WAHINE PLAYBOOK
12th Hawaiian Airlines Classic
Schedule-Tonight: No. 10 UCLA (0-0) vs. Pittsburgh (1-0), 5 p.m.; No. 4 Hawaii (1-0) vs. Minnesota (1-0), 30 minutes after first match completed.Tomorrow: Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota, 2 p.m. Sunday: UCLA vs. Minnesota, 3 p.m. Hawaii vs. Pittsburgh, 30 minutes after first match completed.Monday: Hawaii vs. UCLA, 5 p.m. Stan Sheriff Center.
Coaches-Hawaii: Dave Shoji (25th season, 682-135-1); UCLA: Andy Banachowski (33rd season, 843-199); Minnesota: Mike Hebert (4th season, 64-35); Pittsburgh: Cindy Alvear (7th season, 117-74).
Series: Hawaii leads UCLA, 28-26, and has won three of the last four meetings. Last meeting: 1998 Hawaiian Airlines Classic (UH won, 3-0). Last Bruin victory:1997 Hawaiian Airlines Classic, 3-0... Hawaii leads Minnesota, 4-0. Last meeting: 1995 Hawaiian Airlines Classic (UH won, 3-0). Hawaii leads Pitt, 3-0. Last meeting: 1979 season opening series. (UH swept both nights).
Classic history:: Only Hawaii and UCLA have participated in all 11 previous tournaments .UCLA has won five titles (1988, '92, '93, '94 and '97). Hawaii has won four (1989, '91, '95, '96). Other champions are Nebraska (1990) and Florida (1998).
Top players-Hawaii: Heather Bown (6-3 Sr. MB), Jessica Sudduth (6-2 Jr. LS), Veronica Lima (6-2 So. MB), Jennifer Carey (6-1 Fr. S). UCLA: Elizabeth Bachman (6-3 Jr. MB), Kristee Porter (5-11 So. OH), Ashley Bowles (6-0 So. OH), Erika Selsor (5-6 So. S), Minnesota: Lindsey Berg (5-8 So. S), Nicole Branagh (6-1 Jr. OH), Yvonne Wichert (5-11 So. OH0, Stephanie Hagen (6-3 So MB). Pitt: Jenna Birkel (6-3 Sr. MB), Lisa Riggle (5-11 Jr. S), Peggy Meinhart (6-1 Sr. MB), Melissa Alpers (5-11 Sr. OH).
About the Wahine: Hawaii opened the season with an 89-minute victory at Cal Wednesday night. While senior All-American Bown was virtually unstoppable (16 kills, .500), the shining stars for the Wahine were two freshmen: setter Carey (33 assists, 12 digs) and hitter Lily Kahumoku (10 kills, .400). Hawaii returns four starters - Bown, Lima, Sudduth and Heidi Ilustre - from a team that went 32-3 and was a game away from the final four. The last time Hawaii opened the season with Cal was the Wahine's last national championship (1987).
About the Bruins: UCLA is the only team in the tournament that hasn't played a match yet but will be the most rested, having arrived in Hawaii on Wednesday (the other three played on the mainland Wednesday). The Bruins return three all-Pac-10 first team selections: Bachman, Bowles and Porter, the conference Freshman of the Year. UCLA, with three freshmen starters, lost its first three matches last season here but put it together at the end of the season to win 13 of its last 16 matches. The Bruins are deep, with all six starters and 14 veterans back.
About the Golden Gophers: Minnesota is making its third Classic appearance, first since 1995. The Gophers opened at St. Mary's (Calif.) Wednesday night, needing just 63 minutes to sweep the Gaels, 15-4, 15-5, 15-5. Punahou graduate Berg had 30 assists and 10 digs. Branagh finished with 17 kills, hitting .577. Wichert added 11 kills. Minnesota outblocked St. Mary's, 11-1, with Berg and Branagh each in on four blocks. It was coach Hebert's 100th game at Minnesota.
About the Panthers: Pitt opened Wednesday night at home with a hard-fought win over Kent, 15-13, 13-15, 15-12, 11-15, 18-16. The match lasted 2 hours and 39 minutes with the teams combining for 206 kills. Birkel led the team with 20 kills, hitting .400..
On the air: All matches live on KFVE (Channel 5) TV except Pitt-Minnesota Saturday. All Hawaii matches live on KCCN radio.
Tickets: $5-$9 (upper level only).
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
Ka Leo O Hawaii
