2012 Wahine Volleyball Articles

[Wolfgang]

Ashley Kastl is my "friend" so I'll be supporting her. There are some others who are not my "friends" so I'll be ignoring them.

[HawaiiVB]

I am so thankful for Ashley's choice to play at UH. She is a big part of UH's success. I look forward to her energy and skills whenever she is playing.

[Barefoot In Kailua]

Nov 21, 2012 15:37:40 GMT -5 Wolfgang said:

Ashley Kastl is my "friend" so I'll be supporting her. There are some others who are not my "friends" so I'll be ignoring them.

Haha, like a true drama queen.

[Cubicle No More ...]

Wahine sputter, then cruise

By Ann Miller, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 22, 2012


FL MORRIS / [e-mail]
Jade Vorster and the Wahine won their 18th straight match, defeating Cal State Fullerton.



With its postseason volleyball fate to be decided in four days, eighth-ranked Hawaii came out Wednesday against Cal State Fullerton with all the precision of six volleyball players who just met.

The Rainbow Wahine (25-2, 17-0) turned it around, as they have all year in their return to the Big West Conference, winning 23-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-19. They can become the first team to go unbeaten in the Big West in 10 years with a win Friday against UC Riverside.

Hawaii has won its last 18 going into the final regular-season match, and has an NCAA-best 71 consecutive conference victories.

Emily Hartong, a four-time Big West Player of the Week who will probably be Player of the Year this time next week, had a match-high 23 kills. Her backup came from all over the court, with Jade Vorster in on seven blocks and libero Ali Longo getting 14 digs and four aces.

The Wahine had 12 aces in the match, but serving wasn't enough to make up for an awful opening set. The Titans (15-15, 9-8) scored the last two points to win it, getting eight kills from Kayla Neto and a 6-for-6 performance from Torrie Brown.

"We took the set, it was a great thing," said CSF coach Carolyn Zimmerman. "Good things were happening at the end line to get Hawaii's serve receive in trouble. Then in the second set we absolutely flatlined. We couldn't do anything and we seemed to lose motivation. Where that comes from I can't imagine when you're up 1-0."

The Wahine passing settled in and they roared back, scoring 12 of the first 14 in Set 2 and stuffing six balls. UH coach Dave Shoji said he was "steaming inside" after the opening set, but kept his anger inside.

"We just had some loose points in the first set and Fullerton was digging everything and playing great transition," Shoji said. "They stole Game 1."

Longo said the players made their own adjustments, in part because the problems were so obvious.

"He knew that we made some silly errors and things like that," she said. "We talked about just picking up our energy, changing some stupid mistakes. We had a ball drop between Mita (Uiato) and I — dumb plays. It was just cleaning those things up."

They broke away in the third after a missed call — among several questionable calls. Kalei Adolpho, who averages 1.5 kills, had seven in the set and tied a career high with 10, despite getting subbed out in the fourth.

Hawaii used an 11-4 surge early in that final set to get all the separation it would need, but there were still some ugly rallies reminiscent of the opening minutes.

"It was frustrating," Longo admitted, "but if you look at the last five matches we've been in this trend of winning the first game so this is the first one where we've kind of let down. It's a learning point. As we continue to peak at the right time, which we are, it will get better."

She had evidence. The Wahine hit .326 in the final three sets. Neto, second in conference kills to Hartong, finished with 16 but hit zero (8 kills, 8 errors) in those last sets.

The Wahine might not look pretty, but they haven't lost in a Big West match since 1994, running the table in 1995 and again now in their return.

"I'm not sure we can play a perfect game," Shoji said. "We're going to have points that are loose, points we don't convert. But the bottom line is we win.

"We're not going to play a perfect match no matter who we play so there will be ups and downs, but I'm confident we can make the plays we need to win."

After the match, UH recognized Shoji for his 1,100th coaching win, accomplished Saturday at UC Davis. Most of the 4,434 at the Stan Sheriff Center stayed to see co-captains Emily Maeda and Hartong give him lei. He was also presented with a framed certificate, the game ball from last week autographed by the team and an outrigger canoe paddle commemorating the win.

Shoji, in his 38th year, needs six more victories to pass Andy Banachowski and become the winningest coach in the history of his sport. Banachowski was at UCLA for 43 years.

The Wahine close the regular season Friday against UC Riverside. Maeda, the team's only senior, will be honored after that match.

The NCAA Selection Show will be broadcast at 11 a.m. Sunday on ESPNU.


3 HAWAII

vs.

1 CS FULLERTON

KEY: Emily Hartong has 23 kills
NEXT: UH vs. UC Riverside, 8 p.m. Friday, OC Sports
__________

BIG WEST STANDINGS
W L Pct. GB All
Hawaii 17 0 1.000 — 25-2
Long Beach State 11 5 .688 51⁄2 16-11
Cal State Northridge 11 7 .611 61⁄2 20-11
UC?Davis 10 7 .588 7 16-14
Cal State Fullerton 9 8 .529 8 15-15
UC Santa Barbara 8 8 .500 81⁄2 15-16
Pacific 8 9 .471 81⁄2 20-10
UC Irvine 5 11 .313 111⁄2 11-20
Cal Poly 2 14 .125 141⁄2 3-25
UC Riverside 2 15 .118 15 8-23

Wednesday
Hawaii def. Cal State Fullerton 23-25, 25-14,
Cal State Northridge def. UC Riverside 25-14, 25-12, 25-17



NO. 8 HAWAII DEF. CS Fullerton 23-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-19

TITANS (15-15, 9-8)
S K E ATT PCT D BS BA PTs
Best 4 9 2 17 .412 0 0 2 10
Neto 4 16 11 45 .093 12 1 2 18
Consani 4 1 0 2 .500 2 0 1 1.5
Miraldi 4 0 0 0 .000 5 0 0 1
Crenshaw 4 4 3 11 .091 0 0 2 5
Moreland 4 6 2 23 .174 12 1 0 10
Dewberry 4 0 0 0 .000 17 0 0 0
Ulmer 4 0 0 0 .000 3 0 0 0
Brown 4 10 4 17 .353 1 0 1 10.5
Kissell 2 0 0 3 .000 0 0 0 0
Cygan 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Totals 4 46 22 127 .189 52 2 8 56

RAINBOW WAHINE (25-2, 17-0)
S K E ATT PCT D BS BA PTS
Vorster 4 7 3 15 .267 1 1 6 11
Croson 4 9 2 30 .233 12 0 4 14
Maeda 4 0 0 0 .000 5 0 0 1
Uiato 4 0 1 3 -.333 12 0 2 4
Hartong 4 23 9 51 .275 5 0 2 24
Adolpho 4 10 3 18 .389 0 0 4 12
Long 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Goodman 4 3 1 6 .333 0 0 2 4
Longo 4 0 0 0 .000 14 0 0 4
Kastl 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Stauber 4 0 0 0 .000 2 0 0 0
Hagins 1 1 0 1 1.000 0 0 1 1.5
Manu-Olevao 4 0 0 5 .000 2 0 3 1.5
Kawamura 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 1
Totals 4 53 19 129 .264 53 1 24 80

Key — s: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct: hitting percentage; d: digs; bs: block solo; ba: block assists; pts: points (kills plus blocks plus aces). Service Aces — CS Fullerton 4 (Moreland 3, Miraldi). Hawaii 12 (Longo 4, Croson 3, Uiato 3, Kawamura, Maeda). Service errors — CS Fullerton 9 (Miraldi 3, Consani 2, Ulmer 2, Dewberry, Neto). Hawaii 8 (Longo 2, Croson, Hartong, Kawamura, Long, Maeda, Uiato). Assists — CS Fullerton 43 (Consani 41, Miraldi, Neto). Hawaii 49 (Uiato 43, Stauber 3 Longo 2, Kastl). T — 2:05. Officials — Bill Forrester, Wayne Lee. A — 4,434.

[Wiz]

I just can't believe volleyball is winding down!

[Cubicle No More ...]

The Wahine's heart & soul

Senior Emily Maeda gives her teammates exactly what they need, just when they need it

By Ann Miller

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 23, 2012


BRUCE ASATO / [e-mail]
Emily Maeda has played in 93 matches and executed hundreds of perfect passes.


CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / [e-mail]
Emily Maeda gives her all on the court, sometimes even bending over backward.


On the surface, Emily Maeda's Rainbow Wahine career would be easy to define by all she is not. Fittingly, to fully appreciate what she has become — particularly in this final season and beyond all logic — takes a lot of work.

The 5-foot-6 Roosevelt High graduate, who was a hitter the first 10 years of her volleyball career, has become an integral, invaluable part of eighth-ranked Hawaii's surge to the postseason the past three years. Over her five-year career, she has refined her athleticism and abundant faith to give the Wahine what they most need from her — passing, defense, serving and a calming influence rooted in her religious nature and innate kindness.

"I'm going to miss her kindness on the court," said Emily Hartong, a junior co-captain with Maeda, UH's lone senior. "When you're kind of stressing out you look to Em. She'll only talk to you real quick. You'll be down and she's just, ‘OK, OK, next ball.' She's just a really good person, a part of this team that brings everyone together."

Teammates call her a "big sister" and coach Dave Shoji defines her simply as "a gentle soul." Those few words speak volumes. Through all Maeda has taken on — and mostly mastered — in Manoa, her gentleness has remained a constant.

She is not the starting libero for Hawaii, which closes the regular season tonight at 8 against UC Riverside. Maeda has morphed into her own position since Ali Longo transferred in this summer and almost immediately filled the libero, or full-time defensive slot.

Longo might be the best thing that ever happened to Maeda's volleyball career.

"It took the pressure off her," Shoji said. "She felt a lot of responsibility last year and I think it bothered her. I don't think she was ready to play six rotations and all the attention on the libero. She is much more comfortable in this role. She has taken it and run with it and become a really good right-side defensive player. She'd never played right-side defense before, she was always on the left side, so she's just learned that position this year and given us so much."

All she has, with all the faith she can find. It is the only way Maeda knows.

"In past years there have been times I've been nervous and afraid," she admitted. "This year it still comes up sometimes, but I'm just reverting back to knowing it's all going to be OK because of who my faith is in. That's given me so, so much calmness this year."

Shoji said he had no idea why Maeda, a full-time hitter in high school, thought she could play for him initially. She wasn't sure either, despite a volleyball resume that started with a second-grade PAL league and included a decade of club play complemented by a few years as Wahine floor wiper with former teammate Elizabeth Ka‘aihue.

"I never really envisioned myself playing at UH from a young time," Maeda said. "I just wanted to make it to the next level. I was like, I just want to make it on the Roosevelt team."

Over the course of three weeks of open gym the summer after she graduated from Roosevelt, she convinced herself and Shoji she could play for him. Her athleticism was obvious and the coach could already sense how hard she would work. Shoji told former assistant coach Ryan Tsuji to give her the good word.

"Ryan gave me a thumbs-up after open gym was done," Maeda recalled. "I was very happy. My parents always come to open gym so they were there. After, I just screamed with them and yelled. I was very happy."

Maeda won't leave — in a week, or two, or three — with any individual records or immensely memorable statistics. She has played in 93 matches, including all but one the past three years. she has 577 digs and who knows how many perfect passes, but her most important contributions are intangibles.

Off the court she is even more difficult to put into words. Her teammates prepare for matches by listening to loud, pulsating music. Maeda prefers something slow and soothing. She speaks openly and often of searching for the type of faith that will allow her to put her full trust in God, which she believes will free her to play to her full potential and provide her teammates with all she can offer.

She finally decided to go all in before her final season. "I'm trying my best to follow God in all aspects of my life," Maeda said. "It's kind of hard to follow Him, it's not easy. I think my prior years I wasn't as mature to make that decision to fully follow Him in all aspects, especially off the court. That's a big one for me, knowing I'm giving it my all off the court translates on the court too."

Maeda has no regrets about her final year, calling it her best by far in every area of life.

"I've been really trusting God this year as much as I can," she said "With that, it's just made it so much more enjoyable and really fun. I feel at peace when I play because I know it's going to be OK because God has already planned it all out. There's a good future for tonight's game, the rest of the season, the rest of my life, so I'm just trusting in Him and really knowing it's going to be OK when I step on the court. This season has been really, really good."

She will be honored after tonight's match with a senior program she promises will involve the whole team. Then she will move on with her life, past a Wahine volleyball career that "magnified everything — it makes the tough times tougher and the good times even better than you could imagine."

She graduated with a degree in social work last June and should have her master's by fall, when she already expects to be working with "at-risk older adults." The youngest of five sisters watched her parents serve as caregivers for their parents and wondered what happens to those without that support. That will be Maeda's next challenge.

"She has learned how to persevere through all the trials she went through," her mom, Jennifer, said. "She's learned how to focus on what she really wants."

And, along with everything else, Emily has figured out how to have fun.

"Maybe I learned that it's not all about the performance, but just more about having fun …," she said. "If I knew in the beginning of my career what I know now, things would have been more fun along the way — if I'd trusted God the whole time. But you know, if I didn't go through what I did, this last year wouldn't have been so awesome."

Trusting isn't easy. It took Maeda four years in Manoa to give it a shot. Now she couldn't be happier.

Shoji is right there with her, enjoying the defender who "seems to clean up everything that comes her way" and the tiny former hitter who "maximized her athletic ability and just wouldn't go away, basically."

For that, all the Wahine are thankful.

"She's just the nicest kid," he said. "A hard worker, great student. A fairy tale really. You look at her life and she has really shaped herself. She is pretty much all self-motivated, self-made."

It takes a lot of hard work to create a career made memorable by intangibles.


WAHINE VOLLEYBALL
At Stan Sheriff Center

>> Who: No. 8 Hawaii (25-2, 17-0 Big West Conference) vs. UC Riverside (8-23, 2-15)
>> When: 8 p.m. today
>> TV: OC Sports (Ch. 16)
>> Radio: KKEA 1420-AM

[Cubicle No More ...]

UH rolls past Riverside

By Ann Miller

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 24, 2012


FL MORRIS / [e-mail]
Emily Maeda, UH’s lone senior, was honored on the Rainbow Wahine’s senior night Friday after UH defeated UC Riverside in three sets at the Stan Sheriff Center.


A volleyball match that served only as a prelude to Emily Maeda’s solo senior night Friday found eighth-ranked Hawaii ringing UC Riverside’s bell, 25-17, 25-17, 25-23, and Maeda wearing a new ring.

Her boyfriend, Chad Reis, proposed at the end of the evening. Maeda quickly accepted in front of some 6,000 of her new best friends — many in tears.

“I knew,” UH coach Dave Shoji said of the proposal. “They (Wahine Kristina Kam and Kayla Kawamura and Reis) cleared it through me. I thought it was a great idea.”

The Rainbow Wahine closed the regular season 26-2, winning their last 19. That included all 18 conference matches in their return to the Big West after a 16-year absence.

Becoming the first team in a decade to go through a BWC season unbeaten and extending their regular-season conference winning streak to 73 mattered little to the Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 5,920, or the Wahine.

The team wore warmup shirts with the name and number of Maeda, their only senior, along with one of her favorite proverbs (“Trust in the Lord with all your heart … ”). When Maeda entered the match five minutes into it, the crowd erupted.

It would happen every time the 5-foot-6 defensive specialist out of Roosevelt High School came on the floor. She started the final set, changing shirts to play libero, and the crowd cheered each time she served.

“She is a role model for hard work,” Wahine assistant Robyn Ah Mow-Santos said. “She comes in the gym and works hard everyday, 110 percent everyday. It might not work out right all the time, but she’s going 110 percent everyday. That’s all you can ask for in an athlete.”

Hawaii had the Highlanders at Hawaii Pono‘i. The Highlanders roster is menehune-sized. They start just one player over 6 feet and 5-foot-6 freshman Ashley Cox leads them in kills. In one rotation, she is the fourth-tallest on the floor.

The Wahine found gaps with their serves and their spikes, when they weren’t taking target practice straight over the block. The only set in doubt was the third, when Shoji took out four starters.

Shoji used 16 players and the Wahine got off the court in 90 minutes, leaving the rest of the night to their immensely popular senior.

After Maeda made the final pass and Emily Hartong crushed the final kill — her match-high 13th — UH recognized Riverside seniors Jasmin White, Amanda Vialpando and Kristin Van Dongen and waited to celebrate.

The graduation/engagement party opened with a choreographed dance to “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” featuring Maeda and her 20 teammates in costume, with body and face paint.

“We wanted to go tribal,” Kawamura said.

Maeda convinced the crowd to clap in rhythm by the end, then waved goodbye and was lost in a heartfelt group hug by her teammates.

She bumped a Roosevelt-red volleyball into the stands before being joined by Reis and her family to watch her video. Kam read a letter to her “best friend,” calling Maeda’s faith an “inspiration to me every single day.”

Then Kam rolled out a large box that contained Reis, who got down on one knee and asked for Maeda’s hand. She accepted immediately and in tears, then waved her new ring at the crowd while the Wahine threw confetti.

Maeda graduated cum laude in social work in June and expects to have her master’s within a year.

But first, there is an NCAA championship to pursue. She has made herself a critical part of the Wahine’s drive for five — their fifth national title.

“She’s my inspiration,” said Kawamura a 5-4 defensive specialist out of Hawaii Baptist. “Everything she has been through. She knows what it takes to be a DS. She fought through it and she conquered. I hope I can be like her.”

Hawaii finds out its postseason fate Sunday. The NCAA Selection Show will be broadcast at 11 a.m. on ESPNU.

Shoji is expecting to host a stacked subregional.

“We’ll have at least one Pac-12 team here,” he offered as an educated guess. “We’ll have a WCC team here. And another random team. Whoever we play is going to be very challenging. There’s a few automatic qualifiers, but we’re not going to get one of those walkovers.”


BIG WEST STANDINGS
W L Pct. GB All
Hawaii 18 0 1.000 — 26-2
Long Beach State 12 5 .706 51⁄2 17-11
Cal State Northridge 11 6 .647 61⁄2 20-10
UC Davis 10 7 .588 71⁄2 16-14
Cal State Fullerton 9 8 .529 81⁄2 15-15
Pacific 8 9 .471 91⁄2 20-10
UC Santa Barbara 8 9 .471 91⁄2 15-17
UC Irvine 5 12 .294 121⁄2 11-21
Cal Poly 3 14 .176 141⁄2 4-25
UC Riverside 2 16 .111 16 8-24

Friday
Long Beach State def. UC Santa Barbara 21-25, 26-28, 25-20, 26-24, 15-13
Cal Poly def. UC Irvine 25-15, 25-20, 25-18
Hawaii def. UC Riverside 25-17, 25-17, 25-23
Today
Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Northridge
Long Beach State at Cal Poly
UC Davis at Pacific
UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara



No. 8 Hawaii def. UC Riverside 25-17, 25-17, 25-23


HIGHLANDERS (8-24, 2-16)
S K E ATT PCT D BS BA PTS
White 2 2 1 4 .250 1 0 2 3.0
Vialpando 3 8 7 40 .025 3 0 1 8.5
Cox 3 9 3 31 .194 6 1 1 10.5
Reza 3 5 3 9 .222 1 0 1 9.5
Dorsey 3 3 0 5 .600 1 0 3 5.5
Borges 3 0 1 1 -1.000 4 0 0 0
McKoy 1 1 1 4 .000 0 0 0 1.0
Fung 1 0 0 0 .000 2 0 0 0
Van Dongen 3 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 1.0
Nicio 3 0 0 0 .000 6 0 0 0
Moncayo 3 0 0 0 .000 8 0 0 0
Totals 3 28 16 94 .128 32 1 8 39.0

RAINBOW WAHINE (26-2, 18-0)
S K E ATT PCT D BS BA PTS
Kastl 2 5 0 10 .500 0 0 3 6.5
Vorster 2 2 1 5 .200 0 0 2 3.0
Croson 3 12 5 27 .259 9 1 0 14.0
Uiato 3 0 1 2 -.500 3 0 0 1.0
Hartong 3 13 3 25 .400 9 0 3 15.5
Adolpho 2 5 2 11 .273 0 0 2 6.0
Long 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 1.0
Goodman 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Tuaniga 1 3 0 4 750 0 0 1 3.5
Longo 3 0 0 0 .000 9 0 0 1.0
Lelepali 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Stauber 2 0 0 0 .000 1 0 0 0
Hagins 1 2 2 4 .000 1 0 1 2.5
Manu-Olevao 2 3 1 8 .250 1 0 0 3.0
Maeda 3 0 0 0 .000 8 0 0 0
Kam 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Totals 3 45 15 96 .312 41 1 12 57.0

Key — s: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct: hitting percentage; d: digs; bs: block solo; ba: block assists; pts: points (kills plus blocks plus aces). Service Aces — UC Riverside 6 (Reza 4, Dorsey, Van Dongen). Hawaii 5 (Croson, Uiatao, Hartong, Long, Longo). Service errors — UC Riverside 8 (Borges 3, Dorsey 2, Vialpondo, Reza, Van Dongen). Hawaii 8 (Long 3, Longo 3, Hartong, Maeda). Assists — UC Riverside 24 (Borges 23, Moncayo). Hawaii 40 (Uiato 35, Stauber 3, Longo 3). T — 1:30. Officials — Bill Forrester, Dickson Chun. A — 5,920.

[Cubicle No More ...]

Wahine Seattle-bound

Hawaii won't host in the NCAA tournament, instead heading for the mainland this week


By Ann Miller, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 26, 2012


JAMM AQUINO / [e-mail]
UH volleyball coaches and players watched the NCAA tournament's selection show on Sunday in the Wong Hospitality Suite at the Stan Sheriff Center in Manoa.


JAMM AQUINO / [e-mail]
Hawaii's Jane Croson watched the selection show with teammates on Sunday, when the Wahine learned they were headed to Seattle.



Hawaii's last live look at its Rainbow Wahine volleyball team this year ended with Emily Maeda quickly saying "yes" to Chad Reis when he proposed marriage Friday at her senior night.

Sunday, the NCAA's answer to eighth-ranked Hawaii's proposal for hosting a subregional was an adamant "no."

The Wahine, with a win over second-seeded Stanford and no losses since Sept. 9, are not among the 16 seeds for the NCAA Championship. The program that's set the bar for attendance opens in Seattle for the second time in three years.

That news was met by utter silence as the Wahine watched the selection show at Stan Sheriff Center.

"We can definitely compete with all those teams in the top 16," UH junior Emily Hartong said. "I think we deserved to play here.

"But it will be fun to go back to Washington. It was a terrible feeling losing there in the second round (in 2010), so it will be nice for all the girls who have been here as long as I have to go back and play there again. Hopefully we don't feel the same when we come out of there this time."

Hawaii (26-2) opens Friday, at 3 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena, against Santa Clara (20-11), one of six West Coast Conference teams in the tournament.

The winner most likely meets fifth-ranked Washington (23-6) on Saturday. The Huskies, one of seven Pac-12 teams in the tournament, open against Southland Conference champ Central Arkansas (30-4), making its first NCAA appearance.

Washington and Hawaii were Nos. 16-17 in the NCAA RPI released Sunday, with Santa Clara 45th and Central Arkansas 49th.

Iowa State, No. 18 in the RPI and coaches' poll, got the 15th seed. Unranked Kentucky, with an RPI of 19, is the 16th seed. Both are hosting subregionals.

Hawaii coach Dave Shoji believes the brackets were set "well before this weekend." That belief is backed by the official NCAA release. It has his team's record as 25-2, which is what it was before the Wahine finished off an unbeaten Big West season Friday.

"Somebody didn't see fit to travel three teams to Hawaii like they did last year," Shoji said. "I'm not sure of the reason. Maybe it's financial. I'm not sure if we made money last year, but they (NCAA) certainly hung their hat off the attendance being better in the NCAA tournament and that was strictly because of us.

"You'd like to be inside that room and see how things came about. You want transparency, but this selection process is not transparent. That's unfortunate."

Penn State is the top seed, followed by Stanford, Texas and Nebraska. Those teams have won 15 titles dating back to 1988, when Texas defeated UH in the NCAA final. The Wahine won their fourth and last title in 1987.

To win another will take two victories in Washington, two more at the Omaha, Neb., regional and two more at the final four in Louisville the week after that.

Shoji needs five wins to reach 1,107 and become the winningest Division I women's coach in history.

That is some 9,000 miles away today.

Santa Clara was fourth in the WCC and is making its 14th NCAA appearance, but first since it upset 16th-ranked Kansas State at the 2008 Seattle subregional. Washington crushed Hawaii in the second round two years ago. Nebraska did the same in a spring exhibition this year. The 'Huskers, however, have lost four times in the last month.

"Nebraska has struggled and they're the fourth seed, so I kind of like that part of it," Shoji says. "We're not running into a hot team if you get that far. They are certainly really good. They had their way with us in the spring, but if you had your druthers you'd probably pick Nebraska out of the top-four seeds. We just want to get there. We have a long way to go before we get there."

Through all the lineup changes and inconsistency, UH takes a 19-match winning streak into the NCAA tournament. The Wahine feel ready for anything that comes their way.

"I think we're coming together as a team," says Maeda, their only senior. "We're peaking at the right point. We're working hard and we're motivated to play well wherever we are, so we were pretty ready to hear whatever they were going to say. This is not too much of a shock."

Disappointing maybe, but hardly shocking after Hawaii's NCAA history.

"I just want to thank our fans for supporting us," said Shoji, whose team drew more than 126,000 this season. "Our attendance was great again this year. Unfortunately for everyone, they don't get rewarded by seeing a playoff game. It's not in our control and it certainly wasn't that we didn't have the support."



NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

» Matchup: Hawaii (26-2) vs. Santa Clara (20-11)
» When: 3 p.m. Friday

» Where: Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle

» TV: TBD

» Radio: 1420-AM

[Cubicle No More ...]

NCAA shipping Wahine out is a November custom


By Dave Reardon, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 26, 2012


Let the whining commence. But, please, let it end quickly.

There are two constants for this weekend each year. Turkey sandwiches (good) and moaning about the big, bad NCAA and how unfair and mean it is to the University of Hawaii volleyball program (bad).

Every year. Same-old, same-old. It's imprinted on my calendar in November, like Veterans Day and Thanksgiving: NCAA volleyball tournament selection. And my note in the Snub Wahine Day box: "Brace self for NCAA not realizing that volleyball world revolves around Hawaii."

One of the things I like about Dave Shoji is that he says his piece about it and tries to move on and get ready to play.

His team is probably among the best 16 in the nation in reality (and it certainly is in the opinion of fellow coaches, who have the Wahine at No. 8).

But RPI — that dreadful formula that counts who you play more than what you do — has UH at No. 17. Two teams outside of the top 16 get to host, but Hawaii is not one of them. Have fun with that, conspiracy theorists.

In the history of snubbery and disrespect of UH by the NCAA this is a petty misdemeanor. It's not like the Wahine are being sent off to the hinterland to play some unbeatable behemoth, like Penn State, at their place.

This isn't a walkover draw for UH, but it's manageable. Let's assume the Wahine get past opening-round opponent Santa Clara (if they don't, everything else is moot, right?).

No. 16 Washington is 23-6 and has lost twice at home, and has dropped two of its last five matches. Hawaii is 9-0 on the road.

Make it out of Seattle, and then it's on to Omaha and Nebraska — the fourth seed. That would be tough, certainly. But conceivably, that is favorable to going up against one, two or three.

So, all things considered I think the NCAA really fell down on the job of jobbing Hawaii this year.

That is, unless the goal of this program has changed somewhere along the line to something less than winning the national championship. If expectations for a perennial top-10 program that went to the final four just three years ago have been altered, I missed the memo.

I'm not going to put a fifth national championship before Shoji retires out of the question.

Yes, it would've been nice to see them play in some NCAA matches here this week. Great environment, great crowd.

But it takes effort to convince the NCAA it is in the best interest of all concerned to send three teams to Hawaii rather than move one team from Hawaii.

Last year the Wahine did get to host — and not just the first two rounds, the regional semis and final, too. The Wahine fell to USC in a spellbinding five-set instant classic in the semis at the Stan Sheriff Center.

It was great volleyball and we got to see it firsthand. But people complained that USC shouldn't have been brought here because it was ranked No. 1.

It's obvious that when UH finally hires a new athletic director the first thing he or she must do is convince the NCAA that in each round of its future volleyball tournaments, Hawaii gets to host the worst remaining team.

For now, my advice is enjoy that the Wahine are among teams still in contention for the national title.

Reach Dave Reardon at [e-mail] or 529-4783 or on Twitter at @dave_reardon.

[Cubicle No More ...]

Wahine vs. Santa Clara NCAA volleyball match on OCSports

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 03:55 p.m. HST, Nov 26, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 04:23 p.m. HST, Nov 26, 2012


BRUCE ASATO / [e-mail]
In this file photo, Hawaii's Emily Hartong hits one from the back row for a point in the second set of the Cal State Northridge vs Hawaii volleyball match at Stan Sheriff Center.



OCSports (Ch. 16) will broadcast all three NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship matches live from Seattle this weekend.

Eighth-ranked Hawaii (26-2) plays a first-round match against Santa Clara (20-11) at 3 p.m. Hawaii time Friday, at Alaska Airlines Arena.

Fifth-ranked Washington (23-6) meets NCAA rookie Central Arkansas (30-4) after, at approximately 5 p.m.

The winners play Saturday at 5 p.m. for the right to advance to the Omaha, Neb., regional the following week.

Hawaii matches will also be broadcast live on KKEA, 1420-AM, on Friday and KHKA, 1500-AM, on Saturday, if necessary.

[Cubicle No More ...]

UH amped for postseason

By Ann Miller, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 27, 2012


BRUCE ASATO / [e-mail]
Jade Vorster hit .304 and had 10 kills for the Wahine, who remained unbeaten in the Big West.


Since Hawaii won its last national championship in women's volleyball in 1987, Rainbow Wahine teams have been scrappy, overpowering, underachieving, tenacious, over-achieving, tentative and everything in between. They have gone to six more final fours and reached a regional every year but three.

Each of those teams was very different and this year's group, which opens the NCAA tournament Friday in Seattle, is no different. These Wahine never know who will be standing next to them at the beginning, middle or end of the match. They have been up, down and all but TKO'd, but haven't lost since Sept. 9.

Hawaii is 26-2, ranked eighth and takes a 19-match winning streak into its first-round match against Santa Clara. The Wahine got Dave Shoji his 1,100th coaching win on their last trip, which put their frequent flier miles over 21,000 for the season. They have been through six five-setters and are still standing. They were ready for whatever the NCAA threw at them Sunday.

These Wahine just win, Davey.

"We're healthy, I think we're fresh, we have a good attitude right now," Shoji says. "We're confident. Anything can happen, but the one thing I know we'll do is give our best effort.

"Almost every match we've been down, the whole team just really comes together. You can probably point to (Emily) Hartong carrying the team, but that's not all of it. The passing comes together, the blocking comes together, the defense makes plays. Something seems to happen when we're down. It's not explainable other than we've got some tough kids."

They were reduced to quivering jello at Emily Maeda's senior night party Friday, but they quivered together. When Chad Reis popped out of a box at the end of the celebration and asked Maeda to marry him, the Wahine gasped in unison. When Maeda, their lone, beloved senior, quickly said "yes," her teammates were in tears.

"It was an awesome night to celebrate Em. I was so excited for her and Chad," said Ali Longo, the team's rock of a libero whose face was red and wet with tears. "It was a fun night, really fun. It was nice to be able to celebrate and have her be honored the way she should be."

The night was a microcosm of this season full of surprises. Unwilling and believing she was unable to celebrate alone, Maeda asked her teammates to join. She enlisted Polynesian Cultural Center's David Tiave — who choreographed last year's senior dance — to help her team perform to "Waka Waka" in costume and body paint.

They had two two-hour practices and were astonishingly good — "marvelous," according to Shoji.

"I really wanted to do something special," Maeda said after, "and I was like, I can't do this alone, so I'm so thankful the team danced with me and they were so kind to do rehearsals."

The Wahine have been problem-solvers all season. As they head into their greatest challenge, leaving their devoted fans home alone for the eighth subregional in the past nine years, their problems will multiply.

If they get past the Broncos, fifth-ranked Washington will probably be waiting in a subregional that will be shown live here by OCSports, it was announced Monday. If they can reverse the spanking the Huskies gave them in Seattle two years ago and beat a host team for the fifth time in eight tries, their reward will probably be 10th-ranked Nebraska, a three-time national champion — in Omaha.

Then, it gets really tough.


NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
>> Matchup: Hawaii (26-2) vs. Santa Clara (20-11)
>> When: 3 p.m. Friday
>> Where: Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle
>> TV: OC Sports, Ch. 16
>> Radio: 1420-AM


Notes

» Hawaii led the country in attendance for the 19th consecutive year, drawing 126,827 fans to 19 home matches for an average of 6,675. Since UH moved into the Stan Sheriff Center full time in 1995, it has averaged below 6,000 just once (1995).

» When UH hosted a subregional last year, for the first time since 2003, it averaged more than 8,200 fans and netted $123,425. The school kept an honorarium of $18,513 after paying off the NCAA guarantee of $104,911. UH sold out (10,300) its regional the next week.

» Former Wahine All-American Deitre Collins-Parker guided San Diego State to its first NCAA tournament since 2001 in her fourth year as coach. The Aztecs won their last 12 to go 23-7, more wins than they have had since 1995. They were co-champions of the Mountain West. Colorado State got the conference's automatic bid because of a better head-to-head mark, but SDSU got an at-large bid and will play Saint Mary's on Thursday at USC.

[Cubicle No More ...]

Above all others

Four Wahine are named all-conference, including Emily Hartong, who is the Player of the Year

By Ann Miller, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 28, 2012


TONY AVELAR / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Four Wahine are named all-conference, including Emily Hartong, who is the Player of the Year


Emily Hartong is done beating up on Big West volleyball opponents this season. On Tuesday, the conference named the University of Hawaii junior its Player of the Year.

UH also had junior setter Mita Uiato, sophomore hitter Jane Croson and freshman middle Jade Vorster named to the 16-person all-conference team. No Wahine was among the 10 honorable-mention selections, but ‘Iolani graduate Mahina Haina, a junior at Cal State Northridge, is included. Vorster is on the All-Freshman team.

Dave Shoji, who could become his sport's winningest coach in his 38th season, is co-Coach of the Year with Long Beach State's Brian Gimmillaro. The 49ers won their last seven to claim second place — five matches behind the eighth-ranked Rainbow Wahine.

"He's got 1,100 wins and that must mean he's a good coach," Wahine sophomore Kalei Adolpho said of Shoji. "The things he's dealt with as a coach — this Jane situation, the everyday things you deal with — he handles them well, I feel. It seems like he's seen every single situation before."

Shoji pulled libero Ali Longo aside after practice to tell her he felt "she is the best libero in the conference."

"The stats don't bear that out and coaches go a lot on stats," Shoji said. "She's far down the list, but I told her how valuable she was to our team. I didn't want her to feel bad. I am just so comfortable with her out there."

Statistics clearly helped Hartong, Vorster and Croson, while Uiato is setting 26-2 Hawaii to a .274 hitting percentage heading into its NCAA tournament first-round match Friday against Santa Clara. That is 15th nationally and 46 points better than any other Big West team.

Hartong, UH's 18th consecutive league player of the year, was a second-team All-American last season in the middle. Her transition to the outside — she plays left and right — has been remarkable. She ranks 11th nationally in kills (4.57 per set), is hitting .283 and has become one of the team's best ballhandlers. She was national player of the week after a 33-kill performance at Long Beach and captured four Big West weekly honors.

No one else came close.

"She is the most physical player in the conference hands down," Shoji said. "She's not a natural left-side player yet; she's still learning how to play the position. But she's got so much velocity on her attack that she just overpowers people.

"Whenever we needed a big point she was usually the one. Her production kept getting better and better as the year went on."

Adolpho, a sophomore from Molokai, took it all in from the floor. She sensed Hartong's relentless work ethic and Uiato's soothing presence, while seeing their exceptional athleticism.

She watched Vorster "take everything the coaches say to heart …with such great focus and determination to do what they are saying," while becoming a force offensively and defensively. The redshirt freshman is hitting a Big West-best .384 (18th nationally) and also leads UH in blocks.

Adolpho also knew Croson's talent — she is fifth in the conference in kills — made her deserving of an all-conference honor, but wondered what impact a seven-match suspension for undisclosed reasons would have.

"It would have been unfair to leave her off almost because she is such a good player," Adolpho said. "That whole thing that happened, the main thing is she came back and put it all behind her and put it behind the team and it made her a better person. That shows great character. She can overcome adversity and be here for the team at the end."

Hartong was Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2010 and on the WAC first team last year. Uiato was also first team in Hawaii's final season in the WAC and Croson second. Vorster is the Wahine's first freshman first-team selection since Kanani Danielson in 2008.

Adolpho knows precisely what she needs to do to follow in her teammates' footsteps: "Take what I've seen from all these players and try to apply it," she said. "Work hard like Emily and be determined and not give up like Jade. Be calm and relaxed like Mita and get through hard times like Jane."




ALL BIG WEST TEAM
Player School Position Class
Emily Hartong Hawaii OH Jr.
Kayla Neto Cal State Fullerton OH/MB Sr.
Janisa Johnson Long Beach State OH Sr.
Sydney Gedryn Cal State Northridge S Jr.
Chisom Okplala Long Beach State MB So.
Jade Vorster Hawaii MB Fr.
Allison Whitson UC Davis OH Sr.
Casey Hinger Cal State Northridge MB So.
Leah Sully UC Santa Barbara OH Jr.
Taylor Formico UC Santa Barbara DS/L Fr.
Mita Uiato Hawaii S Jr.
Tara Roenicke Long Beach State S Jr.
Gillian Howard Pacific MB So.
Devon Damelio UC Davis OH Jr.
Kristin Winkler UC Irvine L Sr.
Jane Croson Hawaii OH So.

Coaches of the Year:
Dave Shoji, Hawaii
Brian Gimmillaro, Long Beach State


NCAA DIVISION I SUBREGIONAL
At University of Washington

FRIDAY FIRST ROUND
>> No. 8 Hawaii (26-2) vs. Santa Clara (20-11), 5 p.m.
>> No. 5 Washington (23-6) vs. Central Arkansas (30-4), following first match

SATURDAY SECOND ROUND
>> First-round winners, 5 p.m. Winner advances to Omaha, Neb., regional
>> TV: All matches on OC Sports (Ch. 16)
>> Radio: Hawaii matches on KKEA (1420-AM) Friday and KHKA (1500-AM) Saturday (if Hawaii wins Friday)[/i]

[Wolfgang]

Adolpho refers to "this Jane situation" and "that whole thing that happened." LOL! Come on, Adolpho, spit it out!

[Cubicle No More ...]

This isn't a Wahine volleyball story, but Tuli Peters' story -- journey -- at BYUH is pretty inspirational and i think worth sharing.


-------------------------------------------------


Listen to 'Mama'

Tuli Peters Tevaga — "Mama Tules" — has become the trusted voice of experience, guiding her BYU-Hawaii teammates


By Cindy Luis, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 28, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 01:38 a.m. HST, Nov 28, 2012


COURTESY OF BYU-HAWAII
Tuli Peters Tevaga spent five seasons away from collegiate volleyball. She got married, had two children, then came back to finish her degree and play out her final year of eligibility.




Five seasons and two children removed from collegiate competition, the big question was whether she could make the Seasiders roster, vying for playing time with younger players, some nearly 10 years younger.

The answer was a loud "yes," with Tevaga becoming the experienced leader that has helped fifth-ranked BYU-Hawaii to a top seed in this week's NCAA Division II West Regional.

The 26-year-old is second in points — which combines kills, aces and blocks — and third in kills (2.36 kps) and digs (2.79 dps) in playing in all but one match.

That she has found success was no surprise to those who had seen her help Kahuku to the state title in 2002, or those who watched the 2006 PacWest player of the year earn All-America honors.

The surprise for some was that Tevaga had a year of eligibility left, considering players normally have five years to play four, and she began her career as a redshirt at Fresno State in 2003.

"Our compliance people were very thorough and the NCAA cleared her to play," Seasiders coach Wilfred Navalta said. "She left us (after 2006), got married and was coming back to finish her degree. She had one year left

"When she asked me about coming back (last February), she was really out of shape. I told her she'd have to prove herself as a walk-on, told her I didn't want her (back) if she was going to quit if she ended up on the bench. She sacrificed and made the commitment, both physically and emotionally."

Tevaga has that "fighting spirit" that Navalta has always valued.

"She is very feisty," said the newly named coach of the year in both the PacWest and West Region. "Our team is very quiet and she has become the voice for us.

"She has that fiery spirit that we need, plus she has a balanced game, good back-court skills. It's been a nice situation for us and for her."

But it hasn't been easy.

"I had to work off two kids," Tevaga said of her weight gain. "It was pretty tough, finding time to take care of my children, go to school, practice. And I'm also coaching at North Shore Volleyball Club.

"But I wanted this really bad and I'm very fortunate to have help from my husband (Shareff) and our families."

A typical day for Tevaga means getting up at 6 a.m., getting 3-year-old son Legend ready for preschool, going to class at 7 a.m., practicing in the afternoon and then returning home in time for dinner with Shareff, Legend and 2-year-old Leila. Then it's hitting the books. She'll graduate with her degree in exercise and sports science in April.

"I want to be an occupational therapist," she said. "My son was diagnosed with a developmental problem and going into that field seemed to be the one that would be most beneficial for him, and for me to help him.

"I eventually want to go to med school."

But first there's this week's regional at Cannon Activities Center, where the winner will advance to next week's elite eight in Pensacola, Fla.

The Seasiders already have 10 national championship banners hanging from the CAC rafters. Adding No. 11 would be a dream come true for the player teammates call "Mama Tules."

"It would be amazing to end my career that way," said Tevaga, who turns 27 on Dec. 29. "Our team is very capable, very talented, but in the end, it's who wants it more.

"But I think we're up for the challenge. This team has nothing but heart. Being able to come back and be a part of this … it helps me remember why we all love the sport."


NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGIONAL
At Cannon Activities CenterTHURSDAY QUARTERFINALS
>> No. 22 Cal State San Bernardino (22-8) vs. Central Washington (21-7), noon
>> No. 20 Grand Canyon (23-5) vs. San Francisco State (21-8), 2:30 p.m.
>> No. 15 Western Washington (23-3) vs. Sonoma State (22-8), 5 p.m.
>> UC San Diego (20-10) at No. 5 BYU-Hawaii (21-3), 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY SEMIFINALS
>> Quarterfinal winners, 5 and 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY CHAMPIONSHIP
>> Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

[kolohekeiki]

Nov 28, 2012 12:29:23 GMT -5 Wolfgang said:

Adolpho refers to "this Jane situation" and "that whole thing that happened." LOL! Come on, Adolpho, spit it out!

I guess it's quite clear that the team took made an agreement not to say anything about the situation...