WAHINE VOLLEYBALL
UH advances; hosts out
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. » What if they held a volleyball match and no one came?
That could be the case for today's second-round match when No. 9 Hawaii faces Middle Tennessee State (2 p.m. Hawaii time).
For the second year in a row, the Blue Raiders upset favored Louisville. The No. 24-ranked Cardinals went down, 30-28, 18-30, 30-23, 27-30, 15-12 after 2 hours and 20 minutes at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
In contrast, the Rainbow Wahine needed just 79 minutes to end Tennessee State's first NCAA tournament appearance, close to the number of people who saw the 30-26, 30-14, 30-17 sweep.
It was the shortest match of the season for Hawaii -- by a minute -- and sends the Wahine into the second round for the 10th consecutive year. At stake today is a regional semifinal berth at Penn State next Friday.
Yesterday, junior hitter Jamie Houston had a match-high 18 kills and senior middle Juliana Sanders added 11 in hitting .714. Hawaii had a season-high 10 aces, with sophomore setter Stephanie Brandt dropping in three.
The official attendance for the two-match session was 1,321, with about 1,200 showing up for the second match. Louisville averaged 844 in its on-campus gym.
Hawaii was averaging a nation-best 6,452 after last week's final home match against Loyola Marymount. The Wahine have led the country in attendance the past 12 years.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. » It was a long way to come for such a short match. The shortest of the season by a minute.
Hawaii (27-5) vs. Middle Tennessee State (34-2)
At Louisville, Ky.
When: Today, 2 p.m.
Where: Louisville, Ky.
Radio: KKEA 1420-AM
First Round
Yesterday
» Hawaii def. Tennessee State, 3-0 (30-26, 30-14, 30-17)
» Middle Tennessee State (33-2) at Louisville (22-7)
Second Round
Today
» Hawaii (27-5) Middle Tennessee State (34-2), 2 p.m. Hawaii time
|
Hawaii's 30-26, 30-14, 30-17 sweep of Tennessee State -- UH's 17th sweep of the year -- took just 79 minutes, which was just fine with the Rainbow Wahine. The designated home team -- as the highest seed in this NCAA sub-regional -- was able to sit back and watch No. 24 Louisville and Middle Tennessee State duke it out for 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The Blue Raiders prevailed in five -- 30-28, 18-30, 30-23, 27-30, 15-12 -- to earn a spot in today's second-round match against the Wahine (2 p.m. Hawaii time).
It will be the first meeting between Hawaii (27-5) and MTSU (34-2).
It's expected to be anything but quick.
"We know we'll have to play better tonight," Wahine coach Dave Shoji said. "The goal today was to advance without expending a lot of energy. It's to our advantage to be able to watch our next opponent.
"We did struggle early today, but (Tennessee State) played well, ran their offense and it took a while for us to figure out their tempo. In defense (of the game plan) we only had one tape of them. It helps immensely to be able to see someone in person, see their tempo, the arm swings."
What Hawaii saw was scary: a quick, unorthodox offense that plays to MTSU's strengths, it's speed and athleticism.
"They are very fast-paced, not the style you're used to seeing," said Louisville coach Leonid Yelin, his team eliminated in the first round by MTSU in five for the second straight year. "You look at the numbers, we more than doubled them in blocks (15-7), we hit for better percentage (.343-.281), but when you look at the defense ... ."
The Blue Raiders were impressive, outdigging the Cardinals 63-51, while also serving 11 aces. Defense, serve-receive and ball control will be the keys for both Hawaii and MTSU today.
MTSU's 6-foot setter Leslie Clark runs a very fast, timed offense, much like the timing patterns between a quarterback and receiver. Her favorite targets last night were Ashley Mead (19 kills), Izabela Kozon (15) and the left-handed Ashley Adams (12).
"It's an honor for us, the new kid on the block, to play Hawaii," Red Raiders coach Matt Peck said. "As I told our team, we have to play a better match tomorrow than we did today.
"We're going to take it one point at a time. The team that breaks down is going home. I know our team won't be intimidated."
Peck said he was very much aware of Hawaii's Jamie Houston, who played high school ball in Huntsville, Ala., about 90 minutes away from the MTSU campus.
"She's a tremendous player and we know we need to come ready to play tomorrow," Peck said.
And so do the Wahine, who struggled early yesterday against the Tigers (20-14), making their first NCAA appearance. For the first 46 points, Tennessee State more than held its own, tying it at 23 on one of Christian Lowe's nine kills.
Houston responded with one of her match-high 18 kills, and teamed with Juliana Sanders to block Lowe. Sanders then had one of her 11 kills to give Hawaii the cushion it would need to ride it out.
Strong service runs by Aneli Cubi-Otineru (5-0), Amber Kaufman (7-0) and Elizabeth Ka'aihue (4-0) told the story of Game 2 as the Wahine broke away from a 9-8 lead to one of 29-12.
Stephanie Brandt's three aces all came early in Game 3 to help Hawaii set the tone while going ahead 7-2. Shoji was able to get 13 members of the 14-player travel roster into the match, with freshman middle Amanda Simmons putting down the Wahine's third attempt at aloha ball.
"I thought we were underdogs, but we didn't think we were," TSU coach Kathy Roulhac said. "This was a great opportunity to come and surprise everyone.
"Hawaii stepped it up (after Game 2), served tougher. And our passing got a little nervous. If you can't pass, you can't run your offense and you can't score. Tonight, we had the opportunity of a lifetime and you have to take advantage of every opportunity. But we'll be back."
Roulhac predicted that MTSU would beat Louisville.
"They offer something different, very up-tempo," she said. "If we had a little more ball control, we'd still be playing (not be swept). MTSU has the ball control. It's going to be a good match."
Hawaii def. Tennessee State
30-26, 30-14, 30-17
Tigers (20-14)
|
|
g |
k |
e |
att |
pct. |
bs |
ba |
d
|
Oliver |
3 |
4 |
2 |
9 |
.222 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
King |
3 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
3
|
Dornan |
3 |
6 |
2 |
15 |
.267 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Lowe |
3 |
9 |
11 |
36 |
-.056 |
0 |
0 |
5
|
Saleaumua |
3 |
4 |
2 |
11 |
.182 |
0 |
2 |
3
|
Davis |
3 |
6 |
2 |
16 |
.250 |
0 |
2 |
1
|
Salazar |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Nahooikaika |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
1
|
Silva |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
7
|
Totals |
3 |
30 |
20 |
100 |
.100 |
1 |
6 |
20 |
Rainbow Wahine (27-5)
|
|
g |
k |
e |
att |
pct. |
bs |
ba |
d
|
Sanders |
3 |
11 |
1 |
14 |
.714 |
0 |
2 |
0
|
Kaufman |
3 |
5 |
1 |
8 |
.500 |
0 |
3 |
0
|
Hittle |
3 |
5 |
3 |
11 |
.182 |
0 |
0 |
5
|
Houston |
3 |
18 |
7 |
33 |
.333 |
1 |
4 |
7
|
Brandt |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
6
|
Cubi-Otineru |
3 |
7 |
3 |
18 |
.222 |
0 |
2 |
8
|
Gregory |
3 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
.800 |
0 |
1 |
1
|
Keefe |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
1
|
Kaaihue |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
7
|
Mafua |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1.000 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Simmons |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Woolford |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Lee |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
3
|
Totals |
3 |
52 |
16 |
94 |
.383 |
1 |
12 |
40 |
Key -- g: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct.: hitting percentage; bs: block solos; ba: block assists; d: digs.
Aces --TSU (1): Saleaumua. Hawaii (10): Brandt 3, Kaufman 2, Houston 2, Cubi-Otineru 2, Kaaihue. Assists -- TSU (29): Saleaumua 24, Silva 2, Dornan, Lowe, Davis. Hawaii (49): Brandt 44, Kaaihue 2, Kaufman, Keefe, Lee.
T -- 1:19. Officials -- Tom Pingle, Marvin Hall. A -- 1,321.