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Post by Island on Dec 4, 2004 5:34:38 GMT -5
Ugh. You mean the one where Nihipali comes off the bench after having a terrible start to help win it game 5! Yeah I remember that. You bring up painful memories SOBB.
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Post by islandgirl on Dec 4, 2004 6:16:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the recap and thoughts on the game. It's always good to hear from someone who actually was there.
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Post by Gorf on Dec 4, 2004 8:38:06 GMT -5
Yo SoBB. Kudos for the writeup(s). Good work for a serious poop-head! Just kidding on that latter of course - good job and thanks! Two down, two to go for dem Wahine to make it to the Final Four again!
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Post by gobows on Dec 4, 2004 9:59:07 GMT -5
Thanks SoBB----very interesting and I know it took time! Appreciate it.
Do you think the wahine have a chance over Wisconsin or Notre Dame? We have really gone farther than most people thought but I wonder if this is the end of the road.
gobows
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Post by StuffU on Dec 4, 2004 10:58:16 GMT -5
Thanks SoBB----very interesting and I know it took time! Appreciate it. Do you think the wahine have a chance over Wisconsin or Notre Dame? We have really gone farther than most people thought but I wonder if this is the end of the road. gobows I like Hawaii against both Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Both opponents have the ability to play big, but neither has been able to sustain it through an entire match. I think Hawaii is playing its best ball of the season so far. Passing seems to be solid and that is the key. If Hawaii's passing remains consistent, I really like their chances. Overall though, Hawaii should get through Wisconsin or Notre Dame because they'll be able to outlast either of them and win the big points.
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Post by LanaiBoy on Dec 4, 2004 12:05:06 GMT -5
Great job of game summary SoBB. I agree with the assessment that Kamana'o sometimes is too predictable in setting the outsides. While watching games on television, I cringed as Kamana'o sometimes set an outside hitter with two blockers camped out there. I knew the outside hitter would get blocked and she was. However, this is true for 95 percent of setters when having to handle a poor pass. In post game interviews with Charlie Wade, he said that he sort of scolded Kamana'o, telling her that she has the rare abililty to set Prince and other middles even with a poor pass and she should use that ability. After the scolding during the time out, Kamana'o started to pass to the middle and Hawaii made scoring runs. As Dave Shoji often points out, for setters it is easy to keep going to the outsides and get in a rut. When Kamana'o really trusts her ability to set balls to the middel and right in almost all situations, watch out. She will be super great. She already is a great blocker and digger. She makes spectacular digs regularly. That is one aspect of her game--her many pancake saves-- that makes my jaws drop sometimes. Now if she can float ace serves like Watanabe, Fotu, or Ong she will have a truly great all-around game.
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Post by sonofbarcelonabob on Dec 4, 2004 12:23:58 GMT -5
Ugh. You mean the one where Nihipali comes off the bench after having a terrible start to help win it game 5! Yeah I remember that. You bring up painful memories SOBB. Yes. For those who have known me through the years, volleyball-wise, they know I must routinely bring that subject up. The missed call in G4 on Stein Metzger being a backrow blocker on that overpass kill by Jason Ring that sailed long for a UCLA point. Stein touched it, he knows it, just like Ken Taylor the R1 knows he missed a friggin' obvious call, as did Jon Martin on the UCLA endline. It's good to remember that pain every now and then. I STILL to this day cannot watch that tape. That was one hell of a UH team that year. The upset loss to UCSB in the MPSF semis and the national championship match were the only two downers of an incredible season.
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Post by kulasoft on Dec 4, 2004 15:20:49 GMT -5
This match report is dedicated to Mike Ching, Woozie, and Ravi Narasimhan. For old times sake, I will send this to rsv where it will be preserved forever. Without permission of course! - mike
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Post by DiggUH on Dec 4, 2004 16:46:51 GMT -5
This match report is dedicated to Mike Ching, Woozie, and Ravi Narasimhan. Ravi? Now there's a name going back to the old days of RSV, along with the two Perrys. Must be using a new moniker these days. BTW, great report from the scene. Always interesting to hear unbiased comments about the team.
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Post by Amazon on Dec 4, 2004 17:04:04 GMT -5
I knew HAWAII going to Colorado State would make Boogaard bring the smackdown!!
GO BEACH !! 2014 CHAMPS BABY!!
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Post by CiM on Dec 4, 2004 17:08:11 GMT -5
Ugh. You mean the one where Nihipali comes off the bench after having a terrible start to help win it game 5! Yeah I remember that. You bring up painful memories SOBB. It wasn't Paul Nihipali that did the damage in that game IMO. Trong Nguyen was the UCLA's hero of that game. He saved the Bruins' ass with his astonishing backrow defense.
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Post by Island on Dec 4, 2004 17:28:20 GMT -5
Yes I know. There are a lot of factors as well as heroes but I was actually trying to keep this to a minimum since this isn't the men's board. Not to mention when I usualy mention Trong, people go who???
Anyway, 808 how did you like Shoji changing up his blockers during the crucuial stretches. I have been very impressed with his managing of our MB stable but considering we never had a lot of depth at MB, it probably never came up before.
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Post by sonofbarcelonabob on Dec 4, 2004 19:17:47 GMT -5
It wasn't Paul Nihipali that did the damage in that game IMO. Trong Nguyen was the UCLA's hero of that game. He saved the Bruins' bottom with his astonishing backrow defense. Trong was good. But I think the guy who really made the difference in that match, and basically that entire season for UCLA, was Stein. And yeah, Nihipali was stinking it up big time, hitting wall balls and the middle of the net until Scates yanked his azz and put Moselle in. Naveh Milo hit .000 for the match, that was the difference on the UH side. Back to the UH wahine. With all the starters returning minus the Liberos for next season, I don't see much change. I don't think anyone on the bench or redshirting will be able to beat out the incumbents unless they commit themselves to really pushing hard in the off-season and coming back a totally different player. Hittle on the left is not an option. If UH fans are unhappy with Arnott's offense right now, it would only get worse if they swapped her for Hittle. I talked to someone about that last night (the Hittle/Arnott swap) because it would make UH's receive so much easier if Hittle and Boogaard were opposite each other in rotation instead of Boogaard/Arnott. But this person told me they experimented with it earlier in the season and it didn't work - mostly because Hittle struggles on the left and Arnott struggles on the right. UH does have alot of middles coming back next year, though. It would be nice if they, as a group, committed themselves to rounding out their games and excelling in all phases of the position - right now, only Prince can bring the complete package to the position, the rest of them are very one-dimensional. If they were able to nail down those spots, the coaching staff would have even more flexibility with using Prince someplace else. I think she's athletic enough and talented enough that she could even play leftside and excel.
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Post by Island on Dec 4, 2004 19:25:15 GMT -5
My thoughts exactly. But it really depends who shows up, neither Sanders and Gregory are complete they just have good upside in their respective strengths. Some consistency on sanders and some attacking acumen from Gregory would help a lot. Thomas might be a surprise. I think she is someone who will come out of her redshirt year and play well.
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Post by Island on Dec 4, 2004 19:44:02 GMT -5
The Wahine played well in altitude. I was impressed. The Utah stint did them good. Hittle and Boogard hit pretty good shots and did not seem that affected by the altitude. I can also see why Hittle hits the way she does, the ball really travels at Fort Collins. The Wahine took care of business.
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