[ WAHINE VOLLEYBALL ]
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
The first round of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship began yesterday at the Stan Sheriff Center with several matches, including one between the University of Hawaii and Idaho. After Hawaii swept Idaho, Lily Kahumoku and other Wahine waved to the crowd.
UH wins to
move onWilloughby and Kahumoku
dominate as the Wahine beat
Idaho and advance to face BYU
It is not difficult to scout the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine volleyball team. Every opponent knows UH has two All-Americans on the outside who can dominate big time at any time.
Seeing tape of seniors Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku is one thing. Stopping them is another.
NCAA Tournament
Who: Brigham Young (24-8) vs. No. 2 Hawaii (33-1)When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM
TV: Live, KFVE (Ch. 5)
Tickets: Two-day package $16 (upper level), $22 (lower level). Individual match tickets, $9-12.
For the 32nd straight time this season, it didn't happen. The two combined for 34 of Hawaii's 57 kills as the Wahine swept Idaho 30-24, 30-20, 30-21 last night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
A Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 5,842 saw Hawaii improve to 33-1 and set up tonight's second-round match with Brigham Young (24-8). In yesterday's opener, BYU swept New Mexico State 30-17, 30-17, 30-27, ending the Aggies' 24-match winning streak.
Hawaii leads the series with the Cougars 14-5, including winning the last three meetings. Last year, the Wahine won in Provo "and they were an average team," said Hawaii coach Dave Shoji, referring to his team's 30-23, 30-19, 30-17 win. "I'm impressed by the turnaround they've made in a year. I think they'll be one of the better blocking teams we've faced this year. We'll have to be smart offensively."
Hawaii was pretty impressive last night, hitting .381. Willoughby had 21 kills, hitting .447, and Kahumoku added 13 kills, hitting .300.
Both finished with double-doubles, with Kahumoku coming up with a team-high 14 digs -- including an impressive pancake dig that gave the Wahine match point at 29-17.
Willoughby finished with 10 digs. She also became UH's career leader in digs (1,388) with her seventh dig in Game 2.
"I think we've reset the bar," said Kahumoku. "I don't think we'll settle for anything less than the intensity we showed tonight.
"I was really surprised by (Idaho's) level. They're probably the toughest first-round team we've seen in my five years here."
The Vandals (19-11) hung tough in the early going but were eventually worn down by the Wahine's diversified offense. Senior middle Lauren Duggins (13 kills) made it hard for Idaho to commit two blockers on the outside, which allowed Hawaii's outsides to have one-on-one matchups that the Wahine usually won.
"They probably have the best outside hitters we've played this year," said Idaho senior middle Anna-Marie Hammond, held to eight kills in hitting .067. "The frustration came in not being able to put a ball away."
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Lily Kahumoku had 13 kills last night as the Rainbow Wahine beat Idaho in a first-round NCAA Tournament.
The Vandals hit .208 for the match, including .053 in Game 3. The Wahine won the dig battle 49-39.
"We played a great team, a team that will probably go on to the final four," said Idaho coach Debbie Buchanan. "Willoughby is probably the best outside hitter in the country right now. Our kids haven't faced anyone like her. Both she and Lily can dominate."
Willoughby also had four of the team's six aces, including the one that ended the tight Game 1.
"I thought we were in for a long night, the way Game 1 was going," said Shoji. "We knew they were going to play well and we had to play extremely well to win that first game. I think when we did that, we took a little steam out of them in Games 2 and 3."
Junior middle Sarah Meek was the only Vandal to reach double-figure kills with 10.
The BYU coaching staff had a courtside view to do their scouting for tonight's game. When Willoughby put down her 11th kill to give Hawaii a 5-3 lead in Game 2, Cougar coach Karen Lamb turned to former BYU coach Elaine Michaelis and just smiled.
"Their outsides are great," said Lamb. " I think that it helps us a little bit that we played them and are familiar with them. I think we're more talented and healthier than last year when we played them. We're excited to be playing them."
One downturn for the match was the possible loss of Hawaii middle blocker Maja Gustin. She is doubtful for today's match after suffering a right-ankle sprain.
Gustin got tangled up with Idaho's Meghan Brown underneath the net. The Vandals middle was whistled for the violation. Gustin did not return to the match. Hawaii trainer Renae Shigemura said Gustin's ankle sprain was minor and that Gustin would be day-to-day.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Kim Willoughby became UH's career leader in digs at 1,388 last night vs. Idaho at the Stan Sheriff Center.
BYU 3, New Mexico State 0: The Aggies' first trip was short and anything but sweet. It was 83 minutes of self-described self-destruction for New Mexico State, which hadn't lost since falling to Fresno State in four on Sept. 19.
"I'm disappointed that we came out and played so poorly for two games," said NMSU coach Mike Jordan. "I know we didn't play the way we're capable of playing.
"People talk about getting to the tournament for the first time, being nervous, but I didn't expect it because we have so many seniors. I felt like in Game 3 we finally made some plays defensively, started competing. We just waited too long to get going."
The Cougars played a large part in that, frustrating the Aggies with tough serving. BYU tied a season high with 14 aces, with 11 coming in the first two games.
"I thought we served and passed well the first two games," said BYU coach Karen Lamb after the Cougars won their first NCAA Tournament match since 2000. "Our passing broke down a little, bit but I'm proud of our composure."
The Cougars missed out on the NCAA Tournament last season, but they had four seniors who had vowed that it wouldn't happen again.
"It feels great that we made the tournament again, " said BYU senior libero Uila Crabbe, a Kamehameha Schools graduate. "It's not good not to be in it. And it is great to come home and win. Our passing kind of broke down in Game 3 and it got to us. After they pushed, we pushed back."
Hawaii def. Idaho
Vandals (19-11)
30-24, 30-20, 30-21
Wahine (33-1)
g k e att pct. bs ba d Tikker 3 8 2 20 .300 1 2 3 Meek 3 10 3 21 .333 0 2 3 S. Brown 3 5 0 17 .294 0 1 2 M. Brown 3 7 4 26 .115 0 0 9 Becker 3 2 0 4 .500 0 1 6 Hammond 3 8 6 30 .067 0 2 1 Yearout 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 10 Chamberlain 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Haeberle 3 0 0 2 .000 0 0 5 Totals 3 40 15 120 .208 1 8 39
Key -- g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.
g k e att pct. bs ba d Willoughby 3 21 4 38 .447 0 1 10 Tano 3 5 0 12 .417 0 2 7 Kahumoku 3 13 4 30 .300 0 2 14 Kamana'o 3 2 1 4 .250 0 1 8 Gustin 2 2 0 4 .500 0 2 0 Duggins 3 13 3 22 .455 0 3 2 Boogaard 1 0 0 1 .000 0 0 0 Lundqvist 2 1 0 7 .143 0 0 1 Watanabe 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 Thurlby 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 Villaroman 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 6 Totals 3 57 12 118 .381 0 11 49
Aces -- Vandals (2): M. Brown, Hammond. Hawaii (6): Willoughby 4, Watanabe 2. Assists -- Vandals (36): Becker 27, S. Brown 3, Yearout 2, Haeberle 2, Meek, M. Brown. Hawaii (53): Kamana'o 49, Tano 2, Duggins, Lundqvist.
T -- 1:24. Officials -- Kevin Cull, Richard Bleau. A -- 5842.
