Hawaii Beach (2016)

[Wolfgang]

I frequently wonder if any of the beach-only players could play on the Wahine indoor team.

[Cubicle No More ...]

UH hands No. 2 FSU its first beach defeat

Star-Advertiser staff and News Services

March 28, 2016


No. 5 Hawaii concluded its spring break trip to Florida with a pair of 4-1 wins over Top 10 teams Saturday at the Stetson Beach Invitational at DeLand, Fla.

The Rainbow Wahine (9-5) handed No. 2 Florida State (14-1) its first loss of the season, clinching the dual at the No. 2 flight when Emily Maglio and Katie Spieler swept previously unbeaten Kristina Pelliteri-Victoria Paranagua, 21-13, 21-13. The lone loss came in the final contest when Jace Pardon-Julie Brown held off Lara Schreiber-Nikki Taylor at No. 1, 21-17, 20-22, 15-9.

The one loss against FIU came at No. 5 when Tina Toghiyani-Estafanie Bethancour prevailed over Mikayla Tucker-Ginger Long, 21-19, 11-21, 16-14. It tied the dual at 1-1 with Hawaii taking the last three flights.

“I’m very proud of how all the pairs played, it was a whole team effort,” UH coach Jeff Hall said after his team extended its winning streak to six. “This should help our chances to make the NCAA tournament. There was a lot of good programs with great players and we’re fortunate to come out on top.”

Hawaii returns home to host the Outrigger Beach Volleyball Challenge beginning with Friday’s pairs event at the Ching Complex with No. 4 UCLA (9-4) and Arizona State (7-5). The Wahine have duals with ASU and UCLA on Saturday at Queen’s Beach.

[Wolfgang]

UH needs to update their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram more often. Now, I seek those out more than mainstream media articles and photos because they seem to give me more insights of the team. The more I get from these social media updates, the more interested I get in the team -- and the more likely I'll spend $$$ on UH and the team. I like the casual photos of practices and players just hanging out at airports or gyms or campus or going out to eat at restaurants. I really loved the photosets of the girls at Papahana Kuaola. I really love the way Nebraska provides constant twitter updates and not just from the main NU volleyball twitter account but from John Cook, Dani Busboom, and Chris Tamas (one of the coaches). Iowa State also did a great job of providing photo updates on Facebook and twitter during their Hawaii trip. Zilch from UH. (I'm frikkin mad about this!)

Dave Shoji's twitter feed (is that what you call it? A feed?) hasn't been updated since the UH men's and women's bb teams were bounced from the NCAAs. The Wahine indoor vb team's twitter account's last update is an announcement that the Wahine will host Iowa State in an exhibition, which happened 10 days ago. LOL!

The Wahine indoor booster club's Facebook page has good photos, but hardly any during the offseason.

My advice: the updates should be constant. Text updates whenever there's something newsworthy, otherwise photo updates every single day. More during gamedays and weekend travel dates. If the team is traveling from Honolulu to Los Angeles to Dallas to Gulf Shores, Alabama, you should provide photo updates at each stop. It's not that difficult to take photos with your iPhones or iPads. Just one click. I do that for my own accounts except that, you know, nobody cares what I do every hour of every day.

[Wolfgang]

Hawaii's duo of Rooks/Schuct won Big West Pairs Team of the Week. None of the Hawaii sites are reporting it. WTF?!?!

www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=19032

[Cubicle No More ...]

UH beach volleyball moves up to No. 4

By Cindy Luis, Star-Advertiser

March 29, 2016


A perfect week in Florida, including an upset of previously unbeaten Florida State, helped the Hawaii beach volleyball team move up a spot to No. 4 in Monday’s AVCA Collegiate Beach Top 10.

The Rainbow Wahine (9-5) went 5-0 during their spring break trip to DeLand, Fla., and left as the only undefeated team at the Stetson Beach Invitational, going 4-0 in the six-team non-round-robin format. Hawaii did not face UCLA over the weekend, the Bruins (9-4) finishing 3-1 at the event with a 4-1 loss to then-No. 2 Florida State.

Hawaii, which beat FSU 4-1 on Saturday, traded places with UCLA in the poll. The Wahine and now-No. 5 Bruins meet Saturday at 1 p.m. in a dual at Queen’s Beach, part of the Outrigger Beach Volleyball Challenge. UH lost to UCLA 3-2 on March 5 at Zuma Beach, Calif., the second match of the season.

Pepperdine (11-0) remained at No. 1, followed by defending national champion USC (11-2) and FSU (14-1).

Hawaii also hosts ASU (7-5) in a dual Friday at 9 a.m., and the Sun Devils and Bruins play at 11 a.m. The Challenge opens Friday with a pairs tournament at the Ching Complex, involving all three teams at 8 a.m.

[Cubicle No More ...]

Beach Volleyball's Rooks/Schucht Earn First Big West Weekly Honors

3/28/2016 4:37:00 PM




Excerpt:

"IRVINE, Calif. – For the fourth consecutive week, a University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball pairs team has been selected as the Big West Conference Pairs Team of the Week. The tandem of Hannah Rooks and Ka'iwi Schucht earned their first award and bring the total to three different pairs teams from UH who have earned the honor this season."


Full UH release: hawaiiathletics.com/news/2016/3/28/womens-beach-volleyball-beach-volleyballs-rooks-schucht-earn-first-big-west-weekly-honors.aspx?path=wsvb

[Cubicle No More ...]

No. 4 SandBows Face ASU, UCLA In Outrigger Pac-12 Challenge

3/29/2016 8:30:00 AM


Ka'iwi Schucht


Excerpt:

"HONOLULU – The No. 4 University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball team (9-5) returns to O'ahu for a big weekend against Pac-12 opposition, as Arizona State and No. 5 UCLA come to town for the Outrigger Pac 12 Challenge. The tournament opens up Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on the UH campus, moving Saturday to Queen's Beach.

...

The SandBows meet Arizona State for the first time, while UH holds a 4-1 record against UCLA, most recently falling in a hotly-contested loss to the Bruins in the second match this season, 2-3, at the Pepperdine Kickoff Tournament. UH last defeated the Bruins in the 2015 Aloha Invitational at Queen's Beach, 4-1.

Quick Set

What: Outrigger Pac-12 Challenge - Team Pairs Tournament
Who: No. 4 Hawai'i, No. 5 UCLA, Arizona State
When: Friday, April 1, 8:00 a.m.
Where: Honolulu, O'ahu (Clarence T.C. Ching Courts)

What: Outrigger Pac-12 Challenge – Team Duals
Who: No. 4 Hawai'i, No. 5 UCLA, Arizona State
When: Saturday, April 2
Match Times: 9:00 a.m. (UH vs. ASU), 11:00 a.m. (ASU vs. UCLA), 1:00 p.m. (UH vs. UCLA)
Where: Honolulu, O'ahu (Queen's Beach)"


Full UH release: hawaiiathletics.com/news/2016/3/29/womens-beach-volleyball-no-4-sandbows-face-asu-ucla-in-outrigger-pac-12-challenge.aspx?path=wsvb

[Wolfgang]

Is Sammi Brown still at UH? I just noticed today when going over the photos on the UH Beach team's Facebook page that Brown was actually at Papahana Kuaola even though she's not part of the team. This also makes me wonder if any other former beach players are still in Hawaii, whether to finish up their education or just want to live in Hawaii just a bit longer.

[Wolfgang]

Hawaii's match against UCLA this coming weekend won't be easy. UCLA just upset Pepperdine, 3-2.

[Wolfgang]

Several weeks ago when Ryan Tsuji was interviewing Heather Boyan, he should've asked her if she's still in pain. That was the only thing on my mind at the time. I kept screaming at the screen, ask her if she's in pain! Why don't you ask her?

[Cubicle No More ...]

Rooks and Schucht: Marriage made in the sand

By Cindy Luis, Star-Advertiser

March 31, 2016


CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / [e-mail]
University of Hawaii Rainbow beach volleyball wahine Hannah Rooks at practice at the Clarence T.C. Ching courts.


CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / [e-mail]
Ka’iwi Schucht, right, and Hannah Rooks have settled in as Hawaii’s No. 3 pair after moving around early in the year.


CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / [e-mail]
University of Hawaii Rainbow beach volleyball wahine Ka’iwi Schucht at practice.



College sweethearts with a touch of an old married couple. That is how Hannah Rooks and Ka’iwi Schucht describe their partnership as the No. 3 pair for the Hawaii beach volleyball team.

The duo is 11-3, including a winning streak of six, for the fourth-ranked Rainbow Wahine. Success hasn’t come easily — two of the victories in that streak went three sets, another against previously undefeated Florida State won by the slimmest of margins, 21-19, 27-25.

The love/not so loving relationship had, at times, been contentious as the tandem worked through communication issues. Chemistry is key in the sport and Rooks, a 6-foot junior, and Schucht, a 5-9 sophomore, have learned from earlier combustion.

“We had a little hiccup before but we talked and let all our anger out,” Schucht said. “It was about our communication and the expectations.

“This past weekend our communication was perfect.”

Unlike the March 20 match against then-No. 3 USC at Queen’s Beach, there was no meltdown … literally … when facing then-No. 2 Florida State last Saturday at DeLand, Fla.

“It was really hot when we played USC and we broke down,” Schucht said. “Against FSU, it was really hot and it was, ‘hey, we’re in this together. Deal with the heat and not break down.’ ”

“We had a big heart-to-heart in Florida,” Rooks added. “It was about talking out what we liked and didn’t like about the way we were communicating, especially on defense and where we wanted and needed to work harder for each other.”

It paid off for Rooks-Schucht, with their hard-fought victory helping the SandBows hand the Seminoles their first loss of the season. It helped Hawaii go 5-0 on the road trip and earned Rooks-Schucht the Big West Pair of the Week on Monday.

Coach Jeff Hall has seen the growth as he’s moved the duo around from the No. 4 flight to No. 5 and to No. 3. The pair is 6-1 since moving permanently to No. 3, the lone loss coming in the aforementioned contest with USC.

“Part of it is the continuity of playing together, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Hall said. “In this sport, it’s more than putting partnerships together based on skill sets. We also have to recognize the human element.

“Chemistry is that great, elusive thing that every coach is trying to find and it’s even more challenging on the beach side. They have found each other and are in a groove.”

Rooks and Schucht continue to build on their similarities, which includes moving around as military dependents. Schucht was raised on Oahu before ending up in California for high school; Rooks’ family moved from Georgia to Oahu her senior year, where she graduated from Kaiser.

“And we have the same passion,” Rooks said. “It’s been cool having her as a partner and I’m looking forward to keep working hard, staying on the grind and be the best we can possibility be.”

Rooks said she felt the two proved something last weekend. The key is to continue to do so the rest of the season.

It starts with the Outrigger Beach Volleyball Challenge, a pairs tournament on Friday at the Ching Complex and duals with No. 5 UCLA and Arizona State.

Rooks-Schucht dropped a three-setter to the Bruins the second match of the season on Zuma Beach, Calif., when playing at No. 5. The SandBows went on to lose 3-2.

“We’ll be playing against a different team (at No. 3),” Rooks said. “We’re super determined to win the game. It’s about bringing the same passion, especially on defense. I felt we played lights-out (defensively) last weekend.”

The two were split up once, for an exhibition, but “we got back together after that,” Schucht said. “There’s not going to be a divorce.”


OUTRIGGER BEACH CHALLENGE
FRIDAY, CHING COMPLEX COURTS

>> Pairs tournament with No. 4 Hawaii (9-5), No. 5 UCLA (10-4) and Arizona State (7-5), 8 a.m.

SATURDAY, QUEEN’S BEACH

>> Hawaii vs. Arizona State, 9 a.m.

>> UCLA vs. Arizona State, 11 a.m.

>> UCLA at Hawaii, 1 p.m.

[Wolfgang]

I don't really understand the "meltdown." More details please. Ditto "communication issues." What exactly do Rooks and Schuct not like the other to do/say during play re. communication issues. Me, I would probably hate it when my partner yells "high line" all the time.

Other questions:
Why didn't Rooks go to Georgia, having committed to them for indoor? (Yes, the family moved to Hawaii but heck, she got a scholarship to Georgia...why not take it?)
Did she consider playing indoor for the Wahine indoor team? Or were there no scholarships left except for beach (and we know that if you are on a beach scholarship, you can't play indoor)? Did she simply decide beach was the career path she wanted to take?
She played beach w/ Nikki Taylor during high school. What was that like?
Did she make friends with Nikki Taylor immediately upon moving to Kaiser High School?
How was the adjustment in moving from Georgia to Hawaii? Any culture shock? What was the biggest adjustment she had to make?
How was Kaiser compared to her previous high school in Georgia?
Any plans to move back to Georgia or the mainland or will she live in Hawaii permanently?
Any flying cockroach stories? Or are the bugs and critters in Hawaii tame compared to the ones in Georgia?

Do they lift weights because both Rooks and Schuct are super skinny.

[Wolfgang]

Too bad there are no Live Stats for the Pairs Challenge today.

[Wolfgang]

My Top 4 Favorite Players on the UH beach team, in no particular order:

Katie Spieler
Lara Schreiber
Nikki Taylor
Emily Maglio

I would mention the other girls but I haven't seen them play because OC Sports only broadcasts the #1 and #2 flights.

Really impressed with (and have a newfound respect for) the athleticism of beach vb players. How the hell do they move so quickly on the heavy sand for the duration of a 2-3 set match? They seem to have wings on their ankles. Me, I do one 10-15-second sprint on the sand and I'm done for the day. Watched some UH videos and I was really impressed with Brittany Tiegs and Spieler. They're so agile and quick and versatile...and smart!

[Cubicle No More ...]

SandBows Dominate Day 1 of Outrigger Beach Volleyball Challenge

4/1/2016 9:48:00 PM




HONOLULU – In a powerful display, the University of Hawai'i beach volleyball duos swept both brackets of Pairs Competition in the Outrigger Beach Volleyball Challenge, Friday, at the Clarence T.C. Ching Courts on the UH-Manoa campus.

Both bracket finals were all-UH affairs. The Makai bracket encompassed seeds Nos. 4-6 and the Mauka held seeds Nos. 1-3 with teams competing from UH, UCLA, and Arizona State.

The formidable Pac-12 foes were no match for Hawai'i on Friday. In the Makai bracket, Ginger Long and Mikayla Tucker teamed to edge past teammates Ari Homayun and Hannah Zalapony. Both steamrolled their competition en route to facing off in the final.

The Mauka Bracket saw senior captain Katie Spieler and partner Emily Maglio battle through top teams from UCLA and ASU early before putting together a near flawless final against surging teammates Hannah Rooks and Ka'iwi Shucht, who survived a thrilling three-set victory earlier in the day against the top-ranked UH team of Nikki Taylor and Lara Schreiber.

UH also advanced a third pair to the Makai semifinal when Claire Anderson and Casey Castillo upset the fourth-ranked UCLA team.

Action in Day 2 of the OBVC will heat up Saturday at Queen's Beach in Waikiki. Hawai'i will dual against ASU to start things off at 9:00 a.m., followed by UCLA and ASU. The afternoon will cap with a big rematch between the Rainbow Wahine and the fifth-ranked Bruins.

UH release: hawaiiathletics.com/news/2016/4/2/womens-beach-volleyball-sandbows-dominate-day-1-of-outrigger-beach-volleyball-challenge.aspx?path=wsvb


Photo Gallery: www.hawaiiathletics.com/galleries/?gallery=657