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Wednesday, November 29, 2000
There is Every match now carries the threat of no tomorrow.
no tomorrow
for Wahine
A loss in the NCAA
Tournament will end
Hawaii's hope of
winning titleBy Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinNo. 3 University of Hawaii (27-1) opens play for the 19th time in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament at the Stan Sheriff Center tomorrow as the No. 1 seed in the West region.
Four wins from tomorrow and the Wahine are in Richmond, Va., for their first final four appearance since 1996.
But it's like walking a tightrope. One slip and you're on the ground.
The Wahine, who lost for the first time on Saturday, won NCAA titles in 1982, '83 and '87 and finished runner-ups in 1988 and '96.
Hawaii has not had a great deal of trouble with any first-round opponent since the NCAA expanded to a 64-team tournament.
Thus first-round opponent Southern Conference champion Davidson, which came 5,000 miles yesterday from North Carolina, might not be the Wahine's major concern this week.
Even though the Wildcats (24-11) have the nation's No. 3 defensive player, 5-foot-9 senior Mara Mordini (5.01 digs a game), the size and talent difference appear to be in Hawaii's favor.
Davidson is hitting .201 as a team, compared with Hawaii's .299.
Only two players on the Wildcats' roster are 6-feet or taller and this is only the program's second appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Last year, Nebraska swept Davidson out of the first round.
Wahine head coach Dave Shoji said he could not comment on Davidson last night because the team's plane was delayed and he had yet to view any video.
But he did say he's concerned about the second round. He thinks playing the winner of tomorrow's 5 p.m. match between No. 19 Utah (22-7) of the Mountain West and Texas Tech (24-8) of the Big 12 will not be easy. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 24 on Oct. 2.
"I don't think any of of the other eight top seeds drew a second round match that has a ranked team," said Shoji.
Hawaii holds a 7-0 series advantage on the Utes, but Shoji believes a match with Utah or Texas Tech could go "either way."
That's one reason he's hoping to have All-Western Athletic Conference 6-3 freshman middle blocker Maja Gustin available for spot duty by Friday.
Gustin, the nation's No. 6 blocker (1.58) and Hawaii's top percentage hitter (.371), has been sidelined with a sprained right ankle since the fourth game of the Wahine's 3-1 win over Cal Poly in Long Beach, Calif., on Friday.
"I'd just like to give the team the confidence she's there," said Shoji.
But Shoji said that freshman Lauren Duggins (bruised tailbone), the team's No. 3 middle blocker, still isn't ready to go.
Gustin could be needed to offset Texas Tech' 6-7 outside hitter, Colleen Smith, who averages 4.76 kills a game. With Gustin out, Long Beach State's 6-7 Tayyiba Haneef pounded 21 kills and five blocks against the Wahine last weekend.
The Red Raiders are an experienced team with five of six starters returning from last season.
Hawaii swept Utah in the second round last year at the Stan Sheriff Center but the Utes are expected to acclimate here a lot faster this time.
Utah runs its offense around its middle blockers, 6-2 freshman Kim Turner (3.13 kpg) and 6-1 junior McKelle Stilson (2.97 kpg). Turner has a 1.20 blocks per game average.
Utah has a 6-2 junior outside hitter, Adrianne Bradley, who transferred from Hawaii in 1998.
Hawaii will host the West regionals if the Wahine get past the first two rounds. But the first team the Wahine are likely to meet in the regional is Long Beach State (No. 13 in AVCA/USA Today poll, No. 15 in Volleyball Magazine), the team that stopped Hawaii, 15-13, 15-8, 13-15, 15-10, on Saturday at The Pyramid.
If the Wahine get to the West final, there are four potential opponents that are ranked teams: No. 9 Minnesota, No. 14 UC-Santa Barbara, No. 18 Stanford or No. 22 Loyola Marymount.
Because the Wahine would play the Central region champion in the national semifinals, they are considered the No.4 overall seed in the tournament. Nebraska (28-0), which has been No. 1 in AVCA/USA Today poll all season, is the No. 1 seed in the Central and the tournament overall.
Hawaii Wahine
Record: 27-1, WAC champions
Head coach: Dave Shoji, 26th season (737-138, .842)
Key players: Lily Kahumoku, 6-2, So., OH, 4.62 kpg. Jessica Sudduth, 6-2,
Sr., OH, 3.47 kpg. Maja Gustin, 6-2, Fr., MB, 1.58 bpg, .378. Kim
Willoughby, 5-10, Fr., OH, 2.94 kpg, 2.94 dpg. Veronica Lima, 6-2, Jr., MB,
2.90 kpg, 1.16 bpg. Jennifer Carey, 6-1, So., S, 12.69 apg.
Team hitting: .299. Blocking: 3.10
Davidson Wildcats
Record: 24-11, Southern Conf. champions
Head coach: Tami Darwin, 3rd season (30-59, .337)
Key players: Mara Mordini, 5-9, Sr.,m OH, 4.31 kpg, 5.01 dpg. Erica Schwartz,
5-7, Jr., S, 11.91 apg.
Team hitting: .201. Blocking: 2.25
Utah Utes
Record: 22-7, 3rd in Mountain West Conf.
Head coach: Beth Launiere 10th season (202-145, .582)
Key players: Kim Turner, 6-2, Fr., MB, 3.13 kpg, .298, 1.20 bpg. McKelle
Stilson, 6-1, Jr., MB, 2.97, .295.
Team hitting: .211. Blocking: 2.55
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Record: 24-8, 5th in Big 12
Head coach: Jeff Nelson, 6th season (134-66, .670)
Key players: Colleen Smith, 6-7, Sr., OH, 4.76 kpg, .270. Melissa McGehee,
5-10, So., OH, 3.92, 3.78 dpg.
Team hitting: .246. Blocking: 2.81
NCAA volleyball
When: Tomorrow.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
