Friday, November 5, 1999
IT was a night where Dave Shoji got to have his cake and eat it, too. The University of Hawaii women's volleyball coach enjoyed a double celebration tonight. His third-ranked Wahine gave him career victory No. 701 in short-but-sweet fashion, taking just 65 minutes to dispose of WAC foe Tulsa, 15-3, 15-1, 15-2, at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Then, in a ceremony that lasted almost as long as the match, the university, fans and players recognized Shoji's milestone attained last Saturday at Fresno State. The Wahine coach, in his 25th season, is the seventh to reach the 700-win plateau in NCAA Division I women's volleyball.
"If I had it my way, there'd be no ceremony, no cake or presentation," said Shoji, who served chocolate cake to fans and players after the match. "But I'm very appreciative that the (athletic) department thinks enough of me to do something like this. It was nice that the fans stayed around to watch. They are part of the success of the program.
"The players were truly moved by being part of 700, too. This team has made it so much fun to go into the gym every day."The Wahine (20-1, 9-0 WAC) had a fun time tonight as well. With the return of sophomore Veronica Lima (flu) and freshman Lily Kahumoku (back spasms), their starting lineup was back intact for the first time in three weeks.
HAWAII jumped out to an 8-1 lead after five minutes and never trailed. The Golden Hurricane (8-14, 2-8) finished with 11 total kills; Wahine senior blocker Heather Bown had 16 kills with no errors in 18 swings, hitting .889.
No Tulsa player had more than three kills, with Kara Hidinger having the most success (3 kills on 7 attempts, .429). The Golden Hurricane, losing their seventh straight, hit negative .095 on the night.Hawaii, the country's top blocking team, had seven stuffs to Tulsa's zero.
The Wahine have reached the 20-win plateau in six consecutive seasons and 21 of the past 23 seasons.
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
