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Monday, November 20, 2000
The Hawaii Pacific women's volleyball team was taken to five games in winning the NCAA Division II Pacific Regional last Saturday night, but it was not by the team most expected them to play. HPU advances
to ‘elite eight’By Brandon Lee
Special to the Star-BulletinThe national No. 1 Sea Warriors (25-0) were taken the distance by a young Cal State San Bernardino team, 15-7, 12-15, 15-10, 9-15, 15-12 at Los Angeles. To gain its berth in the regional final, San Bernardino upset the team most had thought would be HPU's opponent: host and previously unbeaten Cal State Los Angeles, ranked No. 2.
HPU coach Tita Ahuna conceded that her players did not have their "A" game against the Coyotes, partly due to them focusing so much on a matchup with Cal State L. A. Having survived against the Coyotes and gained a berth in the NCAA Championship's Elite Eight Tournament that starts Nov. 30, Ahuna said that her team cannot afford a similar sub-par performance again.
The Sea Warriors face the winner of the Great Lakes Regional, No. 11 Grand Valley State (31-3), in the quarterfinals of the Elite Eight. HPU has not played Grand Valley this year, but the two teams have a common opponent in No. 12 Northwood (Mich.).
Northwood took HPU to four games both times they played at the beginning of this season. Grand Valley beat Northwood the last three times they have played, including a convincing three-game sweep in their regional final.
"I don't know anything about Grand Valley in particular," Ahuna said. "But I do know they beat Northwood the last three time. Northwood played us tough, so they must be an awesome team."
HPU will likely leave next Tuesday for the Elite Eight. The site of the matches was to be determined today.