Happy holidays, UH final RPI 32, No. 23 in poll
Interesting final Saturday but showed that experience is key, which proved the difference in Set 2.
A very good run by BYU. Both Hamson and Robins-Hardy go back to basketball Monday.
As others have mentioned PSU libero Gonzalez was great, 16 digs, but Courtney had a great all around game with 11 kills, 14 digs, 5 blocks.
In case you missed the all-tourney team: Penn State: Franti, Hancock, Courtney (MVP); BYU: Gray and Hamson. Stanford: Howard. Texas: Ogbogu.
Think the Wahine are in good shape for 2015 and 16 with the incoming recruits. But we’ll have to see how the newcomers transition to DI.
It would be nice if UH would put in for a regional for 2016 but with the chaos going on, don’t know if it will happen. Was told they only put in for a final four every 10 years but when they didn’t get it in 2009 they didn’t pursue any other year. Weird but is anyone supprised?
On another note, VolleyShots is taking a break for the holidays and for some upgrades. Will be back once the upgrades are complete.
Happy holidays and hauoli makahiki hou.
Mele Kalikimaka and hauoli makahiki hou to all.
In watching the quarterfinals, etc., it seems the Wahine have a ways to go to be at Final Four level of play. Penn State has set a really high standard. Wahine has the talent, but they are green. Like you have written Cindy, maybe in 2016. To me, Dave should stay till then.
I thought Hamson used up all her eligibility in basketball already. She was mainly a basketball player when she first got to BYU……..I think.
you are right. Hamson is done with basketball. I must have misheard one of the TV comments.
yeah byu was no match for penn st. they played like shock troops and were getting stronger and stronger the further they went. interesting how that character on avcas blog “Didn’t see that coming.” and went with byu winning in five because her heart said so even though her brain said otherwise.
it was a heres hoping. even though penn st would dominate easily.
btw if you missed granato on the under armour all america match its actually on monday at 4:30HST not today at 9:30ET like it had said. channels 247 SD/1247 HD
mckenna is #21 on the west team.
also items to remember and hopefully uh, shoji, anybody else dont forget:
moloka’i clinic and scrimmage; hopefully adolpho, mendoza and long are included
any spring match for na wahine
and the onto the sandbows
mele kalikimaka me ka hau’oli makahiki hou
hau’oli lanui!
Happy Holidays and await your column (2015)–thank you Cindy! Russ Rose gets the best players and the best out of his players (can be said for all the ELITE programs) and am still hoping for changes within the NCAA (should make things like INSTANT REPLAY “managatory”, regardless of costs – so refs can do a better job!) Am now and forever a WAHINE fan and wish Scott Wong the BEST at Pepper-dine! Hope the present coaching staff stays intact and Scott’s position is filled. Best wishes to ALL the WAHINE , past and present (you are , all-Hawaii)–thank you! Here’s to next year–mo betta yet!
Wishing all of you a new year filled with inspiration of doing better, one of love and peace. Hau’oli makahiki hou!
Thank you Cindy! Really do appreciate all you do! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and to all the VolleyShotters!
9 thank you.
Final RPI out. Not going to be a Grinch about it but still think it’s ridiculous.
Hawaii at 32. up from 39.
Duke, which Hawaii beat first round, up to 21
UW No. 4.
NCAA champion Penn State 6, runnerup BYU 9.
http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/weeklyrpi/2014WVBrpi1.html
10. i guess that riverside match always accost the wahine in the conference dont they? always. no matter if it was won or lost. no clue at alls rpi is about everybodys overall losses count more. hawai’i up from 39 to 32 for beating duke and falling to washington. final avca poll has hawai’i finishing still at #23 despite beating then #21 duke (finishing #25).
http://www.avca.org/divisions/division-one-women/poll-12-22-14di/
final poll link above. 1. Penn State, 2. Stanford. 3. BYU.
Even in the final poll, UH’s rank seems a little low. I would think they would be ranked higher than some of the teams above them.
Probably the weakest team Hawaii had in a while, if this team is top 25, it just means there aren’t many teams nationally good enough to compete at the highest level. The best Hawaii can do now is scratch mightily every year just to win conference and hope to qualify for post season. As great as Shoji WAS, he not longer can rely on scrappy defense to win consistantly. I hope he retires and turn over the reins (while there’s still a chance for the program to be great again) to a new coach who can relate to new powerful, tall recruits who really don’t give a rip about Shoji’s past accomplishments.
oldyobo, that’s alittle harsh, but I definitely understand where you are coming from on this. I agree that UH needs to get taller, much taller. Shoji believes that athleticism can offset a certain lack of height, but lately that concept hasn’t been working too well. In this regard, I sincerely wish that Granato can succeed because lately our smaller OHs struggle against taller teams. As each year passes, I become more entrenched in the thought “Can’t teach height!”
For a Christmas to come, I wish Santa will bring a left-handed 6’4″ opposite to UH!
I disagree about UH needing to get taller. The outsides and middles are quite tall enough. In fact, they’re actually taller than Penn St on some rotations. Haleigh Washington (MB) is 6-3 and Megan Courtney (OH) is 6-2. Penn St is successful because they’re well coached; makes very little mistakes; superb serving; outstanding digging; and great setting. BYU with 6-7 Hamson, 6-4 Boswell and 6-2 Alexa Gray were no match for Penn St.
Saw on volleytalk that UH beach team is getting Heather Boyan.
Looks like she will be playing this upcoming season, and then have another year next year as a grad student. She is 6′ 1 some nice size for UH beach team. I wonder if this means no more Norwegian recruit though.
http://instagram.com/p/wrM29znWS6/
14 and 15. yeah we need tall requirements preferably a 6′ 8 hamson like gal..oh yeah make her left handed too and while were at it make her a 6 rotation player….
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NO thats not what hawai’i needs. unless that is happenstance but a big person physically burns out faster (and thats universal much like how the universe works that a bigger mass/bigger sun burns out faster), the postmatch press conference even asked byu coach did hamson run out of gas (coach denied it but you can see that she did). bigger players typically cant sidestep as fast (which was stanford merete lutzs handicap who is even bigger than hamson and penn st beat her team before byu!) they also cant get to the floor as fast and even with a small hit can knock the ball out easily as with some of hamsons costly errors facilitating penn sts run under micah hancock, and guess what? micah is only 5′ 11. and dont forget granato coming in is already an all-american and she is just 5′ 11.
either way you look at it, like #16 said byu an obviously bigger team was no match for penn st. even penn sts smallest gal, dominquez gonzalez had a libero kill against hamson. and she was the one who administered the coup de grace on byu. dom finished penn sts dominating of byu with a tricky (off the tape) ace.
16/18 : winning ingredient… getting the number 1 & 2 recruits in the country year after year…. equals national championship… and of course stellar coaching as proven w/ Rose.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL!
I’m still curious to find out who will be taking wongs position
20. applications being accepted until Jan. 3. wouldn’t be surprised to see it announced by Jan. 5. Among those being considered I believe are Kevin Wong and Jeff Hall.
Wouldn’t mind seeing Kevin getting the job. I’m surprised he would apply considering he is basically starting his indoor club along with having the beach program for the kids.
Also surprised to see Jeff Hall’s name there with Warrior season at the same time as the sand season unless he is applying for indoor assistant only.
the way the job description is written, the job is dual … associate indoor and head sand.
it would be more money for Hall but I don’t think he has a lot of beach experience.
The Warriors could always move up Zarkovic to associate coach.
Don’t think the timing is right for Tom Pestolesi. IMHO he’d be the perfect fit.