Posted at 11:48 p.m., Friday, August 24, 2007
Michigan upsets Hawaii in volleyball
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Oregon State outlasted Colorado State, Saturday night's UH opponent, 30-27, 25-30, 24-30, 30-28, 18-16, in the 2-hour, 46-minute opener.
The Rainbow Wahine started about as low as they could go last night and somehow, behind first-year players Stephanie Brandt, Aneli Cubi-Otineru and Liz Ka'aihue, fought their way back.
In the final game , they pulled ahead 10-8 on a missed serve — Michigan had 18 — and one of Kari Gregory's eight blocks. The Wolverines, who made the NCAA Tournament last year despite finishing seventh in the Big Ten, refused to let them get away.
The teams traded points until Hawaii got to match point at 14-12 on a brilliant Brandt set to Amber Kaufman. But Michigan senior Lyndsay Miller erased two match points and gave the Wolverines their own with three straight kills.
Tara Hittle erased that for UH and, after a huge rally won by Michigan, Otineru's 16th kill erased another. But Miller's 17th kill gave the Wolverines one more try, and Otineru hit out to end it after 2 hours and 44 minutes.
