Preseason poll ranks
Wahine No. 13

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. >> The loss of two key seniors from a team that went to the women's volleyball Final Four a year ago dropped Hawaii to No. 13 in the USA Today/CSTV coaches' poll released yesterday.

Defending national champion Southern California was ranked No. 1, receiving 56 of a possible 65 first-place votes in the weekly poll for the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Nebraska was ranked second, followed by UCLA, Florida, Minnesota and Stanford.

Washington, Penn State, Pepperdine and California rounded out the Top 10, followed by Colorado State and Georgia Tech.

Hawaii is coming off a 36-2 season in which it lost to Florida in the national semifinals. But the Wahine return this season without Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku, two seniors who led the team in almost every offensive category last year.

Willoughby was named the AVCA's player of the year, becoming the third Hawaii player to win the award. In her UH career, Willoughby recorded 2,598 kills (sixth in NCAA history), 194 service aces, 1,440 digs and 291 blocks.