Rainbow Wahine Top Colorado State, Advance To Honolulu Regional
HONOLULU – In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team defeated Colorado State in three sets, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-18. UH (31-1) advances to next weekend's Honolulu Regional to be played Dec. 9 and 10 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Kanani Danielson posted her 20th double-double of the season, recording 22 kills along with a career-high 20 digs. Jane Croson was also stellar on the defensive end with a career-high 20 digs while also adding 11 kills. Emily Hartong posted 12 kills and five blocks and Emily Maeda added 14 digs.
Dana Cranston had 14 kills and 12 digs to lead Colorado State, who closes its season at 24-6.
The Rams got out to an early set one lead. Three straight kills by Katelyn Steffan (10 kills, 6 digs) helped CSU to an early 8-4 advantage. The 'Bows would rally and, after a pair of kills by Chanteal Satele (6 kills) and another by Hartong, take an 11-10 lead. UH pushed to a 16-12 advantage on consecutive Hartong aces, but Colorado State went on a 7-1 run to take a 19-17 lead and close out the set.
Hawai'i was up for the challenge and responded with a 25-22 set two win. UH held an early 5-2 lead but the remainder of the set was nip and tuck. The teams traded points until CSU appeared to unravel with a series of errors, giving the 'Bows a 21-17 lead. UH held on to grab the win on kills by Satele and Croson, and headed to the intermission even with the Rams at one set a piece.
Set three was a different story, as UH overpowered Colorado State, 25-16. A pair of blocks by Hartong helped give Hawai'i an early 7-2 lead, then the block party continued as Hewitt and Uiato posted a pair of block assists to help the lead swell to 14-6. The momentum carried into the fourth set where UH earned a 25-18 win and a spot in the NCAA Honolulu Regional
There were 8,624 tickets issued for the match, and a turnstile count of 7,861.
Joining Hawai'i in the Regional are Pepperdine and Kansas State, and the winner of Saturday's match between USC and Tulsa. Pepperdine will play Kansas State on Friday, Dec. 9, at 5:00 p.m. with the Rainbow Wahine facing USC/Tulsa at 7:00 p.m. The winners will play on Saturday for a spot in the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Tex.
In this video Hilbert is speaking to a Booster group and trying to rally the troops. He is not a journalist or a member of the NCAA committee and any coach worth his paycheck would do what he could to enlist enthusiasm and hope from supporters. Some of the things that Volleytalkers take issue with are of no importance to other Division I coaches. I can guarantee you that Dave Shoji or any other experienced Division 1 coach wouldn't spend a New York second thinking about Hilbert's comments.
In this video Hilbert is speaking to a Booster group and trying to rally the troops. He is not a journalist or a member of the NCAA committee and any coach worth his paycheck would do what he could to enlist enthusiasm and hope from supporters. Some of the things that Volleytalkers take issue with are of no importance to other Division I coaches. I can guarantee you that Dave Shoji or any other experienced Division 1 coach wouldn't spend a New York second thinking about Hilbert's comments.
Can't argue with anything you say here. And I know this video was not uploaded to be posted on Volleytalk. Having said that, I do take issue with the comments he made about the WAC conference, about Hawai'i, and about the location for the first and second rounds last year because those comments represents his true feelings on the matter. And maybe those feelings is the nexus for voting Hawai'i 16?
Rataxes, you completely missed the point why some of us are saying of coach Hilbert. He must have known that the criteria for hosting the first/second rounds were being in the top 16 RPI(believe his team was in the top thirty). Yet he implies that the Ncaa gave it to Hawaii (NCAA gave them a bone)because the Wahine were hosting a regional. Earlier in the video he states that he thought they were going to host because Northern Colorado was also in their bracket. While coach Shoji isn't going to lose any sleep over it, he has often voiced that Hawaii doesn't get the respect it deserves. The video of Hilbert, his voting in the recent AVCA Poll is simply a reflection of it.
In this video Hilbert is speaking to a Booster group and trying to rally the troops. He is not a journalist or a member of the NCAA committee and any coach worth his paycheck would do what he could to enlist enthusiasm and hope from supporters. Some of the things that Volleytalkers take issue with are of no importance to other Division I coaches. I can guarantee you that Dave Shoji or any other experienced Division 1 coach wouldn't spend a New York second thinking about Hilbert's comments.
I have no respect for a coach that puts down a specific conference and or team. There are other ways to boost moral
Post by islandvballer808 on Aug 29, 2012 19:25:38 GMT -5
Those were some pretty pointed words by Coach Hilbert but... Some smack talk is all apart of sports like it or not. Main thing is the better team won that night.
I think the worst AVCA voter is the coach who doesn't vote, if he/she can.
I happen to know coach Hilbert a little. In fact... he's kind of the reason that I follow the sport at all. He's a great man who has shown it in the face of tragedy and on the court.
I honestly appreciate how honest he is with his fans/boosters/press. Most coaches talk in circles about their opponents. Coach Hilbert lets his players prove themselves on the court and talks his fans into getting excited about the match. He's an expert at getting fans to be proud of their team.
More coaches should be like Tom.
Whether or not he's a bad voter, I don't care. The Stan Sheriff Center is absolutely the greatest home court advantage in volleyball. Period. Perhaps he's voting for that advantage for Hawaii which, let's be honest, is still an unproven team this year. I'm certain that Tom will keep bumping Hawaii up as they continue to win this year.
As far as if he has a personal vendetta against Hawaii?? That would be awesome. The sport needs more of these. Too many coaches are too close of friends and there are far too few rivalries left in this sport.
Hawaii vs. Colorado State volleyball. I happen to know Dave, and Dave can handle a rivalry, too.
Hey spud, what honesty are you talking about? Questioning Hawaii's #3 ranking? Bad mouthing the WAC to elevate his team/conference. I don't know Shoji personally but I've followed the Wahine for thirty years. Dave would never do what Hilbert did, no class. "Coach Hilbert lets his players prove themselves on the court and talks his fans into getting excited about the match. He's an expert at getting fans to be proud of their team." Dave does not have to resort to verbally degradiing opponents to build up fan interest. The Wahine fans have always been proud of the program because of the way the coaches and players conduct themselve. Over 2.4 million fans at the SSC in the past seventeen years is proof of that. Hilberts behavior is classless, bush league.
Spud: "As far as he(Hilbert) has a personal vendatta against Hawaii?? That would be awesome. The sport should have more of these. Too many coaches are too close friends and there are far to few rivalries left in the sport." I know you lived here in Hawaii, but it seems you failed to learn a very important local value. Its expected that opponents play hard against one another but it's also important to show respect and maintain a friendly relationship. Rivals on the court but aloha off of it.
Spud, "As far as he(Hilbert) has a personal vendatta against Hawaii?? That would be awesome. The sport should have more of these. Too many coaches are too close friends and there are far to few rivalries left in the sport." I know you lived here in Hawaii, but it seems you failed to learn a very important local value. Its expected that opponents play hard against one another but it's also important to show respect and maintain a friendly relationship. Rivals on the court but aloha off of it.
Ah, that would be why last season there was a Hawaii thread that went on all season attacking the UW Huskies....
Idaho, no team has really proven its rank this early in the year so considering that Hawaii did not lose last week (but beat then #6 Stanford), don't you think Hawaii should be ranked closer to where it started in the preseason poll?
Don't you find it strange that Tom is the ONLY coach among all those who voted to have Hawaii outside of the top 15, or 10 for that matter. I suppose Tom knows something about Hawaii's weakness/worth that all other coaches do not see to deserve such a low ranking. You hinted that it could be Hawaii's home court advantage. Really, do you believe that makes sense? I suppose then that Nebraska ought to be outside of the top 10 as well.
Don't let your personal relationship with Tom blur your objectivity. Tom is clearly motivated by something...call it vendetta or something else...but whatever it is, he obviously stands alone on this one. #16, really?
As far as if he has a personal vendetta against Hawaii?? That would be awesome. The sport needs more of these. Too many coaches are too close of friends and there are far too few rivalries left in this sport.
Sorry, but having a "personal vendetta" against a team and having that affect your voting is not "awesome" by any stretch. If someone can't be honest and objective when voting then they have no business voting.
I don't know him but he comes across as an unknowledgable jerk in that video.
Spud, "As far as he(Hilbert) has a personal vendatta against Hawaii?? That would be awesome. The sport should have more of these. Too many coaches are too close friends and there are far to few rivalries left in the sport." I know you lived here in Hawaii, but it seems you failed to learn a very important local value. Its expected that opponents play hard against one another but it's also important to show respect and maintain a friendly relationship. Rivals on the court but aloha off of it.
Ah, that would be why last season there was a Hawaii thread that went on all season attacking the UW Huskies....
Mike, aren't you exaggerating just a bit? That was not a "Hawaii thread ". I started that thread all by myself. It didn't last "all season ", more like a couple of weeks, and it was playful, not sinister in nature.