is 14th in blocking (1.69) and sophomore Kanoe Kamana'o 17th in assists (13.42).
Among WAC schools, Hawai'i is first in kills, assists and blocks, second in hitting percentage (.254), fifth in digs (16.24) and last in aces (1.36). Individually, Victoria Prince is the WAC leader in hitting percentage (.381), Kamana'o second in assists, Gregory second in blocks and Ashley Watanabe third in digs (4.36).
Hhawai'i's fan-tastic Hawai'i leads the nation in attendance, averaging 6,519 tickets sold. Nebraska is second at 4,132. UH has been the national attendance leader since 1995, the first full season it played in the Stan Sheriff Center.
NOTES
Rice received votes in this week's Top 25, coming up 34th in the poll. Hawai'i is the only other ranked WAC team.
Saturday's match will be broadcast the following day on College Sports Television (CSTV) as part of the Sunday Night Spikes AVCA Match of the Week Series. CSTV is not available in Hawai'i.
Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.
The Waves are rolling back into town for matches Friday and Saturday. They have been painfully flat so far, dropping from No. 9 straight out of the poll. It is the first time since 1998 they have not been ranked. It comes just in time to take a shot at the UH streak.
Beyond that, it has been almost fulltime frustration for Pepperdine, which has reached the NCAA Regionals four of the last five years. It is hitting just .148 since three-time All-American Katie Wilkins took her five-plus kills away after last season.
