Saturday, November 27, 1999
NCAA Final Four
at The Stanley?
Possible, very possible after
Wahine win over
Cal Poly SLOWahine top Arizona, await NCAA bid
From Star-Bulletin staff
and wire reportsTUCSON, Arizona - Home, sweet home? Possible. Very possible.
No. 3 Hawaii more than likely clinched hosting duties through the final four today with a quick 15-3, 15-9, 15-1 victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the final match of the Starwoods Plaza Hotel Thanksgiving Invitational. The Wahine (27-1), winning their 10th straight, will learn the postseason schedule tomorrow (5 p.m. HST) when the NCAA Tournament pairings are announced.
Hawaii will host first- and second-round matches Thursdsay and Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center. If seeded in the top four tomorrow by the selection committee, Hawaii would host a regional for the first time since 1996 on Dec. 9-10.
"We played really well today,'' said Hawaii coach Dave Shoji. "Hopefully, we'll be told Sunday that we'll host all the way through. But we need to take care of business first. The first- and second-rounds are our focus.''
Last night, Hawaii turned back a serious challenge from No. 19 Arizona, 4-15, 15-7, 15-13, 15-10. Lily Kahumoku had a match-high 17 kills and Jessica Sudduth added 11 kills and 12 digs as the Wahine ran their record against the Wildcats to 8-0.
Against Arizona, Hawaii led in Game 1 4-1 but gave up 14 unanswered points. It was just the fourth time this season that the Wahine dropped a Game 1.
"We struggled early again and it's not a pattern that I'm particularly pleased about,'' said Hawaii coach Dave Shoji.
It was not a pattern repeated today against the Mustangs (20-8). The Wahine jumped out to a 9-0 lead in cruising in Game 1.
In Game 2, Cal Poly led once at 1-0 before Hawaii ran away to a 13-5 lead. The Mustangs closed to 13-8 but they committed two errors to close it out.
Hawaii easily won Game 3, concluding the regular season with its 10 road victory. The Wahine led 8-0 before the Mustangs got on the scoreboard.
At 8-1, Aven Lee served for the final seven points, including three aces.
Heather Bown finished with 10 kills and was in on seven blocks in being named the tournament MVP. Sudduth added 10 kills.
In today's earlier game, Arizona (19-10) rebounded with a 15-7, 15-10, 15-11 win over UTEP (5-14). It was the second defeat for the Miners in less than 24 hours; they fell to Cal Poly last night, 15-7, 15-8, 15-2.
Wahine top Arizona,
Staff and wire reports
await NCAA bidTUCSON, Ariz - Thanksgiving came a day late but the timing was perfect for the No. 3 Hawaii women's volleyball team.
The Wahine turned back No. 19 Arizona last night, 4-15, 15-7, 15-13, 15-10, in the second match of the Starwoods Plaza Hotel Thanksgiving Invitational
The victory, Hawaii's ninth in a row, likely sealed hosting duties for the Wahine through the final four.
"We still have to win tomorrow,'' Hawaii assistant coach Charlie Wade said, referring to today's match with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (10 a.m.HST). "But the (NCAA selection) committee would have to put a number of teams that have more losses than we do ahead of us to prevent us from getting the regional.''
Hawaii (26-1), host of the Dec. 16-18 final four, will find out the NCAA Tournament pairings tomorrow (5 p.m.). The Wahine likely will be seeded in the top four and named a regional host for the first time since 1996; the team expects to host first- and second-round matches this Thursday and Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
There's sure to be plenty of speculation about regional sites between today and tomorrow. Last night, Arizona tried to jumble things even more as the Wildcats (18-10) began their upset bid with a 15-4 rout in Game 1.
The Wahine led, 4-1, but then gave up 14 unanswered points. It was only the fourth time Hawaii had dropped a Game 1 all season; the Wahine rallied to win in four against UCLA and San Jose but fell in straight sets to Stanford.
"I don't know what happened out there that first game,'' said Hawaii senior Heidi Ilustre, who finished with a team-high 14 digs. "We were a step slow and our timing and block were off.''
Hawaii regrouped in Game 2, rallying from a 6-4 deficit with an 11-1 run, and evening the match. The Wahine again came from behind in Game 3. At 10-13, Lily Kahumoku helped lead a 5-0 final run that closed it out.
The momentum appeared to be going Hawaii's way as the Wahine jumped ahead, 11-5. The Wildcats pulled to within 11-10 but another kill by Kahumoku gave Hawaii the serve back.
Freshman Margaret Vakasau-sau never returned the ball, serving for five consecutive points to end the match. The win ran Hawaii's road record to 9-0 this season.
Kahumoku finished with a match-high 17 kills, while Jessica Sudduth added 11 and 12 digs. Heather Bown, slowed by the flu, had 10 and was in on seven blocks.
Stefani Saragosa led the Wildcats with 12 kills and Jill Talbot added 11 kills and 12 digs. Hawaii outblocked Arizona, 14-0.
In yesterday's first game, Cal Poly (20-7) swept UTEP (5-23, 15-7, 15-8, 15-2.
No. 3 Hawaii def. No. 19 Arizona,
4-15, 15-7, 15-13, 15-10Wahine (26-1 overall)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Carey 4 0 1 4 -.250 0 4 4 Sudduth 4 11 7 37 .108 1 1 12 Bown 4 10 4 26 .231 1 6 3 Kahumoku 4 17 7 42 .238 0 2 8 Lima 4 5 7 22 -.091 1 5 8 Ilustre 4 0 1 3 -.333 0 0 14 Vakasausau 4 0 0 0 .000 0 0 5 Nikolic 2 0 0 1 .000 0 0 0 Roberts 4 8 3 25 .200 0 4 2 Lee 4 0 0 0 .000 0 0 6 Totals 4 51 30 160 .131 3 22 62Miners (5-22, 3-11 WAC)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Clark 4 0 0 0 .000 0 0 10 Elam 4 5 2 15 .200 0 0 6 DaLee 4 9 4 24 .208 0 5 6 Rutledge 4 7 7 29 .000 0 0 9 Burkholder 4 3 3 21 .000 0 2 12 Talbot 4 11 5 31 .194 1 4 12 Williams 4 0 0 0 .000 0 0 10 Napier 1 2 2 5 .000 1 0 0 Saragosa 4 12 3 21 .429 0 3 2 Torregrosa 4 2 7 14 -.357 1 2 3 Totals 4 51 33 160 .112 3 16 70Key--g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.Aces--UH (7): Lima 2, Carey 1, Sudduth 1, Ilustre 1, Vakasausau 1, Roberts 1. UA (5): Elam 2, Burkholder 1, Talbot 1, Saragosa 1. Assists--UH (45): Carey 42, Lee 2, Ilustre 1. UA (48): Burkholder 43, Rutledge 2, Elam 1, DaLee 1, Talbot 1.
Yellow cards-UH 2, UA 1. Red card -UA 1 (Coach Rubio).
T-1:56. Officials: Ray Mink, Keith Martin..
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
Ka Leo O Hawaii
