No spring break for Rainbow Wahine
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Spring practice starts for the 2005 Rainbow Wahine volleyball team this week, with an exhibition against Nebraska two weeks away and a familiar face enrolled after earning all-Pac 10 honors last year at Oregon.
St. Joseph's graduate Sarah Mason, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter, has transferred to Hawai'i. She will be a junior in the fall. She was an all-Pac 10 honorable mention selection last season after finishing in the top five in conference aces (0.51 per game) and kills (4.01). In 2003, Mason was named to the Pac 10 all-freshman team, averaging more than three kills a game.
Shoji
"She can definitely help us sometime," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "I'm not sure if it will be on the left or the right."
Mason helped St. Joseph's to a second-place state finish as a high school senior. She was recruited to Oregon by former head coach Carl Ferreira, who also went to St. Joseph's. Ferreira resigned after last season.
The Rainbow Wahine will play Nebraska March 18 at Stan Sheriff Center (7 p.m.). Tickets go on sale Tuesday. Lower-level seats are $10, and $6 for Super Rooters. Upper-level seats go for $6 (adults), $5 (senior citizens) and $3 (students).
The Cornhuskers are training here during spring break. Shoji said he "wouldn't place any importance on the outcome," but looks forward to seeing a "really good team" anytime.
"The most ideal situation would be to play more than one game that day, but this one is special because it's Nebraska," Shoji said. "It's nice to play a good program like that."
Hawai'i has all its starters back from last year's 30-1 team, including All-Americans Kanoe Kamana'o (first team) and Victoria Prince (second team).
The Cornhuskers also bring back all their starters, from a team that received the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, but lost to USC in the regional final. Nebraska returns All-Americans Melissa Elmer, Jennifer Saleaumua and Sarah Pavan, the national Freshman of the Year.
Hawai'i earned all six first-team spots on the "15-Year All-WAC Team," announced by the conference. The first and second teams were determined by fan voting on the WAC Web site.
Three-time All-American Kim Willoughby, the WAC career kill leader, received the most votes. She was joined on the first team by Olympian Heather Bown, the WAC career block leader. Kamana'o also earned a place on the first team, along with Lily Kahumoku, Angelica Ljungquist and Nikki Hubbert.
Willoughby (2003) and Ljungquist (1996) were NCAA National Players of the Year.
Joslynn Gallop (San Jose State), Charlene Johnson, Tea Nieminen, Korie Rogers and Amy Steele-Gant, all from Brigham Young, and Rebeca Pazo (Rice) and Tricia Tuley (Fresno State) made up the second team.
Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.
