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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Volleyball question not settled

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

At least one poll member is waiting to see how the University of Hawai'i setter situation begins to sort itself out before he casts his College Sports Television /American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 ballot.

That would be Dave Shoji, poll voter.

In that he is not unlike Dave Shoji, the UH coach. Or, indeed the rest of us.

Right now, Shoji said, "I'm guessing somewhere between eighth and 10th (in the poll) but, you know me, I'll wait and see how things are gonna be. I just can't put us up there if we don't deserve it."

First glimpses — and guesses — at what the Rainbow Wahine might deserve come tomorrow when fall camp opens for the Rainbow Wahine at the Stan Sheriff Center. And while there are 18 players trying to return UH to the NCAA final four, there has been one overriding question for months now: Setter.

This is something of a new concern in Manoa, of course, the position having been in Kanoe Kamana'o's 24-karat hands for what seems like forever. It might have been only four years but it seemed longer because she started from the first match with few worries from the opening set, running the the offense with an uncanny precision.

But if that smoothness and leadership came to be taken for granted, it ended with a jolt after the graduation of the four-time AVCA All-American and three-time Western Athletic Conference player of the year. It stopped with the final set of a 29-6 season back in December.

To put the situation in perspective, imagine football coach June Jones losing quarterback Colt Brennan next year — and not having Tyler Graunke or Inoke Funaki, both experienced backups, to fall back on.

But don't imagine tears. Shoji's cupboard is not empty. Just unproven with freshman Dani Mafua coming off a redshirt year and sophomore Stephanie Brandt, a transfer from UC-Santa Barbara, expected to be available.

"It is like having a freshman quarterback," Shoji acknowledges, running with the football analogy. "So you're not sure how it will work out. But we should be OK."

Indeed, elsewhere the Rainbow Wahine would seem to have few worries and that, along with the early schedule, allows for someone to grow into the position. UH won't ask the setter to win matches with dazzle and brilliance. It just needs for whomever emerges at setter not to put the Rainbow Wahine in any deep holes.

"We're going to give our setters a real simple game plan," Shoji said. "Mostly delivery and location of the set is what we're concerned about. They are not going to have a lot of options. We just want them to be very basic."

For the Rainbow Wahine, then, basic training starts tomorrow when everybody will have an interest in seeing how it develops.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.