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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Oct 26, 2012 12:36:38 GMT -5
Wahine reserves holding down the fort at homeBy Ann Miller, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 26, 2012 CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM Sarah Mendoza came up with a dig during an August practice. Mendoza is among the UH reserves who push the starters in practice.Long before ninth-ranked Hawaii plays Long Beach State in tonight's Big West volleyball match, the rest of the Rainbow Wahine will come together in Manoa. Those who have been left home will practice together, work on their skills and play for brownies from Kristina Kam's kitchen. "Her brownies are actually really good," Katiana Ponce, the tiny 2012 Moanalua graduate, says sincerely. "Kristina has been in the program for the longest time so she likes to organize our practices," adds Courtney Lelepali, who is from Waianae and was Kam's teammate at Punahou. "It's good because it inspires us to challenge each other and, especially since we have brownies, we're going to fight for them." The 90-minute practices are spirited, with lots of defensive drills geared toward the six defensive specialists not on the travel roster. There are also fundamentals and 3-on-3 scrimmages. Points are up for grabs for all the skills. Those who finish with the most points eat the most brownies. "They police themselves," UH coach Dave Shoji says. "We don't have a coach to stay back with them. Our manager (Kayla Kaluau) runs it and Kam has been a real trooper about organizing people and getting them to work on what we want. Really, I just want them to go in the gym and have fun …touch the ball once in a while when we're gone." The reserves take their time together seriously. Shoji needed 15 people last week against UC Davis and 14 against Pacific, to keep his 17-2 team unbeaten (10-0) in the Big West. Starter Ashley Kastl spoke later of the "people who grind and bust their butts" at practice to "make us better." For many, that will not translate into playing time this season. Lelepali, a redshirt junior who led Southern Utah in digs before transferring home, has appeared in more than half the matches as a designated server/defender. Kam and Kayla Kawamura, an all-state setter for Hawaii Baptist, have just seven appearances between them. Ponce, Katie Spieler and Sarah Mendoza, all-conference at Irvine Valley the past two years, will probably redshirt. For now, their contribution is mostly about being selfless and making themselves, and those around them, better — athletically and academically. This stay-at-home squad would start on anyone's all-scholar team. Kam, a redshirt junior, is a biology major and Kawamura is in human resources with an eye on nursing. Spieler is majoring in business and had a 4.71 GPA at Dos Pueblos High School, where she was scholar-athlete of the year. Ponce is in civil engineering and Mendoza in psychology. Lelepali is majoring in Hawaiian Studies with an art emphasis. They can provide inspiration for their teammates in many ways. For now, that has to be enough. "We just want to give them motivation," Kawamura says. "Even though we don't travel with them every trip, we still know how important it is to come to practice and not take a day off or be late. We show up in our actions, just by coming to practice and knowing we have to do our best, even though we know we're probably not going to get the playing time we want." Their payoff also comes in all kinds of ways. Lelepali thrives on watching her team play "in front of this amazing crowd … it's an awesome feeling to know we get to play for them, too." Ponce appreciates the dramatic jump in intensity in the college game. Kawamura likes to watch folks like Kastl come through after seeing their sweat equity in practice. "Even though they get frustrated they keep trying," she says. "Then it comes to a game and you see them be successful. Ashley is a perfect example. She always works hard in practice and it shows in the games." Tonight's match at Long Beach (11-9, 6-3) will be shown live on FSN Prime Ticket (228) beginning at 4 p.m. It is the first televised home match for the 49ers since 2008. Tonight's match and Saturday's at UC Irvine, also starting at 4 p.m., will be broadcast live on 1420-AM and streamed live on bigwest.tv.
The Anteaters (9-14, 4-5) are 0-27 against Hawaii.
BIG WEST CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL
>> What: Hawaii (11-9) vs. Long Beach State (6-3)
>> When: 4 p.m. today
>> Where: Long Beach, Calif.
>> TV: FSN Prime Ticket, Ch. 228
>> Radio: 1420-AM
>> Online: bigwest.tvCINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM UH’s Courtney Lelepali, left, looked on as Emily Hartong slammed a kill during a September match
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Oct 27, 2012 20:10:48 GMT -5
Wahine 'struggle all night,' but win anywayBy Joseph D'Hippolito / Special to the Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 27, 2012 DARRELL MIHO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii's Kalei Adolpho hit over the block of Long Beach State's Tiara Wallace. Adolpho had 10 kills and just one error in 15 swings.DARRELL MIHO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Emily Hartong set career highs with 33 kills and 15 digs against Long Beach State.LONG BEACH, Calif. » Emily Hartong established personal bests in kills and digs while helping Hawaii survive an uneven performance in a hard-fought match against Long Beach State on Friday night. Hartong finished with 33 kills and 15 digs as the ninth-ranked Rainbow Wahine repelled the 49ers 24-26, 34-32, 26-24, 25-22 in Big West Conference play in front of 2,466 at the Walter Pyramid. Hawaii (18-2, 11-0 Big West) earned its 11th consecutive victory and extended its winning streak in conference matches to 66, best in the nation. Hartong's performance also extended her own streak of personal success. In her previous five matches, the junior averaged 4.75 kills per set and 19 per game while hitting .314. Hartong was not the only Wahine who achieved personal bests against the 49ers (11-10, 6-6). Ashley Kastl amassed a career-high 19 digs to go with 13 kills. Jade Vorster added 13 kills, five block assists and a solo block, while Kalei Adolpho punched a personal-high 10 kills. Nevertheless, coach Dave Shoji expressed concern with his team's concentration. "We made so many unforced errors," Shoji said. "We couldn't convert the off plays. It was a struggle all night." The 49ers made that struggle worse by displaying a different personality than the one they showed while getting swept Sept. 29 at the Stan Sheriff Center. "Long Beach played an unbelieveable match, especially defensively," Shoji said. "I knew they would be tough, but they made a lot of defensive plays that we didn't expect." The teams exchanged the lead 20 times and forced 50 ties —18 of them in the second set. "They kept coming at us and coming at us," Shoji said. The 49ers expressed that tenacity early. Long Beach used an 8-0 surge in the first set to turn a 6-2 deficit into a 10-6 advantage. UH's Tai Manu-Olevao tied the score at 24 with a kill, but Long Beach's Chisom Okpala and Tyler Jackson used tips to secure the first set — during which Hartong struggled. "I was really concerned," Shoji said, "because on the first five swings she took, she had no topspin on any of her balls and she sailed a couple out." After adjusting her swing, Hartong compiled 10 kills in the second set and nine in each of final two sets. "I knew that I needed to get more on top of the ball," the junior said. "I was kind of hitting underneath and, therefore, a lot of balls were soaring out." Despite Hartong's improvement, UH had seven chances to win the set before finally doing so — and needed two crucial plays to prevent the 49ers from reaching set point. After Hartong blocked Long Beach's Alex Reid at the left antenna, Alyssa Longo dived to recover the deflection — and hit the ball while prone into an open space to put UH ahead 27-26. Then Mita Uiato beat the 49ers' Janisa Johnson to a free ball for a tip that gave the Wahine a 28-27 lead. With the score tied at 32, UH finally scored two successive points to win. Hartong pounded a spike from the left side for the lead. Then Vorster and Uiato combined to block Reid for the victory. In the third set, Hawaii led 23-20 before Long Beach scored four successive points. But the 49ers' Tiara Wallace missed a spike to tie the score at 24. Hartong and Vorster followed with kills that ensured victory. UH trailed 21-20 in the fourth set, but kills from Manu-Olevao and Adolpho resulted in a 22-21 lead before Ginger Long's service error tied the score. Adolpho's 10th kill gave the Wahine a 23-22 advantage. Long Beach's Bre Mackie punched a spike long, and Emily Maeda served an ace to end the match. NotesThe Wahine play at UC Irvine today at 4 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on 1500-AM and streamed live on bigwest.tv.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Oct 28, 2012 14:14:49 GMT -5
Hartong lifts up WahineBy Joseph D'Hippolito / Special to the Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 28, 2012 LAST UPDATED: 03:32 a.m. HST, Oct 28, 2012 DARRELL MIHO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER UH's Emily Hartong hit over the block of UC Irvine's Marisa Bubica on Saturday in Irvine, Calif.IRVINE, Calif. » The Emily Hartong Hitting Machine keeps pounding and pounding and pounding. But despite Hartong's 29 kills, Hawaii came within one set of losing its first conference match since 2008. Nevertheless, the ninth-ranked Rainbow Wahine won the final two sets for a 25-21, 22-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-10 victory over UC Irvine on Saturday night in Big West Conference play at Crawford Court. Hawaii (19-2, 12-0) extended its conference winning streak, the best in the nation, to 67 matches while earning its 12th consecutive victory of the season. Hartong added two service aces, two block assists and 16 digs, one more than the career high she established Friday night against Long Beach State. Yet the Wahine had to rally from deficits in the first and fourth sets to have a chance against the Anteaters (10-15, 5-6) — who not only had never beaten UH in 28 meetings since 1985, but also had extended the 'Bows to five sets only once previously, in 1992. "They played much more aggressively, and their outside hitters were much better," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. UH responded with contributions from unexpected sources. Former Punahou standout Tai Manu-Olevao made her first start and finished with eight kills. Stephanie Hagins added two kills and a block assist at critical junctures. "We got a big lift from those two," said Shoji, who especially praised Manu-Olevao. "I thought she played wonderfully for being a true freshman and never having played the left side before." Monica Stauber and Kaela Goodman played pivotal roles in the first set. Both entered the match after Hawaii turned a 12-8 deficit in that set into a 15-15 tie. Using a slow, floating serve with minimal spin, Stauber served five successive points to give the 'Bows a 20-15 lead, and assisted on one of Ashley Kastl's two kills during the 5-0 spree. Goodman and Kalei Adolpho twice combined on block assists for two more points. But UH squandered a 10-6 advantage in the third set, as Irvine used an 8-3 surge to move ahead 14-13. Then with the score tied at 16, Marisa Bubica punched three kills in a 4-0 run that gave the Anteaters a 20-16 lead. The Wahine narrowed the deficit to 20-18, but a hitting error combined with Marissa Alvarez's two service aces extended the margin to 23-18. That loss stimulated the 'Bows. "We knew that was our last chance," Hartong said. Goodman helped UH take control of the fourth set with three kills during a 9-2 blitz that gave Hawaii a 16-11 lead. Hartong and Jane Vorster each added a kill and a block assist. Irvine drew within 23-22, but Hartong stifled the Anteaters' rally by punching a cross-court kill from the left antenna and serving an ace to tie the match. Hartong amassed seven kills in the fourth set before dominating the fifth with six kills, most of them powerful shots from the back row. Hartong contributed five of those kills and another ace as UH built a 10-6 advantage. Again, Irvine narrowed the deficit to one point, 10-9. But a 4-0 spurt dispatched the Anteaters. Goodman began that spurt with a cross-court kill from the right side to earn a sideout. Emily Maeda followed with an ace; then kills from Hartong and Hagins closed out the victory. Vorster finished with 11 kills, while Goodman contributed nine kills and four block assists. Irvine's Aly Squires had 14 kills and 18 digs, Ella Rosenfeld made seven block assists and Kristin Winkler amassed 28 digs. 3 Hawaii
2 UC Irvine
Key: Emily Hartong had 29 kills to lead the Wahine.
Next: UH vs. UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m. Thursday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Oct 28, 2012 14:19:32 GMT -5
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vballfreak808
Hawaiian Ohana
2020 All-VolleyTalk 1st Team, All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team (2023, 2022, 2017, 2016), All-VolleyTalk HM (2021, 2019, 2018), 2017 Fantasy League 1st Runner-up, 2016 Fantasy League Champion
#GoBows
Posts: 13,127
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Post by vballfreak808 on Oct 30, 2012 19:58:44 GMT -5
Wahine volleyball's Hartong is national player of the weekBy Star-Advertiser staff POSTED: 12:44 p.m. HST, Oct 30, 2012 LAST UPDATED: 01:17 p.m. HST, Oct 30, 2012 PHOTO BY DARRELL MIHO / SPECIAL TO THE HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISERUniversity of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Jade Vorster (9) and Emily Hartong (17) team up to block UC Irvine Anteater Taylor Smith (16) during a game on Saturday at Crawford Hall. Emily Hartong's astonishing volleyball adventure in Southern California last week was recognized today when the Rainbow Wahine junior was named Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week. Hartong, from Los Alamitos, Calif, earned second-team All-America honors last year at middle blocker. This year, as an outside hitter — she has played left and right — Hartong leads ninth-ranked Hawaii and the Big West Conference, averaging 4.6 kills a set. She bumped that up dramatically last week, averaging nearly seven, and is now ranked eighth nationally. Hartong had a career-high 33 kills in a four-set win at Long Beach State Friday, hitting .329. She added 29 in a five-set win at UC Irvine the following night. Hartong also had career highs in digs — 15 at Long Beach and 16 at UCI — for her fifth and sixth double-doubles this season. Hartong is the seventh Wahine to win the national award. The last was Jamie Houston in 2006. Hawaii (19-2 overall, 12-0 Big West) hosts UC Santa Barbara (13-12, 6-4) Thursday and Cal Poly (3-19, 2-8) Saturday. Both Big West matches begin at 7 p.m. at Stan Sheriff Center.
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Post by po'okela on Oct 31, 2012 13:08:08 GMT -5
FYI Star Advertiser is providing free online access until November 3, 2012
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Oct 31, 2012 16:32:20 GMT -5
Hartong is national player of the weekBy Ann Miller, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 31, 2012 STAR-ADVERTISER / 2012 Emily Hartong is the first Hawaii player to win the national player of the week award in six years.If Emily Hartong keeps accomplishing the improbable for ninth-ranked Hawaii, the volleyball awards might run out before her right arm. Tuesday, the junior became the first Rainbow Wahine in six years to be recognized as Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week. The second-team All-American averaged nearly seven kills a set in Hawaii’s road wins last week, earning Big West Conference Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. Hartong’s 62 kills, including a career-high 33 against Long Beach State, and 31 digs were not her most compelling numbers. With Jane Croson out the past seven matches, Hawaii has set Hartong relentlessly. Its attack is beyond predictable, allowing blockers to shadow Hartong everywhere she goes. Still, she hit nearly .300 last week, and lived to talk about a trip where she took 158 swings in wins at Long Beach State and UC Irvine. “So far she has been a wind-up toy, wind her up and let her go,” said UH coach Dave Shoji, who moved Hartong from the middle to the outside this year, and could switch her from left side to right this week. “She’s durable and gets better as the game goes on. … She seems to get stronger as everyone else gets tired. She’s in tremendous shape.” Hartong’s five fifth-set kills Saturday at Irvine proved his point, and proved to be the difference. This week, when Hawaii hosts UC Santa Barbara on Thursday and Cal Poly on Saturday, more help could be on the way. As of Tuesday, Jane Croson had one more obligation to fulfill before getting cleared to play. She has been on suspension since the beginning of the month, for breaking unspecified team rules. But Croson came back to practice last week and could be cleared to play by today. She averages just under four kills and, despite missing seven matches, still has 125 more hitting attempts than any Wahine aside from Hartong. Shoji, whose team is in the midst of an NCAA-best 67-match conference winning streak, is not apologizing for piling on Hartong. “This is not AYSO soccer,” he said. “You don’t set left-middle-right, left-middle-right, you set the person who can get you the kill. You want to be fairly balanced, but when the chips are down, Hartong’s getting the ball. It was the same thing last year with Kanani (Danielson).” Hartong leads the Big West, and is eighth nationally, at 4.6 kills a set. Career highs in kills and digs — twice — last week gave her six double-doubles this year. Freshman Tai Manu-Olevao, activated when Croson was suspended, injured her ankle in practice Tuesday but is expected back on a limited basis today. Hawaii remained 18th in the NCAA power ranking. Stanford, which lost to Hawaii in August, is No. 1 and among five Pac-12 teams in the top 14. Shoji said he figures his team has one shot at a top-16 seeding and staying home for an NCAA subregional. “I think we have to win out, and if we do I think we’re deserving,” he said. “We have a win over the No. 1 RPI team in the country. That has to help us.” Notes>> Three freshmen lead Big West statistics, with Hawaii’s Jade Vorster first in hitting (.382), UCSB’s Taylor Formico in digs (5.92) and UC Riverside’s Emily Borges in assists (10.6). The Wahine lead the league in hitting (.268) by 48 points and are also first in assists and kills, and second in blocks (2.60). All those marks are top 40 nationally. WAHINE VOLLEYBALL At Stan Sheriff Center
>> Thursday: 7 p.m., No. 9 Hawaii (19-2, 12-0 Big West) vs. UC Santa Barbara (13-12, 6-4) >> Saturday: 7 p.m., No. 9 Hawaii vs. Cal Poly (3-19, 2-8) >> TV: Live on OC Sports, Ch. 16 >> Radio: Live on KKEA, 1420-AM, Thursday and KHKA, 1500-AM, Saturday
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Nov 1, 2012 16:11:31 GMT -5
Inconsistent Wahine just win, babyHawaii's never-quit attitude — and its athleticism — have carried the team on nights when plays are tough to makeBy Ann Miller, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 01, 2012 LAST UPDATED: 08:22 a.m. HST, Nov 01, 2012 STAR-ADVERTISER / 2012 Jane Croson is expected to play in this weekend's series.Dave Shoji jokingly tells his ninth-ranked Hawaii volleyball team it is "driving him into retirement." The Rainbow Wahine can be ragged. One night it is their passing and another blocking. Sometimes the hitters simply can't find the floor. One quality, however, has been constant through the frustrations, foul-ups and free balls falling to the floor. Hawaii has never quit. More than anything, that is why it hasn't lost in two months, takes an NCAA-best 67-match conference winning streak into tonight's tilt with UC Santa Barbara and has all but clinched the Big West title three weeks early. The Wahine (19-2, 12-0 BWC) have gone five sets five times and lost the opening set eight times, including four of the past five. Last weekend's road trip was a study in grind and bear it, but they kept winning. "It wasn't so pretty, there were a lot of ugly plays last week," UH setter Mita Uiato acknowledged, "but in the end we pulled it out and made plays when we had to — later in the game." Uiato grinned. "We need to work on that," she concluded. Shoji agrees — "There weren't many style points last week, I can count them on one hand" — then offers an explanation. "We have more athletes than we do pure volleyball players," he said. "We're playing teams that have good volleyball players. We're winning because we're more athletic in the end. Games are pretty ugly because the ball keeps coming back to us and sometimes we don't know how to handle that. "What we can't control is the ball coming back. We're not hitting for a great percentage. The ball is being dug and we are not transitioning well. We should be digging as many balls as the other team, but when they're scoring that means we're not blocking or digging." Only winning, with a team where Uiato has been the lone familiar face from last year for the past seven matches. Second-team All-American Emily Hartong has provided most of Hawaii's punch from the outside after playing middle her first two seasons. Jade Vorster, who hit .537 last week, and Kalei Adolpho are first-year starters in the middle, helping to explain the inconsistency of the block. The rest of the positions are filled by transfers Ali Longo and Ashley Kastl, and whoever is hot, or at least lukewarm, on the right side. That could change tonight, when Shoji expects Jane Croson back. She was averaging nearly four kills, 2.5 digs and most of the serve-receptions until being suspended for breaking undisclosed team rules a month ago. "I'm hoping she will be in the lineup Thursday," said Shoji, who expects Croson to take much of the pressure off Hartong. "Everything is on track for her to be eligible to play Thursday." He added that Croson is on "a tight leash" and her status "day-to-day." It is just another aspect of the Wahine's season on the brink. So far they have been survivors, overcoming Croson's absence, all those slow starts and the Big West's best shot every night out — almost. The Gauchos (13-12, 6-4) are currently in second place in the beyond-balanced BWC. When the teams met in Santa Barbara, they hit just .058 and were never in it. It was one of the few nights this year that Hawaii, as Uiato put it, "stepped on somebody's throat." But UH is still undefeated without Croson and already working on postseason variations. "It never crossed my mind we might not win," Shoji said. "We have enough talent and we were playing well without her. But she makes us better, that's for sure." WAHINE VOLLEYBALLAt Stan Sheriff Center » Today: No. 9 Hawaii (19-2, 12-0) vs. UC Santa Barbara (13-12, 6-4), 7 p.m.
» Saturday: Hawaii vs. Cal Poly (3-19, 2-8), 7 p.m.
» TV: OC Sports (Ch. 16)
» Radio: KKEA 1420-AM today and KHKA 1500-AM Saturday
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Post by Wiz on Nov 1, 2012 22:40:51 GMT -5
Nice to hear that Jane is back. I love the team this year. Although, there were many times that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Go BOWS!
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Post by Courtside5 on Nov 1, 2012 22:44:29 GMT -5
One thing mentioned in the Staradvertiser is that Shoji mentions Croson is on a "Tight Leash" and is day to day. Does this mean that if she doesn`t watch herself she may sit out again? Come post season this would be a death sentence in the tournament if she doesn`t play. JMO
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Post by kaBOOOOM on Nov 2, 2012 13:22:35 GMT -5
Wahine roll UCSBJane Croson's all-around game is superb in her return from suspension By Ann Miller POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 02, 2012 LAST UPDATED: 02:57 a.m. HST, Nov 02, 2012 Jane Croson had eight kills and 19 digs, leading Hawaii to a sweep of UC Santa Barbara. Jane Croson needed 15 minutes Thursday to remind people that for all her wild and crazy offense, what ninth-ranked Hawaii missed most is her ability to serve as a back-row security blanket. In her first volleyball match in a month, Croson collected 10 digs in the opening set of a 25-8, 25-19, 25-18 Big West Conference win over UC-Santa Barbara. "I just wanted to get every ball I can," Croson said, "because it felt good to be out there." "She's in the right spot and you can't teach that," UH coach Dave Shoji added. "She's one of the reasons we had a good night. She's a six-rotation player. She passes, plays defense and obviously she hits. "We struggled without her, to be honest, but it looked pretty smooth tonight. Defensively, anything hit in her direction came up. She makes it look easy and it's really not that easy." A Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 4,238 saw the Rainbow Wahine (20-2, 13-0 Big West) run their NCAA-best string of conference wins to 68. It also saw the popular Croson come back from a monthlong suspension for breaking undisclosed team rules. There was a gigantic poster of her face waving in the upper deck. On the floor, Croson had clearly not missed a beat, finishing with a season-high 19 digs, eight kills and two rim shots off UCSB libero Taylor Formico's left shoulder. It looked like the same Croson but, of course, it was not. What happened — and she and Shoji are still not saying what it was — was serious. For the rest of this season and probably her career, a gifted player who kids idolize is basically on probation. "On the court, I still need to focus on wanting to get better," said Croson, who ran and worked out for the three weeks she could not practice. "When I came back I had that urge, I wanted to practice every time I stepped on the court. I have to have that mindset. "Off the court, I need to get my school work done and Dave has a couple things I still have to do. I need to meet those requirements. It's going to help me out." The Gauchos helped Hawaii out Thursday. Their offense imploded piece by piece, beginning with extremely poor passing and five UH aces. When UH swept them in Santa Barbara a month ago, the Gauchos hit just .058. They bumped that to a meager .086 this time, going through two setters — including Punahou graduate Ali Santi — and 19 hitting errors. The Wahine attack flourished with four players at eight kills-plus. Hawaii hammered the Gauchos in the opening set harder than it has hammered any opponent since the season opener against Albany. Four hitters combined to go 9-for-10 in that set. The missing link was National Player of the Week Emily Hartong, who started slow — again — but buried her last three swings. That helped Hawaii score 19 of the last 22 points, with setter Mita Uiato serving nine straight. Santa Barbara funneled its frustration into a 9-6 advantage in Set 2, before the Wahine went on a 15-4 tear to break it open again. Libero Ali Longo served six in a row and Hartong went for five kills in the set. UH brought Ashley Kastl in on the left in the final set, sending Hartong opposite the setter. That began badly, with the Wahine falling into a 9-6 hole. Senior Emily Maeda helped them out by serving five straight. Hartong would finish with a match-high 11 kills on 26 swings, her lowest totals since before Croson went out. "Hartong is clearly the best player in the Big West this year," said UCSB's Kathy Gregory, who, like Shoji, is in her 38th year of coaching and in all kinds of volleyball halls of fame. "She clearly is." The win dropped Santa Barbara (13-13, 6-5) back into a pack of five Big West teams with five losses. The Wahine have clinched at least a tie for the Big West title with five matches left. "It's hard to tell how they are," Gregory said. "Physically they have the talent, but we didn't give them much of a challenge. It's the best talent in the league and more depth than anyone else." It was UCSB's first match in Hawaii since 2001, and one of its quickest. It took the Wahine 83 minutes to reach 20 wins for the 34th time in their long history, including the last 19 years. Hawaii hosts Cal Poly Saturday at 7 p.m. before heading out on its final conference road trip. 3 Hawaii 0 UCSB Key: The Wahine hit .305 and outdig the Gauchos 41-34 Next: UH vs. Cal Poly, 7 p.m. Saturday, OC Sports (Ch. 16)
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Nov 3, 2012 17:34:07 GMT -5
Wahine have a penchant for winning
By Ann Miller, The Star-Advertiser
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 03, 2012
Joining a conference has clearly been very good to Hawaii volleyball, with 19 championships in 28 years of membership.
Whether it has been very, very good is up for argument — not that there was ever a choice when the NCAA seized control of women's sports in the early 1980s.
"It was hell trying to be an independent back then," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "We were going on these 10-day road trips and playing nine games or something ridiculous. We were traveling from one city to the next. It was almost like the Globetrotters. Then we wouldn't play for two weeks. So being in a conference is much more desirable."
Particularly when you win more than 90 percent of your matches. The ninth-ranked Rainbow Wahine can claim their 19th conference title outright tonight by beating Cal Poly.
It comes in their return to the Big West after a record — and record-padding — purge of the Western Athletic Conference the previous 15 years.
Hawaii went 270-7 in the WAC. It still holds the NCAA record of 132 consecutive wins over conference opponents, going more than eight years without a loss. It goes into tonight's match with the country's best regular-season conference winning streak — 68.
But of the Wahine's four national titles, three were won before they joined the Pacific Coast Athletic Association in 1985 (it became the Big West in 1988).
The landscape of college athletics, particularly women's sports, has changed radically since. There are no successful independents in volleyball now. But has joining a conference really made Hawaii better?
"You always wish your conference was stronger," Shoji acknowledged. "I would love to play a Pac-12 schedule. Our record wouldn't be as good, but you're forced to get better or you take your lumps. Sometimes you'd rather have that situation than winning all the time."
The PCAA was the dominant volleyball conference when Hawaii joined. It sent eight teams to the 1988 NCAA tournament. Hawaii, Pacific and Long Beach State combined to win six titles from 1982 to 1989.
By the time the Wahine moved to the WAC in 1996, the Pac-12 and Big Ten had begun to dominate. Hawaii is the only ranked team in the Big West this season, as it was for most of its WAC history. Long Beach State was the only Big West team that went to the NCAA tournament two of the last four years. A Big West team hasn't won in the postseason since 2008.
Two weeks ago Shoji told his team, whose last loss was Sept. 9, that it won the conference.
"People are going to keep beating everybody else, so basically we had won the conference," he said. "We are not going to lose five matches. This conference is way more competitive and way deeper than the WAC. … Anybody can beat anybody else, including us."
The Wahine have gone five sets four times, but no Big West team has beaten them yet. The critical question is, are the Big West opponents preparing them for the postseason?
Shoji will say only that it is making his unpredictable team "tougher."
"It's a thrill a minute and you never know what you're going to get," he said, "so you should come and watch it. … It's fun to go to practice now because everybody's got to earn a spot."
WAHINE VOLLEYBALL At Stan Sheriff Center
» Today: No. 9 Hawaii (20-2, 13-0) vs. Cal Poly (3-20, 2-9), 7 p.m.
» TV: OC Sports, Ch. 16
» Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
Notes
» Freshman Tai Manu-Olevao is not expected to play tonight. She injured an ankle in practice Tuesday.
» Junior Emily Hartong had 990 kill attempts her first two seasons combined. She has 973 this year, including 40-plus in 13 matches. Hartong is sixth in the country, averaging 4.57 kills a set.
WAHINE VOLLEYBALL CONFERENCE HISTORY
1985: Pacific Coast Athletic Association 10-6 (3rd)
1986: Pacific Coast Athletic Association 15-3 (2)
1987: Pacific Coast Athletic Association 17-1 (1)
1988: Big West Conference 18-0 (1)
1989: Big West Conference 17-1 (1)
1990: Big West Conference 16-2 (1)
1991: Big West Conference 15-3 (T2)
1992: Big West Conference 11-7 (4)
1993: Big West Conference 13-5 (3)
1994: Big West Conference 15-3 (2) 1995: Big West Conference 18-0 (1)
1996: Western Athletic Conference 16-0 (2)
1997: Western Athletic Conference 14-0 (2)
1998: Western Athletic Conference 13-1 (1)
1999: Western Athletic Conference 14-0 (1)
2000: Western Athletic Conference 16-0 (1)
2001: Western Athletic Conference 13-0 (1)
2002: Western Athletic Conference 13-0 (1)
2003: Western Athletic Conference 13-0 (1)
2004: Western Athletic Conference 13-0 (1)
2005: Western Athletic Conference 16-0 (1)
2006: Western Athletic Conference 15-1 (1)
2007: Western Athletic Conference 15-1 (1)
2008: Western Athletic Conference 15-1 (1)
2009: Western Athletic Conference 16-0 (1)
2010: Western Athletic Conference 16-0 (2)
2011: Western Athletic Conference 14-0 (1)
2012: Big West Conference 13-0
In Progress (clinched tie for first)
Totals: 410-35 regular season (.921)36-3 WAC Tournament (.923)
446-38 overall (.921)
19 overall conference championships in 28 seasons
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Nov 4, 2012 13:58:26 GMT -5
Wahine clinchUH sweeps Cal Poly to lock up the Big West Conference title and a spot in the postseason
By Ann Miller, The Star-AdvertiserPOSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 04, 2012 LAST UPDATED: 01:46 a.m. HST, Nov 04, 2012 BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaii's Jane Croson hit over Cal Poly's Megan McConnell, left, and Hannah Schleis in the first set of Saturday night's match.Ninth-ranked Hawaii is still trying to create a lineup, but it clinched a conference volleyball championship and a place in the NCAA postseason Saturday. The Rainbow Wahine, who won 13 Western Athletic Conference titles before returning to the Big West this year, swept Cal Poly 25-19, 25-17, 25-19. They claimed their sixth Big West title — but first since 1995 — before 5,652 at the Stan Sheriff Center. That included a few hundred rowdy OIA middle-schoolers, who played in the arena hours earlier. Hawaii got 14 kills from national player of the week Emily Hartong, who hit a scorching and season-high .619. She and Jane Croson (13 kills) were joined by four new starters in the final set and the Wahine finally found some semblance of a block — for the first 12 points. They will need that block in a month, when the NCAA tournament starts. Cal Poly was hitting 100 points over its average the first two sets and often the Wahine were not even touching the ball. "Our technique needs to get better," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "Our hand positioning is not good. It's been a struggle all year with our block. There's a lot of room for improvement and we intend to improve that skill." UH (21-2, 14-0) still has four BWC matches remaining, an NCAA-best 69-match regular-season conference winning streak to protect and the feeling that it has to win out to have a shot at hosting a subregional. That includes a nonconference meeting with Brigham Young-Hawaii on Thursday. The Mustangs (3-21) dropped to 2-10 in a conference full of teams constantly beating each other up. None has found a way to finish off the Wahine. "It's an honor to win it," said Hartong, who was 3 when UH last won the BWC. "It was cool coming back into the conference knowing we could play a huge role in it. It's a lot more competitive than the WAC, so it was nice taking care of business." Shoji was surprised to clinch so soon. "It says a couple things," he added. "One is the league is pretty balanced in the middle. But there's no real strong team in there. We're a one-bid NCAA league and it's got to get better. We want our conference to get stronger, get two, three, four teams in the NCAA." Cal Poly has not been to the NCAA tournament since 2008. Its only wins this season came in five sets. First-year coach Sam Crosson will stress discipline in the spring to try to build consistency and skills, and get the Mustangs' mojo back. Consistency is also elusive for the new Big West champs. "There's times when they look pretty good and execute at a high level for long periods of time," said Crosson, who got six kills from ‘Iolani grad Chelsea Hardin. "Then there's times like tonight. Not that I think we're going to challenge them emotionally as much as a Pac-12 team in the postseason." The Wahine slowly built separation in the opening set, but the only real difference were Hartong's two blocks in the final moments, four Mustangs ballhandling errors and UH libero Ali Longo's soft overhand kill from one antenna across the net to the other. Cal Poly hit .286 in that set — twice its average — and clawed into a 16-all tie in the second. Emily Maeda and Croson served it out, with Croson and Jade Vorster accounting for the final three kills and only two blocks of the set. The reserves — UH played 17 people — broke ahead 19-8 in the final set before it got sloppy enough that Shoji had to call a timeout. He was one point away from putting Hartong and Croson back in. The reserves' early success only underscored Hawaii's November dilemma. "There's a certain point where we probably need to get a set lineup," said Hartong, who has flip-flopped between left and right this season after playing middle her first two. "We can't be doing this so close to the tournament." Her coach agrees. "We've got depth, so if someone is not playing well we're going to try to get someone in there," he says. "But we've got to decide here probably in the next two weeks what kind of lineup we'll be in for the playoffs." NotesFourth-ranked Nebraska lost at unranked Michigan on Friday and unranked Michigan State Saturday. It was the first time since 2009 that the 'Huskers lost consecutive conference matches. The Pac-12 also had its share of surprises over the weekend. Unranked California, which gave UH one of its two losses, upset second-ranked Oregon. Fifth-ranked UCLA, which gave UH its other loss, was swept by unranked Arizona on Friday. The same night, unranked Arizona State swept sixth-ranked USC. 3 Hawaii
0 Cal Poly
Next: UH vs. BYU-Hawaii 7 p.m. Thursday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
TV: OC Sports, Ch. 16.
Radio: 1420-AM.BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COMHawaii's Kaela Goodman hit past Cal Poly's Molly Pon in the first set Saturday. BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COMHawaii's Kalei Adolpho hit over Cal Poly's Megan McConnell in the first set Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Nov 7, 2012 20:57:33 GMT -5
Wahine, Seasiders have lots in common
By Ann Miller, The Star-Advertiser
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 07, 2012
Hawaii and Brigham Young-Hawaii have more in common than location. Their volleyball teams are mirror images in everything from ranking to record to not-so-secret weapons.
Thursday, they play at Stan Sheriff Center for Oahu bragging rights and a peek into their postseason futures.
The Rainbow Wahine are now ranked seventh. They have won their past 14 and clinched the Big West Championship — their 15th league title in 18 years — Saturday. UH and Ivy League champ Yale are the first NCAA Division I teams to claim a postseason berth.
The Seasiders are already in the NCAA D-II Championship and ranked eighth. They have won their past 19, and Saturday's victory over Chaminade gave them their fourth consecutive PacWest championship and fifth in the past seven years. BYUH had a 47-set winning streak broken a week before.
Hawaii has been getting much of its offense from junior Emily Hartong, who is 12th nationally in kills (4.57 per set). BYU-Hawaii leans on sophomore Shih Ting Chen from Taiwan, who is sixth nationally in D-II kills (4.51 kps). The Seasiders also lead Division II in hitting at .349.
Coincidentally, UH is emphasizing improvement in blocking in practices heading into postseason.
"That's got to get better," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "We've got young middles and they don't read real well, so we've got to be very instinctive and reactive. We've got to be quicker and have better hand position. It's a lot of things that need to get better. We work on technique every day, but we're trying to put them in more game situations during our blocking sessions. Hopefully it carries over into scrimmage at the end of practice."
And into Thursday's match. Shoji worries about the Seasiders' attack and their international roster. And, as he closes on win No. 1,100, he recalls the 1992 cake celebrating 500 victories that was deposited in the garbage can when BYUH beat UH for the only time in their 12-match series.
Shoji said the seasonlong lineup in transition will have Hartong and Jane Croson on the left this week. Freshman Tai Manu-Olevao, now healthy after spraining her ankle last week, will start on the right. "We've just got to get Hartong the ball," he said, "and we've seen Tai can give us offense on the right. And, we like Kaela (Goodman) off the bench, a lot."
Shoji's team moved up two spots in the coaches' poll this week, but dropped three, to No. 21, in the NCAA's RPI. It will drop again next week after playing a D-II opponent — even if it wins.
Hawaii probably has to be seeded — in the top 16 — to host an NCAA subregional in three weeks. BYUH is in good position to host.
"The (NCAA volleyball) committee is supposed to look at several things besides RPI," Shoji said. "They are supposed to look at the coaches' poll, for instance. We're 7 now. That's a big disparity. There are teams in the top 16 that simply don't belong among the top 16 teams in the country. I'm hoping the committee will take into consideration more than RPI."
Notes
Shoji, who celebrates his 66th birthday in a month, became a grandfather Sunday. Daughter Cobey Shoji Hutzler gave birth to Micah Knight Hutzler. Cobey's husband, Coleman, is outside linebackers/special teams coach at New Mexico.
WAHINE VOLLEYBALL
At Stan Sheriff Center
>> Who: No. 7 NCAA D-I Hawaii (21-2) vs. No. 8 NCAA?D-II Brigham Young-Hawaii (20-2) >> When: 7 p.m. Thursday >> TV: Oceanic PPV, Ch. 255 >> Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
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Post by Cubicle No More ... on Nov 7, 2012 20:58:49 GMT -5
Congrats to the Shoji/Hutzler family ... and welcome to baby Micah!
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