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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 1:46 p.m., Thursday, November 15, 2007

UH hammers Boise State in WAC volleyball tournament

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Shaking off a week of turmoil and travel, 11th-ranked Hawai'i hammered Boise State into the Pan American Center floor today in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament.

The Rainbow Wahine (22-5), coming off the first WAC home loss of their 12-year membership, won by scores of 30-13, 30-15, 30-22 before an afternoon crowd of about 150.

Aneli Cubi-Otineru had 17 kills to lead the UH attack. Juliana Sanders had 10 kills and hit .450.

Senior Tiffany Starring led BSU with six kills.

Hawai'i will play fourth-seeded Nevada in tomorrow's first semifinal. The Wolf Pack (16-10) ousted fifth-seeded Idaho 30-22, 31-33, 30-16, 30-28. The other semifinalists will be decided tonight, with 13th-ranked New Mexico State facing Fresno State and Utah State playing San Jose State.

The Rainbows ripped the Broncos (6-23) from the beginning. They won the first game in 18 minutes, hitting .441 to Boise's negative .167. The Broncos managed just three kills while Aneli Cubi-Otineru paced UH with seven. Every Hawai'i attacker had at least one kill in the first nine serves as UH led 8-1.

The eighth-seeded Broncos, who got just three hours rest after beating Louisiana Tech in five this morning, stuck around only a little longer in Game 2. They were down one (5-4) when UH scored seven straight with Jamie Houston serving. Later, with reserves Dani Mafua and Jessica Keefe in, Hawai'i went on an 8-0 run to pull to a 27-11 advantage.

Game 3 was tied as late as 10-10. Hawai'i scored six of the next eight and the Broncos could not get within two again.

It was the Rainbows' most decisive victory of the season. They held Louisiana Tech to 51 points three weeks ago.

Hawai'i has won the last nine WAC titles, and its last 22 tournament matches.