UH enjoys senior moment

The Rainbow Wahine celebrate senior night with an easy victory over Louisiana Tech

Aloha with an asterisk.

Last night may -- or may not -- have been the final home appearance for the Hawaii volleyball team. That won't be known until a week from tomorrow, after the NCAA selection committee pulls out its Ouija board and determines the Rainbow Wahine's postseason travel fate.

No. 9 Hawaii has no control over that, but the Wahine continued to take care of the one thing they can control: their record.

Backed by an embracing senior-night crowd of 7,413 (8,673 tickets) at the Stan Sheriff Center, Hawaii wrapped up its seventh straight undefeated Western Athletic Conference season with a 30-16, 30-11, 30-20 sweep of Louisiana Tech. The Wahine (22-6, 16-0) needed only 83 minutes to dispose of the Bulldogs (15-17, 2-14), winning their 16th consecutive match of the season and 107th in a row in WAC play.

Hawaii's parting gift to its three seniors was a balanced, pretty flawless team effort, with sophomore Tara Hittle putting down nine kills and coming up with 15 digs. Freshman Jamie Houston added eight kills while playing in the first two games.

The Wahine also had 13 blocks, including six block assists by sophomore Kari Gregory, all in Game 2.

But last night was all about Hawaii's Class of 2005, even before the first serve. The sweet scent of hundreds of leis preceded the trio's arrival, a hint of what was to come.

Libero Ashley Watanabe, who performs in her family's band NYK, wowed the crowd with her renditions of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "Hawaii Pono'i."

Middle Victoria Prince put down the match's first kill in a Game 1 in which the Wahine opened nearly perfect, with 13 kills and no errors in their first 14 swings. She finished with six kills, hitting .375, and was one of six UH attackers without a hitting error.

Hitter Susie Boogaard continued to be the quiet leader, short on statistics (three kills, eight digs) but big as a technically sound, stabilizing influence. She also had her own "White Out Night" with 55 family members and friends coming in from the mainland, dressed in matching T-shirts.

"When she was a freshman, people told us to let them know when Susie's senior night was going to happen," Boogaard's mother, Susan, said. "I sent out flyers. We booked hotels. We weren't sure how many were coming, but they all showed up.

"It's such a bittersweet night, awesome and sad. But we knew Hawaii was a great choice from the get-go."

The postmatch festivities lasted nearly as long as the match, likely the Wahine's last one here this year.

"We didn't get to host last year, so I can't see them giving it to us this year," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "I hope they surprise me."

There were few surprises from the Lady Techsters, losing their ninth straight. They hit .041 for the night, with their best showing coming in Game 3.

Junior hitter Anielle Da Silva found success on the left for five of her seven kills, helping Tech to a 13-10 lead. It would be the last, as Hawaii scored six unanswered points, two when Prince and Kanoe Kamana'o teamed to stuff Da Silva.

Ambra Hayes finished as Tech's kill leader with nine.

The Wahine could see the Lady Techsters again on Thanksgiving Day. LaTech and Boise State have the play-in match earlier that day, with the winner advancing to play top-seeded Hawaii.

"I thought it was a fun time for our team tonight," Shoji said. "We played a spirited match. I thought LaTech made us play, made us move around the court and get into our offense."

The seniors enjoyed one final lap around the arena, piled under leis that rivaled those bestowed at graduation.

"I didn't get this many," Prince's mother, Brenda, a 1968 Leilehua High graduate, said. "It was such a wonderful night and very overwhelming."

It was the perfect night for 6-year-old Blake Taylor, Victoria Prince's nephew.

"I love my aunt," he said. "She wins games."

Note: Sophomore Juliana Sanders only played in Game 1 but had a very productive outing, putting down all six of her attempts. But her best shot perhaps came during introductions, when she threw a T-shirt across the court and it landed in one of the UH band's tubas.

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