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Tuesday, October 17, 2000
Tulsa no match You can count on one hand the number of times this season that Lily Kahumoku hasn't led the University of Hawaii women's volleyball team in kills.
for Wahine
Lima blasts a team-high
16 kills to spark Hawaii to
easy win over HurricaneBy Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinBut last night, for the first time in six matches, Kahumoku was second to a teammate.
Veronica Lima slammed a team-high 16 kills off a sizzling .714 hitting percentage as the Wahine (No. 2 AVC/USA Today, No. 1 Volleyball Magazine) eased past the University of Tulsa, 15-6, 15-5, 15-5, before 4,060 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The win improved Hawaii's record to 16-0 overall and 6-0 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Tulsa fell to 15-7 and 1-7.
As a team, the Wahine hit .377 to the Golden Hurricane's .077."I had a good connection with (setters) Jen Carey and Margaret (Vakasausau)," said Lima, the junior middle blocker from Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
"They just found me tonight and we had good passes, and we ran good transitions, and that's all I wanted all year long."
Kahumoku had 13 kills while hitting .369 and Kim Willoughby put together a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs, hitting .389.
Kahumoku, who is second in the WAC in kills per game (4.70), has led the Wahine in kills in 12 matches this season.
"It was good for Veronica to have a match like this because she'd been feeling a little down about her offense," said Hawaii head coach Dave Shoji.
"She was hitting shots she needs to hit, seeing the block well and hitting away from it. It was just a very good night for her."
Shoji said he put Vakasausau in to set for the first unit in game 2 because he wanted her to gain experience that might be needed later in the season. She had 11 assists. Carey finished with 28.
"She's a very capable setter and we may need her in the future," said Shoji.
Hawaii outblocked the Golden Hurricane, 8-0.
"Well that's the story of 5-foot-8 versus 6-3," said Tulsa head coach Matt Sonnichsen, noting the size difference between the teams.
"Volleyball's very much a height sport. Hawaii's on a different level now."
Hawaii was in cruise control except when Tulsa rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the second game to tie at 5-5. After five sideouts at that score, the Wahine went on a 10-0 run to close out the game.
Lima attributed the lapse to fatigue caused by air travel after Saturday's match in Nevada.
"I still feel very tired from our trip," said Lima, "and that counts, too. We said before the match, we're tired but we got to push this through. But when your body is tired, there's a limit to what you can do."
Willoughby agreed, pointing out that the team had to get up at 4:30 a.m. Sunday in Reno to catch the plane back to Hawaii. She said she stayed up until 1 a.m. yesterday with a biology paper due that morning.
"We're trying to go very aggressive in everything we do, and it's taking a toll," said Willoughby. "But to be real, true champions, we're willing to take the beating to get where we have to go."
Shoji said he understood how difficult the weekend was for his team.
"But it only gets worse from here, so we'll have to adjust," he said.
Hawaii must play its next four matches on the road, starting this weekend at the University of Texas-El Paso.
Early in game 2, Kahumoku and Willoughby collided while trying to dig a ball headed out of bounds. As Willoughby, already on the floor, played the ball, Kahumoku's momentum caused her to step on Willoughby's face.
"I think this is just the continuation of being aggressive," said Willoughby.
"I felt so bad," said Kahumoku. But she pointed out that she and Willoughby also collided hard in the Nevada match with Kahu-moku taking the worst of that one.
Tulsa (15-7overall) Hawaii def. Tulsa,
15-6, 15-5, 15-5
g k e att pct. bs ba d Vorra 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 2 Hidinger 3 6 7 26 -.038 0 0 8 Leuer 3 3 4 13 -.077 0 0 11 VanLierop 3 3 2 16 .063 0 0 4 Carlisle 3 6 2 25 .160 0 0 4 Smith 3 3 0 5 .600 0 0 4 Chrisman 1 1 0 2 .500 0 0 0 Martin 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 McLaughlin 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Frogge 3 6 5 17 .059 0 0 0 Totals 3 28 20 .104 .077 0 0 34 Wahine (16-0 overall)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Willoughby 3 10 3 18 .389 1 2 11 Carey 2 1 1 3 .000 0 0 9 Sudduth 2 7 4 20 .150 0 3 4 Kahumoku 3 13 4 25 .360 0 1 7 Lima 3 16 1 21 .714 1 2 4 Lee 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 4 Vakasausau 1 1 0 1 1.000 0 0 3 Nikolic 1 1 0 4 .250 0 1 3 Cravens 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Gomez-Tukuafu 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Gustin 2 4 1 9 .333 0 2 1 Duggins 1 1 0 5 .200 0 1 2 Villaroman 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Totals 3 54 14 106 .377 2 12 50 Key--g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.
Aces--Tulsa (2):Vorraa, Hidinger. UH (5):Sudduth 2, Willoughby, Kahumoku, Gustin.
Assists--Tulsa (24): Smith 19, Leuer 3, Vorraa, Hidinger.. UH(49):Carey 28, Vakasausau 11, Willoughby 4, Nikolic 4, Lee, Villaroman..
T-1:18. Officials: WayneLee, Eric Asami.
Att: 4,060.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii