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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, October 1, 2006

'Bows sweep San Jose on road

Advertiser Staff

The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team is headed home with another sweep of a road opponent.

Jamie Houston had 20 kills and Sarah Mason added 16 kills and 11 digs for the No. 15 Rainbow Wahine in a 30-20, 30-25, 31-29 victory over San Jose State.

Hawai'i improved to 9-4 overall and 3-0 in the Western Athletic Conference. San Jose State dropped to 9-7 and 0-3.

Hawai'i hit .393 and outblocked the Spartans 12-5.

"We hit for a really high percentage, but we had some lapses in serve-receive formations, and we kept letting them back in especially in the third game," Hawai'i coach Dave Shoji said.

Houston, a sophomore outside hitter, had eight kills and one error in nine attempts for a .778 hitting percentage in the first game.

"Houston has been our kill leader almost every game out and tonight she was on again," Shoji said. "She is starting to become a real steady offensive threat."

Mason, a senior outside hitter, hit .484 with just one error in 31 attempts.

"I think we need Mason to step up and take more of an offensive role," Shoji said. "If she does, we have two really good left-side hitters who can put the ball down."

Senior All-America setter Kanoe Kamana'o had 51 assists for Hawai'i.

"I thought she spread the offense really well, and got our middles involved," Shoji said.

The taller Rainbow Wahine held San Jose State to a .192 hitting percentage with 18 hitting errors.

"We were more physical at the net than San Jose," Shoji said. "We should have dominated the net; their middles are 5-10. We knew we had to do that to win the match."

Hawai'i, which is 54-4 all-time against San Jose State, allowed 10 aces.

"I think they served really tough and we weren't moving real well," Shoji said. "We adjusted our formations and passed well when we had to."

On Friday, the Rainbow Wahine swept Fresno State for the second time in six days. It was Hawai'i's first road match of the season.

The Rainbow Wahine return home for matches against Utah State on Oct. 6, Nevada on Oct. 8 and Boise State on Oct. 9.

"We're headed into the toughest part of the season," Shoji said. "We have seven games in 11 nights. We need to conserve our energy, get our rest and take it one game at a time."

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