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Wednesday, August 30, 2000
The key word this year is balance.
The UH women's volleyball team
opens its season Friday with a solid
mix of returnees and newcomersWAHINE SCHEDULE
By Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinFor the past two seasons the Wahine have set to the middle, relying on the skills of Heather Bown.
But the national leader in blocks and team leader in kills and percentage is on her way to Sydney now, and that leaves the Wahine with a new strategic philosophy.
"People can't look across the net and say, ah, they're going to go to her this time," said Wahine coach Dave Shoji, who led his 1999 team to a 29-2 record and the NCAA Mountain Regionals. "We've got a lot of weapons."
Could that new balance translate into a better team overall?
"That depends upon whether or not we can actually put the ball down with five other people," said Shoji, aiming for his 26th straight winning season. "If we're dominated by one or two, we're going to be just like we were last year."
The No. 5 Wahine, who return four starters, will try to win their 20th straight season opener Friday as they begin their 27th season against Texas A&M in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic at Stan Sheriff Center.
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES CLASSIC
What: Women's college volleyball.
And what better opponent than the Aggies to try the balanced look against?
Shoji calls it one of the toughest openers he's scheduled in a long time. The Aggies are ranked No. 19 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association/USA Today Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll.
"Bown was pretty much neutralized by them," he said, recalling how Texas A&M upset the Wahine last December.
But the Wahine now have more of an air of mystery about them.
While Veronica Lima and newcomer Maja Gustin will be the middle hitters this year, Shoji also has some pretty good guns at left side in All-WAC selections Jessica Sudduth and Lily Kahumoku and in rookie right-sider Kim Willoughby.
"We're better on the left and better on the right than we've been in past years," Shoji said."I think we just come at the other team from all angles, from left, middle and right. If the other team really doesn't know where we're going to set the ball, then that creates a little doubt on the blockers' part.
"So I think that gives us all parts of the court. We've got athletes at every position."
The starting line is set with sophomore Jennifer Carey at setter, junior Lima and freshman Gustin in the middle, senior Sudduth and sophomore Kahumoku on the left side, and freshman Willoughby on the right side.
But Shoji is flexible about his defensive specialists.
Margaret Vakasausau won't be in the mix for this role because she's been concentrating on setting.
"She hasn't taken many repetitions in the back row," Shoji said.
WAHINE SCHEDULE
SEPTEMBER
1: Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic, Iowa vs. UCLA, 5 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m. 2: HAWC, Iowa vs. Texas A&M, 8 p.m. 3: HAWC, Texas A&M vs. UCLA, 5 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Iowa, 7 p.m. 4: HAWC, Hawaii vs. UCLA, 5 p.m.7: Aston's Imua Wahine Challenge, Creighton vs. Northwestern, 5 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Oregon, 7 p.m. 8: AIWC, Oregon vs. Northwestern, 5 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Creighton, 7 p.m. 9: AIWC, Creighton vs. Oregon, 1 p.m.; 10: AIWC, Hawaii vs. Northwestern, 4 p.m.
15: UC Santa Barbara. 16: UNLV. 22-23: Pepperdine. 29: x-at Fresno State. 30: x-at San Jose State.
OCTOBER
5: x-SMU. 7: x-TCU. 14: x-at Nevada. 16: x-Tulsa. 20: x-at UTEP. 21: x-at Rice. 27: x-at TCU. 28: x-at SMU.
NOVEMBER
2: x-San Jose State. 4: x-Fresno State. 10: x-at Tulsa. 16: x-Nevada. 21: x-Rice. 22: x-UTEP. 24: at Long Beach State Thanksgiving Tournament, vs. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. 25: at Long Beach State. 30: NCAA 1st round, TBA.
DECEMBER
1-3: NCAA 1st-2nd rounds, TBA. 7-10: NCAA Regionals, TBA. 14-16: NCAA final four, at Virginia Commonwealth.x -- Western Athletic Conference
All home games 7 p.m. at Stan Sheriff Center, unless noted otherwise.
