DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Lily Kahumoku is one of four starters who has played in an NCAA semifinal match.
The usual suspects NEW ORLEANS >> This NCAA championship is not for people who cannot handle the heat. Between the spicy Creole cooking, the constant scrutiny and the volleyballs flying at your head, the faint of heart won't make it through volleyball's fabulous final week.
vie for national title
Many of the players
All eyes on practice sessions
in the final 4 have
championship experienceBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comThis is not a final four of first-timers. Very few players will be caught staring into the bright lights of New Orleans arena. The rosters are full of All-Americans, Olympians and starters with final four experience.
There were no upsets this year. Nobody is shocked at which four teams are still playing for a national championship. Hawaii coach Dave Shoji thought that five teams could play for the national title. It is no coincidence that with the exception of Nebraska, everybody he expected at the Big Easy is here.
By the end of tomorrow night, two more contenders will be done with their seasons. The Rainbow Wahine hope not to be one of them. No. 2 Hawaii and No. 3 Stanford square off in the first NCAA semifinal tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Hawaii time. No. 1 USC and No. 5 Florida get their turn at 4:30 p.m.
"It's exciting. I couldn't rate one (final four) over another," Shoji said. "This one has a little edge because the four teams are so even and so good. I thought five teams could win and I was pretty much right. The four teams that are here can all win and they're just loaded with good volleyball players."
Hawaii was here two years ago and brings back four starters with NCAA championship experience in setter Jennifer Carey, outside hitters Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku, and middle Maja Gustin. The Trojans were in that same NCAA championship and started three freshmen in April Ross, Katie Olsovsky and Toni Anderson.
Cardinal outside hitters Logan Tom and Ogonna Nnamani ended Long Beach State's perfect season when it won the whole thing last year. Every team but Florida has been to the final four at least once in the last two years. The Gators' last trip wasn't that long ago, either. They made their third straight appearance four years back, but haven't won a game at the final four. The key to winning at an NCAA championship, though, is not necessarily the experience of having been there before.
"The experience that we learned is that to win it all, you have to have a Player of the Year-type candidate on the floor," Florida coach Mary Wise said. "She has to be just that good. She can kill the ball at crunch time when everybody in the arena knows she's getting the ball -- Logan Tom a year ago, Lauren Cacciamani when Penn State won it. The more of those type of players you have on the floor, the better your chances."
Shoji agrees with Wise.
"In most cases, everybody's go-to person will have to play well for them to move on," he said. "Logan (Tom), Ogonna (Nnamani) for Stanford. Kim (Willoughby) and Lily (Kahumoku). Aury Cruz for Florida and probably (Alicia) Robinson or (April) Ross for USC.
"Obviously everybody has to play well; usually one of the stars or two will dominate a match and it usually takes that kind of effort. At the end of the game, you need to go to somebody and that person needs to put the ball down."
Hawaii (34-1), Stanford (31-4), and Florida (34-2) all have players who can send volleyballs into an eternal slumber. Only USC (29-1) does not have a true go-to gun, but the top-ranked Trojans' offensive balance has been more than enough to be overwhelming. The Rainbow Wahine don't think they need flawless volleyball to avenge their only loss of the season. The game plan is almost a no-brainer: Stop Stanford's outside attack and you win.
"I like our chances a lot," setter Margaret Vakasausau said. "We've established a fearless attitude where we're just going to play and have fun. That was our goal against Nebraska. I don't feel any pressure on us at all, except from within. (Stanford) has the weight of college volleyball on them. I'm so relaxed. I'm just not tense. This is what we've been talking about since spring.
"It's easier on our side than it is on their side because we have nothing to lose. They've already beaten us once at home and we're really upset at that. We're peaking at the right point. The Nebraska game was amazing. We're really looking to take it to Stanford. We want to beat them badly because they put us down in our own house."
The Rainbow Wahine know they're not the same team that took on the defending national champions a month ago. Hawaii slowed Tom but never stopped Nnamani, who had 19 kills and hit more than .600 in the match. The Wahine didn't make the right adjustments in the match and turned into mental mush when things got tight.
Hawaii promises it is tougher, and wins vs. Utah, Washington and Nebraska prove that.
"I don't think there's any doubt that we're a much better team now," Shoji said. "It started after the Stanford loss where we realized we had some shortcomings. I think the team rededicated itself to train and to just meet challenges better. I don't think we responded when Stanford challenged us. We've steadily gotten better in the area of meeting challenges."
But how about overcoming them? Stanford is more than a challenge for any team. The Cardinal don't feel any pressure to repeat as champions.
"I don't know if the players look at it that way," Stanford coach John Dunning said. "I don't look at it that way. You kind of don't want to do it for last year's sake. You just want to have this year be separate.
"Final four experience does matter. It can be equalized or overwhelmed by great teams or great players. It can be neutralized by teams that are just really motivated to do the job because they didn't last year. It's great match experience. We can say we've been through it and whatever comes next isn't going to scare us."
Notes: Hawaii leads the series 16-10, but has lost the last six matches. This is the fourth time the Wahine and Cardinal have played each other in the NCAA championships. ... Tom averages 4.94 kills per game, while Nnamai crushes 4.06. Middle Sara McGee is one of the leaders in national hitting efficiency (.431).
All times Hawaii time Final 4
When: Tomorrow, Hawaii (34-1) vs. Stanford (31-4), 2:30 p.m.; Southern California (27-1) vs. Florida (34-2), 4:30 p.m.
Where: New Orleans
TV: ESPN2 (Hawaii-Stanford)
Radio: 1420-AM (Hawaii-Stanford)
Title game: Saturday, 10:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
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NEW ORLEANS >> All eyes will be on Hawaii this week, and it's not just Kim Willoughby, they'll be watching. Practice a big deal
at final 4By Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comThe Rainbow Wahine practiced yesterday at a local high school in relative anonymity, but they expect to be scrutinized in an open practice today at New Orleans Arena. Senior Margaret Vakasausau vividly remembers her 2000 final four experience and has warned the final four rookies.
"When we went to the final four in 2000, our open practice had about 300 college coaches watch us practice, watch how they coach. It was amazing," Vakasausau said. "They were taking notes and pretty much admire and copy what you're doing. I can't wait. All these coaches watch what we do and want to emulate us. It's not just people or anybody. It's college coaches."
At least a few of the people watching tomorrow won't have any connection to collegiate volleyball. Assumption High School boosters have promised to come watch Willoughby at practice and in the semifinals.
Willoughby spoke at her high school's fall sports banquet on Monday. The Napoleonville, La., native talked about playing in this week's final four in New Orleans and invited everyone in the community to come watch. But there was just one catch.
Willoughby told them they weren't allowed to wear Assumption gear, because the colors are too similar to Stanford's. The Hawaii junior told her supporters they must wear green tomorrow.
Thanks but no thanks: Hawaii was offered tickets to the New Orleans Bowl in the Superdome yesterday, but didn't use them. The game featured Cincinnati vs. North Texas. Feelings toward the Bearcats aren't favorable after Cincinnati and Hawaii engaged in a postgame brawl at Aloha Stadium.
"I don't think anybody was too excited to see Cincinnati and North Texas play," UH head coach Dave Shoji said.
Instead, the Wahine took a walk into downtown New Orleans, had dinner and tried to listen to old-style New Orleans jazz at Preservation Hall.
The opportunity for sensory overload in a city rich in smells, sights and sounds has Shoji promising to seclude his team after yesterday's outing.
"There's a lot of distractions here. I'm concerned about it," Shoji said. "We're trying to tune everything out. We need to be a little more isolated starting Wednesday."
Seen it: With the exception of Hawaii, the other three final four teams are very familiar with each other. Stanford and USC play each other twice a year in conference play and split the season series. Florida went 1-1 against the Pac-10 schools, defeating a Cardinal team without Logan Tom and losing to the Trojans.
By the numbers
Hawaii Stanford 2 Rank 3 2 All-Americans 2 3 NCAA titles 5 6 Final fours* 14 16.79 Kills/game 16.51 18.71 Digs/game 14.30 2.86 Blocks/game 3.40
* Hawaii went to the final four in 1982-83, 1987-88, 1996 and 2000. Stanford got there in 1982-87, 1992, 1994-97, 1999, 2001-02.
UH Athletics
