WAHINE VOLLEYBALL
Wahine tip WAC out of balance
No matter how strong the conference gets, Hawaii's streak appears safe
Take Hawaii out of the equation and the Western Athletic Conference has never been as balanced as it is this season in women's volleyball.
No. 10 Hawaii at Fresno State
When: Today, 4 p.m., Hawaii time
TV: None
Radio: Joined in progress after football game, KKEA 1420-AM
Gametracker: www.gobulldogs.com
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From top to bottom -- again with the exception of the Rainbow Wahine -- there doesn't appear to be guaranteed wins.
New Mexico State went up to Moscow, Idaho, Thursday and lost in five to the host Vandals. Fresno State, with two more players dismissed on Wednesday, has won just twice ... beating the teams currently in second and third place (Utah State and Nevada).
The balance is as good as it is bad. On one side of the scale is the equity in competition; on the other is the harsh reality that -- barring Hawaii being upset in the WAC tournament -- only the Rainbow Wahine will be heading to the NCAAs.
"I'm not surprised when anyone wins in this league," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "There are no gimmes. That's good for the league overall but it may be bad in terms of getting teams to qualify for the NCAA tournament."
While the rest of the WAC tries to find consistency, No. 10 Hawaii looks to continue its dominance. The Wahine (16-6, 10-0) go for their 102nd consecutive conference win today at troubled Fresno State (4-16, 2-8).
On Wednesday morning, first-year coach Ruben Nieves dismissed the team's leading hitter, sophomore Mounia Nihipali (Kamehameha Schools) and sophomore backup setter Ilima Sam Fong for "poor attitudes." It was the same reason Nieves gave for the dismissal of senior La'akea Campbell (Iolani School) earlier this season.
Nieves said he would not elaborate on the situation. Only six players remain from last year's team, including junior hitter Alison Pitton, who had 18 kills and hit .342 in Thursday's loss to San Jose State.
Sophomore hitter Alisha McKee has also played well after moving over from the middle after the losses of Campbell and Nihipali, the latter who hadn't played since mid-September.
The Bulldogs have won just once since falling to the Wahine in Honolulu on Oct. 7, outlasting struggling Nevada in five last Saturday. This will be their third match this week, fourth in eight days.
"That was a good win for us," Nieves said of topping the Wolf Pack. "Against San Jose State (Thursday), we weren't able to sustain the offense and side-out rhythm that we had in Game 2 when we won (31-29)."
"A season is long and hard, especially when you get to the point you're 4-16. We've had challenges all season long, and now we have a new one (in Hawaii)."
Nieves said he expected a large crowd for today's match against the Wahine at North Gym, a contest which usually draws the most fans during the season. Fresno State is averaging 697 fans at home.
Hawaii has never lost to Fresno State in 36 meetings. Shoji wasn't expecting any of the Wahine's winning streaks to be snapped today.
"The team is very focused," Shoji said. "Everyone is feeling good, well-rested and looking forward to finishing this trip with a win."
Notes: Junior setter Kanoe Kamana'o should move into second place on the UH career list for assists today. She has 4,295 and needs 10 to pass Cheri Boyer for third and 18 to pass Robyn Ah Mow for second ... The NCAA record for consecutive regular-season conference wins is 145, held by Florida. Hawaii has won 101 in a row, 116 straight including the WAC tournament.
WAC standings
|
Conference |
Overall
|
|
W |
L |
Pct. |
W |
L
|
Hawaii |
10 |
0 |
1.000 |
16 |
6
|
Utah State |
6 |
3 |
.667 |
14 |
9
|
Nevada |
7 |
4 |
.636 |
13 |
9
|
New Mexico State |
6 |
4 |
.600 |
13 |
5
|
San Jose State |
5 |
4 |
.556 |
10 |
11
|
Idaho |
4 |
5 |
.444 |
12 |
10
|
La. Tech |
2 |
8 |
.200 |
15 |
11
|
Boise State |
2 |
8 |
.200 |
6 |
11
|
Fresno State |
2 |
8 |
.200 |
4 |
16 |
Thursday's results
Hawaii def. Nevada, 30-22, 30-22, 30-27
Boise State def. Louisiana Tech, 30-25, 27-30, 30-19, 24-30, 15-9
Idaho def. New Mexico State, 30-28, 28-30, 30-25, 30-21
San Jose State def. Fresno State, 30-21, 29-31, 30-17, 30-15
Today
Hawai'i at Fresno State, 4 p.m. HST
Louisiana Tech at Idaho
New Mexico State at Boise State
Utah State at San Jose State