|
Shoji likes
Wahine’s depth
The Rainbow Wahine volleyball team opens competition this week against Eastern Washington in the Hawaiian Airlines Classic. Hawaii coach Dave Shoji answered questions from Star-Bulletin reporter Grace Wen about the season, the program and his future at UH.
Q: What comes first with a young team -- offense or defense?
A: I don't think you can do one without the other. In order to have an offense, you have to have good defense. We worked hard on both phases of the game. But if we had to emphasize one thing now, it would be offense because we lost so much of our offense from last year. I think our defense is much further along.
We worked hard all spring on the offense. We've made a lot of progress there, but it's still something we have to do everyday and emphasize it.
Q: But doesn't hitting come naturally for most players?
A: Hitting at the tempo we want to hit it at is something that takes a lot more practice.
Q: Will the offense resemble Georgia Tech's (Hawaii's regional final opponent in last year's NCAA Tournament)?
A: Georgia Tech would be a good comparison, but I'm not sure we're as fast as them. I think we'll be able to create some opportunities for our outside hitters. Every team needs to run the middle, so we'll go to the middle as much as we can. We have to establish a middle before we do anything else.
Q: Will the right side be a scoring option?
A: A lot depends on our lineup, because if we can get some good play out of the middle, we can move Victoria Prince to the right. She'll give us a lot more offense on the right.
She hits really well off one foot behind the setter. She seems to be a threat all the time over there.
Q: Do you have a lineup in mind for this week's Hawaiian Airlines Classic?
A: Both middle spots are still wide open. We're leaning toward Juliana (Sanders) and Melody Eckmier. That can change from game to game and match to match.
Boogaard is one solid left-side hitter, but she may play some right. She'll be in starting lineup. It's going to be between (Tara) Hittle and (Alicia) Arnott for the other spot.
Q: Has Hittle improved that quickly?
A: Hittle is going to play a lot. She just makes things happen on the court. With her right now, she makes a lot of good things happen, but she's making a lot of errors. These are freshman mistakes she's making. She'll have to get better at cutting down her mistakes. She's very dynamic. She's exciting. She'll make a lot of good plays.
Q: Cayley Thurlby has looked pretty strong in practice, what's her role going to be?
A: For the second setter, we're fortunate to have someone like Cayley. She'll be able to step right in. I'm trying to find spots to play Cayley. Right side, back row, something. She's another player who can make things happen out there.
Q: How would you describe this group of players?
A: It's kind of a quiet group. Each player is trying to find out where they fit in. It's a little early to tell how they'll be. When the games come around, I'm hoping we can be a group that communicates with each other, be vocal, able to talk amongst themselves about things that are happening on the court.
Right now, we really don't have a lot of leadership. Everybody is still afraid to step forward to say anything. We need more of that (leadership). Since we're void of a lot of upperclassmen, it has to come even from our freshmen and sophomores.
Our setter (Kanoe Kamana'o) needs to be more vocal, to be a leader out there and run the show instead of just being the setter. Last year we were OK with her just feeding the ball to our hitters. Now she has to be more in charge, run the formations, run the offense. She's one of those quiet leaders, too. Just allowing her to be more vocal, encouraging her to be more vocal. She's not really used to that.
Q: Will you be experimenting a lot with the lineup like you did in early 2001?
A: I think we have a lot of versatility. If things aren't going well, we can put people in there to try to change the outcome whether it's at the end of a game or from game to game. We'll be able to switch people around. I'm hoping we don't have to do that. Sometimes you're forced to try to make things happen when things aren't going well.
Q: Last Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage was pretty even. Are the first and second teams that close? It seems like the first nine to 10 players aren't too far apart in terms of skills and talent.
A: Our middles are pretty close. Cayley is a more-than-adequate backup, so scrimmages are more even. We've got Hittle on one side with the second group and she's challenging for a starting position.
We've got some depth. We don't drop off from the first 10, so it's been good for both sides of the net. Usually one side dominates but that's not been the case.
Q: Is that cause for concern as a coach that (one side doesn't dominate)?
A: I'll look at that as a positive knowing that we've got more than six who can play.
Q: What keeps you in coaching? This is your 30th season, how much longer?
A: I've got to keep working while my kids are in school.
No (just kidding). It's a very enjoyable occupation most of the time. It's the only thing I've ever known. It's the only thing I've ever really wanted to do. I couldn't ask for a better situation than I have here.
I would say that I'm not going to be coaching well into my 60s. By the expiration of my current contract (in 2008), I'll evaluate it, but I have a feeling it will be time to step out.
I'm not going to paint myself into a corner. It would be hard to step away because you're in your peak earning period too, but I just have to see how I feel at that point.
Q: If you hadn't taken this job 30 years ago, what would you be doing now?
A: I have no idea. Well, most likely I'd have been a PE teacher. I don't know if I could have been a PE teacher for 30 years, but I probably would have been in education somehow.
Q: Do your players keep you young?
A: I don't know about keeping you young, but they certainly keep you on your toes.
Whenever you get new people into the program, they always give you maybe a little different perspective. The three new players we've got now, one is from Iowa, one is from Texas, one is from Colorado. I don't think we've had anybody from those parts of the country. Getting to know them has been really neat. I have a new respect for the (volleyball played in the) Midwest and the South and wherever they're coming from.
Q: Who do you see as your replacement?
A: I think there will be a lot of applicants, many qualified applicants, many qualified applicants with ties to Hawaii.
It will be very interesting to see.
Q: Golf is one of your passions. Do you see yourself on the senior golf tour?
A: Never in a 100 years would I be that good. I'd like to think I could play golf for a living, but that is not realistic at all. I see myself more as a caddie for the senior tour.
