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Monday, September 18, 2000
It's quite a jump. Big Waves heading
toward ManoaBy Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinThe No. 2 University of Hawaii women's volleyball team (7-0) swept winless UNLV on Saturday but now prepare to take on No. 8 Pepperdine (9-0).
"This is perhaps the best team we'll face all year," said Wahine head coach Dave Shoji.
"We're going to try to match our taller players against each other so we'll know what it feels like to go up against a bigger block," he said. "They're (Pepperdine) real big."
Pepperdine swept No. 12 Florida, 15-13, 15-13, 15-6, to win the UF Hotel & Conference Center Invitational on Saturday night in Gainesville, Fla.
Shoji said he knows something about the Waves' players he tried to recruit but will get into film work on Pepperdine at midweek.
Probably the most important development in last weekend's wins against No. 14 UC-Santa Barbara (5-15, 15-11, 16-6, 15-5) and UNLV was Jessica Sudduth's offensive breakout.
Sudduth, who entered the weekend averaging 2.53 kills per game, had 35 kills in the two matches and is now averaging 3.19 kills per game.
"She had a great weekend and we hope she can do this on a regular basis," Shoji said. "She's such a good player. It's just that the hitting part of her game was not up to the rest of her game until last weekend."
Asked how much Sudduth's surgically repaired right thumb is impeding her progress, Shoji said it only prevents her from getting a lot of topspin on the ball.
"But she's been hitting the ball harder when she gets a good approach," he said.
The Wahine also were bolstered last weekend by the early return of freshman right-sider Kim Willoughby from an ankle injury. She helped rally Hawaii against the Gauchos.
Shoji said he's still concerned with depth.
"We need to have Tanja (Nikolic) play better," he said. "She was a little shaky. We need to get her back on track because we're going to need her in the future. Lauren (Duggins) has been playing better in practice the last few days and certainly we may need her down the road somewhere."
Although Duggins' natural position is middle, Shoji wants to convert her to the outside.
Lily Kahumoku leads the Wahine with 4.60 kills per game, Veronica Lima has the best hitting percentage (.377) and Willoughby is the team leader in digs with 2.75 per game.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
