Tano sharp for Wahine
HOUSTON >> She typifies what Dave Shoji expects from a player by the time she is a senior -- someone who has improved every year, someone with a solid all-around game, someone who is getting the most out of her athletic ability.
This season, that player is senior right-side hitter Nohea Tano, who is at the top of her game, according to the Hawaii volleyball coach.
Last night, Tano was again at her best, putting down nine kills and hitting .727 in playing the first two games against Rice. The Kamehameha Schools product helped lead the No. 2 Rainbow Wahine to a 30-19, 30-25, 30-22 sweep of the Owls in a Western Athletic Conference match that lasted 90 minutes.
The victory at Autry Court extended Hawaii's WAC winning streak to 73. It also snapped Rice's 15-match home winning skein.
The Wahine (21-1, 8-0) were to bus this morning to Baton Rouge, La., where they will face LSU in a nonconference match today (2 p.m. Hawaii time). Hawaii flies to Tulsa tomorrow for a WAC match against the Golden Hurricane (2 p.m. Hawaii time).
Senior All-American hitter Kim Willoughby led the Wahine with 19 kills and picked up a double-double with 11 digs. Freshman hitter Alicia Arnott, playing in the last two games, added 10 kills.
Rebeca Pazo eked out 12 kills on 36 swings, hitting .194 for Rice (13-9, 4-4). The junior hitter came into the match averaging 5.78 kills per game; she had just three kills going into Game 3.
"I thought we did a nice job on Pazo the first two games," said Shoji. "That took them out of their game. We dug her a lot and I think she got a little down on herself."
The Wahine were without senior All-American Lily Kahumoku, who remained in Honolulu to rest a sore back. Sophomore Susie Boogaard and Arnott filled in at Kahumoku's left-side position in Games 1 and 2 respectively; both played in Game 3.
"The nice thing is that Alicia got some attempts and that she and Boogaard got some playing time," said Shoji. "And Tano ... we need more offense out of her and I reminded her of that tonight. She responded."
Tano put down her first seven attempts, including going 5-for-5 in Game 1. Her first and only hitting error came early in Game 2 when she was blocked, pulling the Owls to within 8-6.
Rice tied it at 12-12 following two lift calls on UH. Tano set Willoughby for a kill then served an ace to put the Wahine up 14-12.
The Owls hung tough, tying it at 22-22. The Wahine strung together three quick points, sandwiching Rice's even quicker two timeouts.
Rice came as close as 27-25 before Willoughby put down two kills and Maja Gustin one to close it out.
Hawaii led by as many as 10 points -- 20-10 and 26-16 -- in Game 3. Rice closed to 27-20 only to have the Wahine earn their eighth consecutive WAC sweep on kills by Lauren Duggins, Arnott and Gustin.
Gustin was in on five of Hawaii's eight blocks.
Hawaii def. Rice
30-19, 30-25, 30-22OWLS (13-9, 4-4 WAC)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Kainz 2 1 4 9 -.333 0 0 0 Sigman 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Carter 3 1 0 10 .100 0 0 3 Hoban 3 3 1 7 .286 0 2 5 Jackman 3 2 1 5 .200 0 2 1 Pazo 3 12 5 36 .194 1 0 5 DuPont 3 3 2 9 .111 0 0 1 Kuykendall 2 3 3 11 .000 1 0 0 Neal 3 1 0 1 1.000 0 0 11 Scott 2 4 2 20 .100 0 0 3 Wiedemann 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Totals 3 30 18 108 .111 2 4 30 WAHINE (21-1, 8-0 WAC)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Boogaard 3 5 5 21 .000 0 1 3 Willoughby 3 19 8 33 .333 0 3 11 Tano 2 9 1 11 .727 0 0 1 Kamana'o 3 0 0 1 .000 0 1 7 Gustin 3 8 3 14 .357 1 4 5 Duggins 3 6 0 11 .545 0 3 5 Lundqvist 1 1 0 2 .500 0 0 1 Arnott 2 10 3 24 .292 0 2 8 Eckmier 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Watanabe 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Thurlby 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Villaroman 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 9 Totals 3 58 20 117 .325 1 14 52 Key--g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.
Aces -- Owls (3): Sigman, Carter, Jackman. Wahine (4): Willoughby 2, Tano, Arnott. Assists -- Owls (26): Hoban 22, Pazo 2, DuPont 2. Wahine (56): Kamana'o 52, Tano 2, Thurlby, Villaroman.
T -- 1:30. Officials -- Richard Bleau, Joe Campbell. A --711.
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