ASSOCIATED PRESS
North Carolina's Holly Strauss, second from right, cried after her team was swept by Hawaii yesterday in Lincoln, Neb.
NU in UH’s path LINCOLN, Neb. >> Junior Kim Willoughby is so close that she can almost taste the crawfish.
to final 4
UH among the elite
By Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comToday's Central regional final between No. 2 Hawaii and No. 4 Nebraska is all that stands in the way of the final four in her home state next week.
"I'm so ready to play them," said the Napoleonville, La., native. "There's one step in my way to go home. I played off that tonight. I'm so close to home. I want to get there."
Most involved predict a fabulous match between two Goliath-like programs with different styles of winning. The Rainbow Wahine have an offense anchored by All-American outside hitters. The Huskers have a defense that begins and usually ends with a block and is also led by All-Americans.
Hawaii will have to play at a level unseen so far this season to get to New Orleans and its seventh final four.
"I don't think there's any question we have to play our best match of the year," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "(We have to) play better than we did against Stanford.
"Every phase of our game has to be on tomorrow night for us to win. They've got tremendous athletes and they're well coached. They don't have any weaknesses. We'll have to play a flawless match."
The importance of today's Central regional final was a topic that all but silenced Nebraska coach John Cook in the post-match press conference after yesterday's semifinals. Cook spoke only in generalities about a match that will eliminate a national-title contending team.
"It's going to be great for our fans and volleyball," Cook said. "There's no doubt that these are two teams that belong in the final four. It's going to be a great match."
The two previous meetings weren't that great for Hawaii. The Huskers' huge block, anchored by Greichaly Cepero and Amber Holmquist, took apart Hawaii in the NCAA semifinals two years ago and the NACWAA Classic last year.
Nebraska's lineup looks virtually the same, but Hawaii's has undergone a massive makeover. Other than Willoughby, most of Hawaii's starters aren't at the same position or the same level of last season.
"We're a totally different team," junior Lauren Duggins said. "Maja (Gustin) is in the middle. We have two different setters. We actually play as one. We have great chemistry."
The Wahine will need to rely on chemistry to communicate with each other on the court. Today's match will be amidst a sea of red and at a decibel level that the Wahine haven't experienced. The crowd rises during each timeout and is rarely silent as it hovers over the court.
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