Cold front moves in
on WAC tournamentThe Rainbow Wahine blow
into Reno, Nev., hoping to rain
on the other teams' chances
The National Weather Service has issued a travel advisory for the Reno, Nev., area, citing the probability of high winds and snow flurries.
Where: At Reno, Nev.
Tomorrow: (all times Hawaii time): No. 2 Southern Methodist (22-6, 11-2) vs. No. 7 Louisiana Tech (16-4, 4-9), 10 a.m.; No. 3 Fresno State (21-6, 10-3) vs. No. 6 San Jose State (8-17, 6-7), noon; No. 1 Hawaii (27-1, 13-0) vs. No. 8 Tulsa (11-15, 2-11), 3:30 p.m.; No. 4 Nevada (15-14, 7-6) vs. No. 5 Rice (19-9, 9-4), 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: SMU-LaTech winner vs. Fresno State-San Jose State winner, 3 p.m.; Hawaii-Tulsa winner vs. Nevada-Rice winner, 5 p.m.
Sunday: Saturday's winners, 1 p.m.
Radio: Hawaii matches live, KKEA 1420-AM.
Television: Sunday's match live, Craig Wireless cable (limited service in Honolulu).
Nothing was said about the chill factor that arrived today along with the No. 2 Hawaii women's volleyball team. The Rainbow Wahine blew into town as the prohibitive favorite to win their fourth consecutive Western Athletic Conference tournament title, a fact that leaves the rest of the eight-team field cold.
Very cold.
Top-seeded Hawaii (27-1, 13-0) opens tomorrow with No. 8 seed Tulsa (11-15, 2-11) at the Virginia Street Gym (3:30 p.m. Hawaii time). The only line on this match might be on points scored by the Golden Hurricane or the length of the match.
The last time the two met -- on Oct. 25 in Tulsa -- the Wahine needed 98 minutes to sweep past the Hurricane. Hawaii used all 12 players on the travel roster, a roster that didn't include Lily Kahumoku, who remained in Honolulu nursing a sore back.
Few give Tulsa a chance to advance to Saturday's semifinals. The Hurricane have lost nine straight and haven't won since Oct. 4.
Hoping to fare better is Hawaii's potential opponent for Saturday: host Nevada. The fourth-seeded Wolf Pack (15-14, 7-6) face No. 5 seed Rice (19-9, 9-4) in tomorrow's last match (5:30 p.m. Hawaii time) in what many consider the most competitive match of the day.
"That should be an excellent match," said Hawaii coach Dave Shoji. "Rice is playing really well right now and Nevada is at home."
The Owls have won their last six, with their last loss coming to Hawaii on Oct. 23. The 30-19, 30-25, 30-22 sweep by the Wahine snapped Rice's 15-match home winning streak at Autry Court.
Nevada defeated visiting Rice in four when the teams met the only time this year on Sept. 27.
"I think our side of the bracket is tougher, but having Hawaii on our side makes it that way," Nevada coach Devin Scruggs said. "But that's our fault for not taking care of things during the season (to become the No. 2 seed).
"I think we have an advantage, being at home, getting to sleep in our beds, getting to go to class, not having the stress of travel. But, if we get past Rice -- and I won't make any predictions -- we're going to be going up against the No. 2 team in the country. We played well the last time we saw them, well enough to get a game off them."
When the Wolf Pack won Game 1 30-28 on Nov. 6 in Reno, it was the first game the Wahine had dropped in conference play all season. Hawaii went on to win the match 28-30, 30-26, 30-22, 30-24.
Wolf Pack freshman Tristin Adams shared team-high honors with 13 kills "but I can't see that happening again," said Scruggs. "It was kind of fun."
Hawaii and Nevada met in last year's championship match, with the Wahine winning in four. Scruggs and Shoji know the 1,800-seat Virginia Street Gym is a tough place to play.
"I think it's a great volleyball atmosphere," said Scruggs, a former Pacific standout who played against Hawaii from 1987 to 1990. "It's intimate and loud."
"The gym is cold and we struggled against Reno the last time," said Shoji. "What we want to do is stay sharp and stay healthy. Right now, we are (physically) healthy and mentally healthy. We have a goal and we're trying to get there."
Winning the WAC tournament title -- and the automatic NCAA Tournament berth that comes with it -- is the first step in Hawaii's postseason plans. A loss this week could put a damper on the Wahine's hopes for a top-four finish, which might mean they won't be at home in the predetermined regional at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Shoji, however, doesn't think so.
"I can't answer for the (NCAA selection) committee," said Shoji. "I don't know how they would view a loss. In the past, teams have lost down the stretch, on the last day of the season, and they didn't drop significantly.
"I don't think a loss would ruin our RPI or staying in the top four. Every team (in the Top 25) ranked from No. 4 down has lost to somebody they shouldn't have. But ... we aren't planning on losing."
Some would give the Wahine being upset this week about as much chance as a snowball ... in Hawaii.
