2012 Wahine Volleyball Articles

[Deleted]

Karissa Young?? lol

[Barefoot In Kailua]

Bringing the heat

By Cindy Luis


FL MORRIS / [e-mail]
Jane Croson hit past a block attempt by Stanford’s
Carly Wopat in the first set.



Jane Croson has always been comfortable from the service line, with her awe-inspiring jump serves that live up to the Brazilian term jornada nas estrelas (journey to the stars).

The Hawaii sophomore hitter has found another line to dominate — that being the 3-meter — at which she is finding equal success.

The back-row attack is nothing new to the Rainbow Wahine offense. It has helped Hawaii compensate for being a little undersized against taller teams.

But few have had the heat that Croson puts on the ball from 10 feet off the net. It’s not a new weapon in her arsenal, however. She continues to become more comfortable with the heat-seeking missiles that singe the opponent’s defense.

Sunday night, in the championship match of the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational, Croson was devastating early from 3 meters and nearly unstoppable from everywhere late en route to a match-high 21 kills in the 17-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-17 win over No. 6 Stanford. She took 44 swings and hit .318, completing a double-double with 11 digs.

“We had to go to Croson early. She was the only one finding the holes in the block and Mita (setter Uiato) went to the hot hitter,” Wahine coach Dave Shoji said. “She can get to any ball, always takes an honest swing and puts some pace on it.

“She is maturing as a person. She’s much more disciplined and that’s paying dividends.”

Uiato says she is comfortable setting Croson on the pipe (3-meter play) and “it’s not an emergency thing, it’s always an option,” Hawaii’s junior setter said. “Jane will hit anything from anywhere and that gives me a lot of comfort knowing that.

“Both Jane and Emily (junior hitter Hartong) are so good back there. We went away from Jane later so I could get my middles involved. But what I’m seeing in Jane is how she is really maturing, she’s disciplined and, well, she’s beach-y. She is smart and has all the shots.”

Last year, Croson wasn’t quite as diversified. She went to her favorite shot — line — often, and often tried to power through the block.

This season, after months of playing on the beach, Croson has brought her sand repertoire indoors with even more success.

“We practice the 3-meter attack a lot,” she said. “It helps keep the (opponent’s) block honest and it’s something they aren’t expecting.

“Mita does a great job of putting the ball up there. It really helps when you have a good setter.”

Even with the match on the line, it didn’t stop Croson from swinging away, either on the attack or on her serve. She had the green light to go for it on the sky-ball serve and, as the match wore on, it wore down Stanford’s serve-receive.

“In the first game we didn’t serve as tough,” she said. “We went for it after that.

“It didn’t surprise me that we could win. We knew we had to step it up. Yes, it’s early and rankings don’t mean anything, but it still feels good to beat a team higher than you. It give us confidence.” *


ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
>> Albany: Viktoria Stoilo
>> Saint Mary’s: Kristina Graven
>> Hawaii: Jane Croson, Ali Longo
>> Stanford: Carly Wopat, Karissa Cook

>> Most Outstanding: Emily Hartong, Hawaii

[Barefoot In Kailua]

Aug 27, 2012 14:04:51 GMT -5 @blaase said:

Karissa Young?? lol

Lol. I know. Jim must be rubbing off on Ann.

[Barefoot In Kailua]

UH victory over Stanford a nice surprise for fans

By Dave Reardon


You can admit it. No one will question your loyalty.

Perhaps you were among the skeptics. Did Hawaii really deserve its national ranking? The Wahine lost two of the best players in the storied program’s history after last season.

As it turns out, UH probably does not belong at No. 8. The ranking should be higher after it chased No. 6 Stanford off the court in four sets Sunday.

Fess up, you’re surprised.

Even Scott Robbs, the voice of the Rainbow Wahine, says he didn’t expect anything like this — not this early in the season, anyway. Not against Stanford. Not after the way UH started the match.

“Who would’ve thought that after that first set?”

Not me, Scott. I thought the big crowd was going home early and sad after the Cardinal peppered the Hawaii side of the court at will. So did coach Dave Shoji.

He credited “getting some breaks” for the Wahine resurgence in the second set. Sure, there was some of that. And a whole lot of heart.

IF WE LEARNED anything in that second set — in which the teams were never separated by more than three points — it is that this group is mentally tough.

There were numerous opportunities to fold to a taller and some would say (at least before Sunday) more talented squad.

Hawaii scratched and clawed to win that second set, all the way to the final point, when the Wahine scrambled out of system before Jane Croson delivered one of her match-high 21 kills.

At the break, someone told me this team lacks enough weapons.

He was quickly proven wrong.

Croson’s got that crazy athleticism and power. Emily Hartong’s a gamer who gets better as the matches progress. Jade Vorster’s a force in the middle, hitting and blocking. Kalei Adolpho repeatedly comes up clutch.

And, of course, there’s the coaching. Every player interviewed by this paper Sunday credited the scouting report.

SETTER MITA Uiato and libero Ali Longo both concede that this team plays with a little bit of a chip on its collective shoulder. Even though it’s Longo’s first year here, she said she could sense some fans focusing on the Wahine losing their stars from last season and not expecting much from this edition.

“Nobody’s going to come right out and tell you that, but yes. And playing Stanford, there are going to be some doubters,” the Penn State transfer said. “I think we proved a lot not only to ourselves, but the state, the country and the volleyball world.”

And the no-respect card is one Shoji knows how to play.

“Dave told us no one expected us to pull out this game,” Uiato said.

Few other than the Wahine themselves.

But on this fine August evening, that’s all that mattered.

[vballfreak808]

No. 8 Rainbow Wahine Turn Back No. 6 Stanford, Win Chevron Tourney

Box Score: hawaiiathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?id=16718



HONOLULU – In front of a raucous crowd on Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center, the No. 8 University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team downed sixth-ranked Stanford in four sets (17-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-17) to win its fifth straight Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational. Jane Croson put down a match-high 21 kills to go along with 11 digs, and tournament Most Outstanding Player Emily Hartong had 17 kills and eight digs.

Carly Wopat and Brittany Howard both had nine kills for Stanford, who dropped to 2-1 on the season. Jordan Burgess had a team-high 11 digs.

After the 'Bows split sets one and two, they took off and completely dominated the match, allowing just 15 and 17 points in the final two sets. Set one went the way of the Cardinal by a solid 25-17 score. Wopat had a pair of kills in a Stanford spurt midway through the set, as the Cardinal built the lead to as many as eight points and cruised to the win.

Hawai'i rebounded for a thrilling set two win to even the match. After the teams traded points in the early going, a Kaela Goodman (6 kills) kill gave the 'Bows a slim 11-9 lead. Stanford would tie the score, but UH regained the advantage on kills by Croson and Kalei Adolpho (5 kills, 2 blocks). Stanford again rallied and tied the set at 19-19, but it were the 'Bows who won the crucial points down the stretch to even the match.

The 'Bows carried the momentum into the third set where they overpowered the Cardinal 25-15. UH went on a 6-1 run highlighted by a pair of Vorster kills, and cruised to the win on three late kills from Croson. Hawai'i was equally as dominant in set four. UH trailed 13-11 before seizing the momentum and racing to the win.

Ali Longo had a match-high 16 digs, Jade Vorster posted nine kills, and Mita Uiato added 11 digs.

Tickets issued for the contest were 7,426, with 6,052 fans coming through the turnstiles.

The 'Bows return to action next weekend for the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. UH will host San Francisco, Baylor, and California.

All-Tournament Team
Victoria Stroilo, Albany
Kristina Graven, Saint Mary's
Carly Wopat, Stanford
Karissa Cook, Stanford
Jane Croson, Hawai'i
Ali Longo, Hawai'i
Emily Hartong, Hawai'i (MOP)

[vballfreak808]

Emily Hartong Earns First Big West Weekly Honor


IRVINE, Calif. – University of Hawai'i outside hitter Emily Hartong captured the first Big West Women's Volleyball Player of the Week award for the 2012 season.

Hartong earned the honor after a stellar performance over the weekend where she was named the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational Most Outstanding Player. UH topped sixth-ranked Stanford in the championship match, also beating Albany and Saint Mary's for its fifth straight Chevron Tourney title.

For the tournament, Hartong averaged 4.36 kills, 2.73 digs and 0.73 blocks per set while hitting .286 to lead the 'Bows to victories over Albany, Saint Mary's and No. 6 Stanford. She led UH with 14 kills against Albany and 17 against Saint Mary's, and added 13 digs against the Gaels to secure her first double-double of the season.

Against the nationally-ranked Cardinal, Hartong put forth another 17-kill effort and hit .256 with eight digs and one service ace. In the season opener against the Great Danes, she hit at a .455 (14-4-22) clip adding nine digs and a pair of blocks.

Hartong, a 2011 AVCA Second Team All-American, will lead the No. 8 Rainbow Wahine into action this week against San Francisco, Baylor and California in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic.

[vballfreak808]

Hawaii vs. Stanford

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozu99AgtGw8&feature=plcp
[/youtube]
Part 1 of 9

[Barefoot In Kailua]

Wahine happy, but not satisfied

A tournament sweep and a big win over Stanford were great, but they're still looking to improve

By Cindy Luis


The more chances you play in real-game situations the better, particularly for a team still searching for its identity.

It's how No. 6 Hawaii sees this week's Hawaiian Airlines Classic: three more chances to get better, and get better at who the Rainbow Wahine are becoming.

Coming off Sunday's huge victory over then-No. 6 Stanford, Hawaii is happy with its 3-0 start. But continued perfection — at least in regards to season record — means remembering what was done against the Cardinal and working on both the good and the bad.

"We can always keep improving," Wahine junior setter Mita Uiato said after Tuesday morning's practice. "There's always things you could have taken care of, and those were the small things that we know we need to work on.

"I would grade us a B-plus at the end (of the Stanford match). And I am happy with how it went, how I set the match."

One key was recognizing how the Cardinal were focused on stopping Hawaii's two left-side guns: junior Emily Hartong and sophomore Jane Croson. That opened up the potential for the middle attack, and solid passing allowed Uiato to use both freshman Jade Vorster (nine kills, no errors, 19 swings) and sophomore Kalei Adolpho (five kills, three errors, 14 attempts).

"When I started to set the middle, (Stanford) had to be more honest with their block)," Uiato said. "I could have gone to the middles more, but I'm pretty happy overall."

So are head coach Dave Shoji and assistant Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, the latter a former All-America setter for the Wahine. When Shoji used a double substitute, putting sophomore Monica Stauber in for Uiato, it gave Uiato a chance for a different perspective on the Cardinal block and some in-match coaching, as well as to catch her breath.

"Mita was working hard on every play and it gave her a break," Shoji said. "I have no complaints about the way she set the match. There's always room for second-guessing a setter's choices, but she's doing it on the fly."

"I'm happy with how she set," Ah Mow-Santos said. "And she got better as it went on."

If there is one thing the Wahine are working on, it's finding a permanent right-side hitter. Both junior Kaela Goodman and junior transfer Ashley Kastl were used, but the production from the position was not enough, Shoji said.

In three matches, Goodman totaled 11 kills and two errors on 32 attempts, and Kastl had six kills, two errors and 20 swings. By comparison, Hartong and Croson combined to average 31 kills on 78 attempts.

The lack of a right-side attack was a combination of things, including having confidence to set the right side and matching up against the opponent's best blocker.

"There were times when Kaela (the 6-foot-1 Goodman) was going up against 6-6 (Stanford's Hayley Spelman)," Uiato said. "And some of it was our left sides were doing so well, I went to them."

"We have to have an upgrade at the position," Shoji said. "Either Kaela or Ashley will have to get better. We're back competing for that spot at practice (today) and Thursday to determine who will start Friday.

"We feel good about where were are, but we feel like we can get better.

"There can't be any letdown on our part. All the teams coming in are pretty good, and Cal still has players who made the final four a few years ago. They lost Saturday (in five sets at San Diego State), but they had some injuries. I'm expecting them to be at full strength. Cal is going to be Cal."*



HAWAIIAN AIRLINES CLASSIC
At Stan Sheriff Center
FRIDAY
>> Baylor (3-0) vs. No. 25 California (1-1), 5 p.m.
>> San Francisco (3-1) vs. No. 6 Hawaii (3-0), 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
>> San Francisco vs. California, 5 p.m.
>> Baylor vs. Hawaii, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY
>> Baylor vs. San Francisco, 3 p.m.
>> California vs. Hawaii, 5 p.m.
>> TV: OC Sports, Ch. 16
>> RADIO: KKEA, 1420-AM

[kaBOOOOM]

Thanks for the article post BIK!!

[Cubicle No More ...]

Former setter returns as coach

Jennifer Carey, once an all-conference player for the Wahine, is an assistant with No. 25 Cal

By Ann Miller, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 30, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 02:00 a.m. HST, Aug 30, 2012


COURTESY CAL SPORTS INFORMATION
"I have had players where I know exactly what they are going through." -Jennifer Carey
Cal assistant coach who played a reserve role her last two years at UH after being the starting setter her first two seasons



Saturday will mark the 13th anniversary of the night Rich Feller and Jennifer Carey met. Feller was making his debut as the Cal volleyball coach. Carey was making her Rainbow Wahine debut, starting at setter.

Feller is still the Golden Bears' coach as they come in for the Hawaiian Airlines Classic, beginning Friday at Stan Sheriff Center. Carey is Feller's assistant after stops at Texas A&M and Georgia Tech. She graduated from UH in 2003 in business administration and played professionally the following year in Germany before getting into volleyball administration and coaching.

Carey helped the Wahine to two final fours and a 123-12 record and is sixth on the Hawaii career assist list, despite playing only part-time her last two seasons. Those two years might have taught her more about coaching than the previous two all-conference seasons and growing up in a family full of coaches.

"I have had players where I know exactly what they are going through," said Carey, whose grace and great work ethic in a part-time role played a major part in Hawaii's success her last two years. "I can empathize and commiserate as much as I can, but at the same time I have to get them to keep moving on and see the big picture and handle it better than I ever did."

The Bears, who reached the NCAA final two years ago, come here 1-1 and a bit beaten up. A five-set loss at San Diego State dropped them from 17th to 25th in the poll. They started three freshmen and a transfer last weekend, after losing one player for the year with a preseason injury and two starters last week. Carey expects everyone to make the trip here.

Sixth-ranked Hawaii won its first three, including an upset of then-No. 6 Stanford, with a similar look. The Wahine played four new starters last week, and tournament MVP Emily Hartong was in a new position.

Carey is aware of all that because it is now her job. She tried to watch the Stanford match, but fell asleep after the second set. When she woke, her mom — who stayed awake — had sent a series of texts with updates.

"I was stoked," Jennifer said. "Usually I cheer for teams in our conference, but it's tough for the 'Bows to beat Stanford so it's a good thing. And, it was Stanford."

Carey keeps in close touch with Ryan Tsuji, the UH manager during her career, and coach Dave Shoji. She even finds herself walking down the bench telling reserves what she would like to be telling players on the court, just as Shoji did and still does. The memories of a Southern Californian who found herself on the "sacred home floor" before the game's greatest crowds 12 years ago are still vivid.

The bigger surprise is how much she has grown to enjoy Northern California. "I love The City and Lake Tahoe and all the fun and quirky things that come with it," said Carey, who moved from Berkeley to San Francisco this year.

She misses water warm enough to jump in — Carey is entered in Monday's Roughwater Swim here — but everything else about Cal has been ideal. Family is close, the school is in the country's best conference and goes after the best players, who will walk the halls with Olympic medalists.

Carey can tell them sincerely they will be attending "the No. 1 public institution in the country" with teachers who are Nobel Laureates, in an area littered with Fortune 500 companies.

She even enjoys telling recruits about "Berserkeley."

"It is the leftist of the left and rightist of the right and everything in the middle," Carey said. "There is a forum for every voice that wants to be heard."

For the Bears, one of those voices is a former Rainbow Wahine.


NOTES

» Freshmen lead five of the six Big West statistical categories after the first week, with Hawaii's Jade Vorster No. 1 in hitting percentage at .581. Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge of the Big West are receiving votes in the Top 25, Northridge for the first time since 2003.

» LBSU is the defending Big West champion, picked to finish second behind Hawaii this year. It is listing all-region junior Haleigh Hampton as "out indefinitely" with a shoulder injury. The 6-foot-6 Hampton averaged 2.89 kills and 1.61 blocks — third nationally — last season. Starting middle Alma Serna went out with an injury in the second set of the season last weekend. Serna was second in the Big West in blocks last year, behind Hampton. LBSU beat Lipscomb that night, but lost to North Carolina and Kentucky the next day.

» Kamehameha graduate Alex Akana, a senior at San Jose State, was named to the preseason All-Western Athletic Conference team. The Spartans were picked to finish seventh, with New Mexico State picked to win it. Akana was a second-team All-WAC selection last season after leading the Spartans in blocks.

[madonna]

I'm so glad that UCLA didn't have a scholarship for her, which ultimately led to her playing for Hawaii! I still feel bad for her though, that she didn't get to set her entire career here.

But nonetheless, she is still one of my all time favorite Wahine! ;D

[po'okela]

i believe her freshman year was probably one of the biggest lineups the wahine ever had.

[madonna]

Aug 30, 2012 13:57:21 GMT -5 po'okela said:

i believe her freshman year was probably one of the biggest lineups the wahine ever had.

Yeah, that was a really nice team.

[Wiz]

Way to go, Jade Vorster! She's leading the conference in hitting percentage. She is so exciting to watch, and will be a force for the Wahine.

Also, the Wahine team this year is one of the best, if not the best ever attacking from the backrow. We haven't had that in long time since Willoughby/Kahumoku era!

[madonna]

Aug 30, 2012 15:28:20 GMT -5 Wiz said:

Way to go, Jade Vorster! She's leading the conference in hitting percentage. She is so exciting to watch, and will be a force for the Wahine.

Also, the Wahine team this year is one of the best, if not the best ever attacking from the backrow. We haven't had that in long time since Willoughby/Kahumoku era!

Yep. And another thing I would like to add, is that I trust Longo taking the second touch to set as well. I've found this video she made back in 2010 and I can see why she had no problem setting the ball at times during last week's matches. So grateful she chose to transfer here to Hawaii!