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Friday, November 3, 2000
Wahine keep The University of Hawaii women's volleyball team got over what might have been its last major stumbling block in its defense of the Western Athletic Conference title last night.
record intact
UH is still undefeated at 21-0
after the victory over
San Jose StateBy Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinThe Wahine (No. 2 in AVCA/USA Today poll, No. 1 Volleyball Magazine) got a superb all-around performance from freshman middle blocker Kim Willoughby and key boosts from the infirmary in sweeping second-place San Jose State, 15-10, 15-7, 15-6, before a crowd of 4,432 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hawaii improved to 21-0 overall and 11-0 in the WAC with five conference matches to go. The Wahine host Fresno State (12-12, 5-5) tomorrow.
The Spartans fell to 17-6, 8-2.
"This was important because they could've tied us," said Hawaii head coach Dave Shoji.
Willoughby played like a woman possessed on defense, an effort UH fans are now coming to expect every night.
Often playing the ball while on her back, Willoughby had 12 digs to go with her team-leading 11 kills. It was her fifth double-double of the season. She also was in on five blocks and hit .296.
"Volleyball isn't volleyball without defense," Willoughby said. "That's one part of my game I've focused on since day one."
Then there were the contributions Shoji wanted but didn't expect.
Thanks to a shot of novocaine, sophomore right-side hitter Lily Kahumoku played for the first time since she suffered a bruised cartilage in her right wrist on Oct. 26.
Kahumoku, playing sparingly and hitting only .143 after missing two road matches, had seven kills and four digs.
But she helped ignite Hawaii's rally from a 5-0 deficit in Game 1 and was a force in Game 2, getting four kills and four digs.
"We weren't sure about Lily but she can make contact with the ball without hurting herself," Shoji said.
He said Kahumoku still can't pass or block because that requires her wrist to bend backward, so she might get tomorrow night off.
"I can't feel my ring finger, my pinky, the side of my palm, and the back of my hand," said Kahumoku, who took off her wrist wrapping in Game 2.
"When the novocaine wears off, I'm sure it's going to hurt very badly."
Junior middle blocker Veronica Lima, looking pale from a bout of illness that made her a probable starter last night, gave the team almost three perfect games before running out of gas.
She didn't pick up her first error until Hawaii had a 10-4 lead in game 3. Lima hit .533 with nine kills, seven digs and she was in on five blocks.
"Veronica is such a competitor, and she really wanted to play tonight," Shoji said. He excused her from interviews because she was too weak after the match.
Hawaii held WAC kill leader Joslynn Gallop to 11 kills and .135 hitting. She entered the match averaging 5.80 kills a game and .304 hitting.
"We stopped her, especially on slide and I think we did a pretty good job on her," said freshman middle blocker Maja Gustin.
The Wahine outblocked San Jose State, 11-5.
Jennifer Carey, who had 37 assists, four kills, six digs and was in on four blocks, led Hawaii to a .297 hitting percentage. The Spartans hit .136.
"I really think this is their best team in five years," said San Jose State head coach Craig Choate.
"I said to my team during a timeout, this is the No. 2 team in the nation, and one of the reasons is, look at the stuff they continue to go fight for.
"This is pretty impressive, and it's where we want to be some day."
Hawaii def. San Jose St., 15-10, 15-7, 15-6
San Jose State (17--6, 8-2)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Blair 3 11 7 36 .111 1 0 3 Lukens 3 0 0 1 .000 0 0 13 Smith 3 1 0 5 .200 0 2 9 Gallop 3 11 6 37 .135 0 1 6 Hudson 3 4 2 16 .125 0 3 7 Noble 3 9 6 25 .120 0 0 2 Haldi 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 5 Pascucci 3 4 1 16 .188 0 2 0 Troxell 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 2 Totals 3 40 22 136 .132 1 8 47
Wahine (21-0, 11-0)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Willoughby 3 11 3 27 .296 0 5 12 Nikolic 1 3 1 10 .200 0 0 3 Carey 3 4 2 7 .286 1 3 6 Sudduth 3 9 4 21 .238 0 2 6 Kahumoku 3 7 4 21 .143 0 0 4 Lima 3 9 1 15 .533 0 5 7 Gustin 3 10 1 25 .360 1 3 5 Vakasausau 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Gomez-Tukuafu 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 3 Lee 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 2 Duggins 1 1 0 1 1.000 0 0 2 Villaroman 1 0 0 1 .000 0 0 5 Totals 3 54 16 128 .297 2 18 56 Key--g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.
Aces--SJSU (4):Lukens 2, Gallop, Hudson. UH (4): Carey 2, Vakasausau, Gustin.
Assists--SJSU (39): Smith 34, Haldi 2, Pascucci 2, Gallop 1. UH (50): Carey 37, Willoughby 4, Vakasausau 3, Sudduth, Lima, Lee, Kahumoku, Gustin, Villaroman.
T-1:25. Officials: John Martin, Denice Hanson.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii