Hawaii looks
to extend its WAC
winning streakThe Rainbow Wahine put their
74-match skein on the line when
conference play begins today
One match at a time.
That's how streaks are built.
The only number that is important to most coaches is "one." The next one.
The Rainbow Wahine volleyball team is looking to add another one to its conference winning streaks tomorrow. That's when second-ranked Hawaii puts its skeins of 74 consecutive Western Athletic Conference matches and 65 straight regular-season WAC matches on the line at San Jose State (4 p.m. Hawaii time).
Hawaii coach Dave Shoji says that he never looks at streaks. But consider that:
>> Hawaii (11-1) is 99-1 all-time in regular-season WAC matches since joining the conference in 1996. The only loss was in four at Brigham Young in 1998.Then there are the numbers against the current WAC members. In play against the nine schools, the Wahine are 81-0.>> Perhaps even more impressive is Hawaii's record in games over those 100 matches. The Wahine have dropped just 29 sets and won 297, and have been pushed to five just five times, going 5-0.
>> And last year's 3-2 win at Fresno State was the only time Hawaii didn't sweep a WAC opponent in 13 regular-season matches.
In fact, the last time Hawaii lost to any current conference team was in 1993. That was at San Jose State, in five, when both schools were members of the Big West.
No one expects this season to be any different. Although the league appears to have improved from top to bottom this year, Hawaii is the prohibitive favorite to win its ninth consecutive regular-season title.
"The conference is panning out exactly the way I felt it would," said San Jose State coach Craig Choate. "UH is untouchable. Fresno, Rice and yes, even Nevada are at the next level and we are in the group after that.
"No, it doesn't seem like 10 years since we beat them. It feels like forever. However, at least we can say we beat them once."
Fresno State came the closest of anyone last season. Rebounding after a straight-set loss to Stanford, the Wahine took a 2-0 lead only to lose the next two; they won Game 5, 15-10.
"But I don't know if anyone can beat them this year," said Fresno State coach Lindy Vivas. "It would have to come on the road because it's not going to happen at home. "Hawaii is so strong, so experienced. They have basically the same team as last year and their seven seniors are on a mission. I think they are a final four team.
"The rest of us are thinking the goal is to finish No. 2 (in the conference) and not be in the same bracket as Hawaii at the WAC Tournament."
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The teams
A look at the conference, based on the preseason coaches' poll:
1. Hawaii (11-1)
The Wahine emerged from one of the toughest preconference schedules in the country with just one loss -- to defending national champion and current No. 1 Southern California. Hawaii defeated the other six ranked teams it faced, including ending a seven-match skid to No. 4 Stanford."It's been a long homestand and it was a good run," said Shoji. "I'd hoped we'd be undefeated and we knew that the SC match was the key to us being undefeated.
"But we're happy with our progress. We've had a very competitive schedule so far and I think the WAC will be good competition this year."
Shoji said he wasn't concerned with streaks because "All streaks will end."
"We want to challenge our players every week to make progress," he said. "We're going to take matches one by one.
"We're not concerned about the road itself. We're concerned that we get ourselves ready to play every time out."
Last season, the Wahine became the first team to lead the country in the three major offensive categories: Hitting percentage, kills per game and assists per game. They have pretty much picked up where they left off, surprising only those who thought Hawaii might struggle with a freshman setter.
Heading into this week's conference openers, Hawaii leads the WAC in hitting percentage, kills per game and assists. Senior All-American Kim Willoughby is again leading the conference with a .430 hitting percentage, 6.97 kpg and aces (25). Freshman setter Kanoe Kamana'o is the assist leader (13.30 apg).
2. Fresno State (10-3)
Vivas, a Punahou School graduate, picked up her 300th coaching victory when her Bulldogs opened the season with a win over New Mexico.Fresno State's losses have been to Idaho State and Long Beach State in five, and current No. 21 San Diego in four.
The Bulldogs opened the season with four tournaments, winning three championships. In taking the inaugural La Quinta Inn-Northern Arizona Invitational, Fresno State handed the host Lumberjacks just their fifth home loss against a nonconference opponent since 1995.
Junior hitter Kristen Fenton, the reigning WAC Player of the Week, was the MVP of last week's NAU tournament. She is 180 kills shy of becoming just the ninth Bulldog to reach the 1,000-kill mark.
FSU's strength has been its middle, where junior Tiffany Bishop and senior Carrie Hartt anchor a net defense that is second in the conference (2.60 bpg).
On the Bulldog roster from Hawaii are sophomore hitter La'akea Campbell (Iolani) and freshman Tuli Peters (Kahuku). Peters has started every match and is second on the team in kills (146) and aces (20).
3. Nevada (6-7)
It's been a season of ups and downs for the Wolf Pack and coach Devin Scruggs.Nevada opened with three wins, lost four in a row then won five straight. The Wolf Pack split their last two matches, downing Utah in four but being swept by Brigham Young.
The Pack is young but talented, with three freshman and three sophomore starters.
Again anchoring the offense for Nevada are two sophomores, blocker Salaia Salavea (2.74 kpg), who set two school single-season records in blocking, and hitter Christine Harms (2.88 kpg), who saw her streak of four double-double outings ended against BYU last Saturday. Also working her way into the lineup is freshman hitter Carly Sorensen (2.86 kpg).
4. Rice (8-5)
The Owls are favored to win the WAC's Eastern Division, despite having a new head coach in Jon Wilson.As a team Rice ranks second behind Hawaii in hitting (.277) and leads the WAC in blocks (2.61 bpg). The Owls are led by All-WAC hitter Rebeca
Pazo, whose 6.02 kpg puts her second behind Willoughby, and junior blocker Rebecca Kainz (.95 bpg).On the Rice roster from Hawaii are freshmen Marissa Chow (Punahou), libero, and blocker Amber Wiedemann (Mililani). The Owls are 6-0 at home this season.
Rice snapped a three-game skid with wins last week against Houston and Mississippi. The trio of losses were at the BYU tournament to Penn State, BYU and Ohio State.
5. San Jose State (2-9)
The Spartans are young and younger. Choate's lineup has four or five freshmen on the court at any one time and his top reserves are either freshmen or junior college transfers."We're not making fast enough progress to be a factor in the WAC race," said Choate. "We're simply too young and inexperienced. We're down now, but we'll be back."
SJS is still trying to rebound after the surprise loss of Liz Hudson, who led the team in blocks last season. Hudson transferred as a senior and is now starting for Long Beach State.
The Spartans are led by senior hitter Kimberly Noble (5.43 kpg), who is third in the conference. Noble had 12 kills Tuesday in a straight-set loss to St. Mary's, the Spartans' third loss in a row.
6. UTEP (5-9)
The Miners return six starters from last year's team, including senior hitter Jennifer Abbruzzese (3.16 kpg). Abbruzzese was one of three WAC players to rank in the top 10 in kills and digs last season; she is eight digs shy of breaking the school dig mark of 1,166.UTEP has six upperclassmen on the roster for the first time since 2000. The Miners went 0-3 at the Mean Green Classic last weekend, failing to win a match in a regular-season tournament for the first time since 1999.
Freshmen already making their mark for coach Scott Swanson are Nina Reeves (3.27 kpg) and Ashley Ripple, the latter being named to the Mean Green all-tournament team.
7. SMU 8-4
The Mustangs could make a run for the Eastern Division title under Lisa Siefert. They have already given the only coach the program has ever had her 100th career victory when topping Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 12.SMU has won two tournament championships, including last week's Loyola-Chicago Invitational. The Mustangs beat Xavier, Maryland and host Loyola.
Sophomore setter Jessica Mihm was named the tournament MVP. Also named to the all-tournament team was junior hitter Jacky Niederstadt.
Niederstadt (3.18 kpg, 20 aces) and junior hitter Beth Karasek (3.80 kpg) lead the offense for the Mustangs, who have won six of their last seven.
8. Louisiana Tech (10-5)
The Lady Techsters continue to improve and impress under coach Heather Mazeitis. Last season, they had a school-record 257 aces and they are nearly halfway to that mark with 110 so far.Tech went 2-1 at the Tulane Tournament last weekend and also picked up a 3-1 win over North Texas on Tuesday. It was the home opener for the Lady Techsters after 14 consecutive road matches.
Tech leads the WAC in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to .184 to Hawaii's .185. Leading the Lady Techsters' offense are senior hitter Cristine Sant'Anna (4.43 kpg) and junior blocker Megan Rush (3.18 kpg).
Sant'Anna reached the 1,000-kill mark in the season opener against Alcorn State and needs 122 digs to reach the 1,000 mark. She has 33 career double-doubles in kills and digs.
Tech junior setter Lia Mora posted her first triple-double with 11 kills, 56 assists and 13 digs in the win over Missouri-Kansas City. She has been named to eight consecutive all-tournament teams, including all four this season.
9. Boise State (4-10)
The Broncos won just one match last year but have taken four already this season under Scott Sandel.Freshman blocker Cameron Flunder has been named to four all-tournament teams in four weeks. In last week's Davidson Invitational, she had a combined 55 kills and 10 blocks as the team went 2-2.
Flunder leads the BSU attack (3.29 kpg) with freshman hitter Jessica Childress next (2.62).
BSU has won its last two in straight sets, sweeping Gardner-Webb and High Point. Against common opponents with Hawaii, the Broncos lost to UCLA in three and UNLV in four; the Wahine outlasted the Bruins in five and swept the Rebels.
10. Tulsa (9-4)
The surprise of the league is the Golden Hurricane, who rank second in the WAC in assists (14.49 apg) and kills (16.28 kpg), third in digs (16.91 dpg) and fifth in team hitting (.249).Leading the offense are junior hitter Kristen Bailey (3.86 kpg) and freshman Brie Penaluna (3.39 kpg). Junior setter Vanessa Thon ranks fourth in assists (12.45).
Coach Matt Sonnichsen's team opened with two 0-3 losses but then steadied out. Last weekend, the Golden Hurricane went 2-1 at the Tulane Tournament, beating Missouri-Kansas City and Centenary but losing to the host Green Wave.
