Wahine to refocus What's not to like about a 34-2 season?
on next year
Hawaii returns 7 seniors, and adds
2 setters to try to win
an elusive championshipBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comThe Rainbow Wahine did not meet their national championship goal of matching the men, but that does not lessen a remarkable year.
Hawaii dominated teams from start to finish and flat-out played its best even against teams that were nowhere near its stratosphere. The only blemishes were two losses to defending national champion Stanford. The Cardinal play for their sixth NCAA title today against Pac-10 rival Southern California.
"Obviously, we're disappointed that we can't win the national championship, but I can't be displeased with what we've done," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "It was a great year win-loss wise and it was an enjoyable year because we played really well almost every single match."
Thursday's loss still stings, but the Wahine can look back on this season with amazement. Shoji said that Hawaii's capacity to dominate teams made it difficult sometimes to appreciate how good the Wahine were.
But no one should have a hard time appreciating Hawaii's victory at Nebraska. The Wahine did the unthinkable when they defeated the Huskers in a pulsating match to bring Kim Willoughby home to New Orleans. They exorcised a major demon and might be able to use what they learned to get over the Cardinal hump next year.
Stanford is scheduled for the third week of the 2003 season and it won't have two-time player of the year Logan Tom in its lineup.
The Wahine won't be complete either.
Hawaii will miss the leadership of senior setters Jennifer Carey and Margaret Vakasausau and the spunk of defensive specialist Hedder Ilustre. But the Wahine bring back the bulk of their starters next year and add three freshmen to the mix. Kari Gregory and Alicia Arnott will likely spend the year waiting in the wings while Iolani's Kanoe Kamana'o and redshirt freshman Cayley Thurlby will be asked to develop quickly as they battle for the setter spot.
"It'll be interesting next year," Shoji said. "We've got every position player back and we'll have two new setters. It'll be an interesting chemistry."
All-American outside hitters Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku return for one last stab at the elusive national championship. Willoughby and Kahumoku will be defense destroyers again. They complemented each other sickeningly well and caused plenty of headaches for opposing teams this season.
Middles Lauren Duggins and Maja Gustin solidify the block and will add greater balance to the attack. Duggins improved exponentially in every facet of the game and earned third-team All-America honors. Gustin never played at 100 percent after a foot injury kept her out of the gym for almost two months. She stepped into the lineup soon after her recovery when middle Karin Lundqvist went down with a knee injury. Lundqvist will have offseason surgery and, along with sophomore Melody Eckmier, will provide depth at the position.
The right-side spot could go to either Nohea Tano or Susie Boogaard, who shared the position this season. Libero Melissa Villaroman will handle the passing and defensive duties. Walk-on Ashley Watanabe may see time in the spot vacated by Ilustre. With so much talent coming back, Vakasausau is a little wistful of not having a fifth year to play.
"Kim, Lily, Lauren, Melissa, Maja and Odie (Melody Eckmier), all those players haven't even come close to their top level," Vakasausau said. "It's scary to think how much better they're going to get next year. I get envious to see their development."
Leadership will be a question with Vakasausau and Carey's departures, but Shoji sees everyone filling in.
"I don't think it's one person or two people. It'll be a combination of our (seven) seniors," he said. "We'll have some verbal leaders, some vocal leaders, some off-the-court and on-the-court leaders."
Shoji anticipates that Hawaii will be ranked in the top four or five to start next season. But the beginning won't be as important as the end. Only one team can end its season with a win in Dallas (the site of the 2003 championship) next December and Hawaii wants to be the one.
"Next year we have a different goal. Next year our goal is to be No. 1," Gustin said. " Every year it's that goal, but we're always focusing on the final four. The real problem was that we were always focusing on coming to a final four, to come to New Orleans.
"When we won at Nebraska this year, after that we were too relaxed. That was a huge problem. It was kind of like now we're in the final four and we don't have to worry. I think we should have that sense of urgency."
REGULAR-SEASON Hawaii's 2002 results
34-2 overall, 13-0 WAC
Aug. 30, Ohio State, 3-0;Sept. 1, Colorado, 3-0; Sept. 2, UCLA, 3-1; Sept. 5, San Francisco, 3-0; Sept. 6, San Diego State, 3-0; Sept. 7, Washington, 3-1; Sept. 13, Cal Poly, 3-0; Sept. 14, Cal Poly, 3-0; Sept. 20, Houston, 3-0; Sept. 21, St. Mary's, 3-0; Sept. 27, Rice, 3-0;
Oct. 5, Louisiana Tech, 3-0; Oct. 13, Tulsa, 3-0; Oct. 17, at UTEP, 3-0; Oct. 19, at Southern Methodist, 3-0; Oct. 21, Notre Dame, 3-0; Oct. 22, Notre Dame, 3-0; Oct. 24, San Jose State, 3-0; Oct. 25, Fresno State, 3-0;
Nov. 1, at Nevada, 3-0; Nov. 2, at Boise State, 3-0; Nov. 8, Nevada, 3-0; Nov. 9, Boise State, 3-0; Nov. 10, Stanford, 0-3; Nov. 15, at Fresno State, 3-2; Nov. 16, at San Jose State, 3-0.
WAC TOURNAMENT
Nov. 22, Louisiana Tech, 3-0; Nov. 23, San Jose State, 3-0; Nov. 24, Nevada, 3-1.REGULAR SEASON
Nov. 26, at Brigham Young, 3-0; Nov. 27, at Utah, 3-0; Dec. 5, Western Kentucky, 3-0; Dec. 6, Washington, 3-0.NCAA TOURNAMENT
Dec. 13, North Carolina, 3-0; Dec. 14, at Nebraska, 3-1; Dec. 19, Stanford, 0-3.
UH Athletics
