Hawaii out of NCAA, no update on Taylor
Major apologies. Finally gave up on trying to update. the blog kept closing out.
this is what i can tell you.
No word on Taylor other than it’s he left ankle. HIPA requires her to sign a waiver to discuss what it is, she has in the past, but new injury requires new release. they may not know anything until swelling goes down. Shoji didn’t want to speculate Said it could be a sprain, a fracture or something else.
She apparently landed on Wilhite’s foot under the net.
COMMENTS
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I know you meant Wilhite & not Wichita 🙂 Just an unfortunate accident. I hope it’s nothing too serious and that Nikki will be healed in time for Beach.
Michigan State, Florida & K-State all eliminated…
The tragedy of this season is that we will never know how good this team really was. The team never faced a top 25 team healthy, other than three points tonite. Thanks to all the seniors for their hard work and dedication!
1. yes, dang auto correct.
1) Minnesota def. 12( Hawaii 25-17, 25-17, 25-19
2) Nebraska def. TCU 25-22, 25-12, 25-16
5) Texas def. SMU 25-15, 25-18, 25-12
6) North Carolina def. Coastal Carolina 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-16
10) BYU def. UNLV 25-23, 25-21, 25-12
13) Penn State def. Pittsburgh 20-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-18
16) Florida State def. 11 Florida 13-25, 16-25, 25-23, 25-19, 15-12
26) Ohio State def. Kansas State 25-20, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 17-15
29) Arizona def. 15) Michigan State 17-25, 25-16, 25-19, 24-26, 15-10
A night full of what ifs. It’s a completely different match with Taylor in. That forces Minnesota to focus on her which takes less pressure and frees things up for the others. The team reallly tried after she went down but you could tell they weren’t the same either.
Set scores were decent, but the game really wasn’t in Hawaiis favor. It’s one thing to have prepared for not having Nikki, but they couldn’t. It was a very admirable match for Hawaii and nothing to be ashamed of.
Ready for this terrible year to end but nonetheless good season wahine!!
Feels like that might have been coach Shoji’s last match.
I hate it too how the selection committee is going to see the scores and just see that Minnesota swept Hawaii and think they were right in hawaiis placement.
8. …and maybe feel justified in doing it again next year. Auwe!
Committee doesn’t care, they look at it on a year to year basis, what hurt us were no top 25 wins, we need to beat top 25 rpi teams next season.
Hoping Nikki will be okay. Hate to see this injury hurt her pro career.
9.Last time UH hosted, they beat #1 rpi texas, We need more wins like those to host again.
Hoping no more injuries next season and hoping all the returning wahine improve . Now on to Warrior and beach volleyball seasons.
We just need to get lucky also with the bracket, we didn’t this year, Arizona did and now they are in the sweet sixteen, We know we are better than them.
On a positive note, Shaney Lipscomb and her Cathedral Catholic teammates won the CA Div II state title tonite in three sets. Congrats to her!
Sadly, Arden Misraje’s team lost 16-14 in the fifth set of their Div III title match.
Aloha seniors and many thanks for an exciting season.
11. That was also the year the Big West had a positive non-conference record, and a higher RPI than the last couple of years. UH also won three non-conference matches on the road at Wichita State. Much more than beating teams like Texas, IMO.
11.
They don’t have to beat someone like #1 Texas to host. They just can’t lose in conference and they have to beat a few ranked teams in the pre season
Knew this was going to be a David vs. Goliath match. When Nikki went down, it was like taking the slingshot from David. Great season nonetheless. Looking forward to next year’s team and the drama that will unfold.
David vs Goliath, oh please. the talent difference wasn’t that great with Nikki in.
the thing Minnesota has is they had two excellent middles and better ball control and we just have one excellent middle and shaky ball control.
Minnesota had 5 or 6 top-40 prep volleyball senior aces on the floor tonite. A couple more on the bench, and a couple more on the way next year. I think UH’s last top-tier class was Greeley’s, this year’s junior class. Getting harder to compete by up-coaching diamonds-in-the-rough or finding under-the-radar players. Don’t know who the next great OHs will be for UH. We need at least two on the floor at the same time to compete with the best. We will have a top setter, libero, and middle next year. Just not sure where the additional firepower is coming from.
no lie, when Nikki went down i was absolutely heartbroken & upset at what had just transpired. Nikki never took one swing and that is how her career at UH ended.
the rest of the team played their hearts out but Minnesota played with no mercy. it was annoying to see i will very much admit that. i agree that this team never ever had the chance this season to show how good they were. season after season the team suffers horrible injuries and that sucks.
without Nikki next season, i think it’s clear that it will most definitely be a rebuilding year. Hawaii loses so much all at once. Tom who was only here for one season, Berg who was only on a one year contract, 4 outstanding seniors, & possibly Hawaii may even lose its head coach.
tbh this team next season still can be just as good. they do return Emily, Kalei, McKenna, Kirsten, Norene, Savannah & more. but the question is, who will fill Nikki’s shoes? i really hope Kalei will be at full strength next season because she was seriously missed in the front row this season.
i love that Hawaii had a terminator in Nikki, but at the same time i think Hawaii needs to let multiple players be able to terminate a ball the way she did. you could tell that after Nikki was out, the other players really couldn’t get into a decent rhythm. Nikki was always there to rescue her team when they struggled, but you could see after tonight’s match that once one player struggled almost everyone else struggled.
not here to be negative, i am trying my best not to. Hawaii you gave us a great season and the state is proud of the way you guys represented us despite being given an unfair draw…AGAIN!
to our 4 seniors, thank you for everything you guys have done to make volleyball so exciting. & to Dave, well idk if this was indeed your last match as well, but if it was THANK YOU for 40+ great winning seasons
See you all in August….
Congrats to Minnesota. They’ve definitely peaked at the right time of the year. If they can keep it up, they should make it to the Final Four and be a favorite to win it all.
Even with Ms. Taylor, Hawaii had only about 1 in 3 shot at an upset on Minnesota’s home floor. Overcoming the #2 home seed on their court with their great fan support, was always going to be an uphill battle. With Taylor’s unexpected loss, which the Wahine could not have prepared for, it was a blow that could have resulted in a blow-out. They could have packed it in, but the Wahine never gave up, didn’t quit and kept on fighting. They can be proud of that, I am.
Like other volleyball fans, I wonder how the rest of the tournament will play out this year. I wonder if Shoji will return or retire. And the Beach season is soon upon us. The Wahine Beach roster looks strong, even without Nikki. Will she be able to recover from her injury and decide to play beach? Will Annie give beach a try? Will any other indoor players tryout for beach? The spring indoor training season isn’t far away, what team will make the trip to play the Wahine? Next year’s indoor players will have some big holes to fill; will they move Mags to OH/OPP? The volleyball program remains strong, and the envy of many across the nation. Lot’s to look forward to!
18. They also had Wilhite, essentially on Nikki’s level, talent-wise. But I agree that David and Goliath reference is ridiculous, assuming a healthy Nikki Taylor. She would have greatlay impacted the UH offense, and MN’s OHs’ efficiency.
It’s not like they wiped us out not letting us score more than 12 a set, they were at home and the top ranked team in the nation. UH still played decent but our ball control seriously needs to improve. Kahakia, Granato and Greeley need to really work on that alot in the off season.
It wasn’t a blow out, but it wasn’t all that close either. Happens when you lose your top player. Ask ASU.
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Not to mention the overall psyche of the players on the court. They can downplay it all they want but when you’re best player and leader goes down and is out of the match, it can sure affect them mentally
If coach Shoji does retire however, my top choices in order. 1. sealy. 2 Fisher. 3. Wong.
Sealy a real long shot, so Dan Fisher is my pick.
Dan Fisher, wins wherever he goes. does the most with the talent he has, he doesn’t need time to rebuild he just wins and right away!!
Hawaii will recruit it self so he just needs to keep the top players home like Shoji has ( oglivie is a must) and get those diamonds in the rough that will improve in college like Maglio and Hartong.
And add those mainland players with Hawaii ties who dream of being wahine like Norene and Jane Croson and we will be alright for years to come even without the legendary Coach Shoji.
Reading the match recap on Minnesota’s website, it’s curious how there’s zero mention of Hawaii losing a starter…
Sounded like Shoji has a foot out the door. He told Robbs that maybe he’d be on the sidelines with Robbs next year (with a smile).
Sealy, Fisher and Wong are the most commonly mentioned names. Sealy would be the dream. Thought we would have had a good shot at landing him a while back when UCLA was in a little bit if a lull. But now he’s got that program rolling. And he’d be paid less, have fewer resources, and have to recruit harder than he does today. But he loves living in Hawaii…
Used to be high on Wong, but Pepperdine hasn’t made a dramatic leap forward, so he is more of a question mark right now–more experience required. Fisher has the UH ties, USA volleyball experience, and has done well at Pittsburgh. Don’t know much more about him.
Can’t think of anyone else with Hawaii ties. Would be a very tough job. Normally in the coaching world, you don’t want to follow a legend given the high expectations, and follow-on success can be challenging, although there are exceptions (John Cook/Nebraska, Sealy/UCLA).
29. I don’t blame coach Shoji one bit if he does. He’s had a great career. Not many coaches over 70 in the NCAA. Only one I can think of is Jim Boeheim at Syracuse basketball.
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It’s hard to think that he’d want to go out like that but yeah it does seem like this could have been his last match. He probably had seen this year as his chance to get back to the final four considering the talent that this team had returning (before the injuries)
26. Sealy; not happening. Fisher; maybe. Wong; not ready IMO. Shoji’s video shown on the post-game was an interesting insight into what he thinks is required of him, and hence his successor. What he described is someone with maturity who has been around the block, can attract and keep great players and supporting staff, and fully understands and appreciates all the demands and required constant attention to details. There will be big shoes to fill.
I really like Coach Wong too. But I just can’t see UH hiring a coach just coming off a losing season to replace a legend.
Mick Haley of USC is 73. Bill Snyder of Kansas St. football is 73. In basketball, Steve Fisher of SDSU is 71. Very small list.
Horrible for Nikki to end her collegiate career like that. She probably knew this might be her last night, but I doubt she thought this was how it would go. Hope she recovers and has a pro career to look forward to. And I will give the plucky Bows some credit. Entering this match I thought we had at least some chance to upset the #1 Gophers, but my hope hit the floor along with Nikki. Yes, the Bows got swept, but the scores were still close enough that it wasn’t a total blowout. They kept the fight up.
Six Big10 teams and 4 Pac-12 teams remain. Guaranteed that 2 Big10 teams and 1 Pac-12 team will make the regional finals. 3 of the 8 regional matches involve teams from the same conference. Overall, seven conferences represented in the regionals. Only 3 seeds have lost.
I wonder if Lindsey Berg would be interested. I like her fire. I also like Hall, he is a good recruiter. We have some excellent players returning and if they can get healthy, stay healthy, and improve a little we should be in the hunt next year. I also like the potential of the incoming class. I don’t think Dave has any more to prove, we had a good year in spite of all the bad breaks. Thanks to the team, the coaches, Cindy and you bloggers for a great autumn.
At least the girls are well and alive. The soccer air crash gave me a new perspective and appreciation of life in general. So the loss to Minnesota is not a tragedy, only a disappointment that we can live with. Whether Nikki plays professionally in the future or not, the main thing is that she’ll be all right.
As for OC Sports, I strongly feel that they wasted their time and money traveling all the way to Minnesota when Big 10 was going to broadcast all three matches anyway which I was grateful to watch. With all the crew and equipment OC Sports spent thousands if not ten thousands of dollars. Also, they created strong resentment among islands fans who don’t have access to cable or can’t afford it. They are mean and stingy yet they can waste money on needless travel.
I won’t be able to watch live matches any more, so if the Rainbow Wahines are not as good next year, I won’t miss anything. So long.
Scott Wong having trouble at Pepperdine could be similar to Charlie Wade having a tough time at UOP…….their respective schools are hard to attract top level talent since both have no football program to help the volleyball program financially.
Not saying Wong would work wonders and keep up what Dave have done but I think he could do a decent job in getting better players into UH as opposed to Pepprrdine. Isn’t Wong responsble for getting Nicki and Higgins and maybe even Savannh into the ptogram?
If Wong can somehow convince Lindsey Berg to stay and find another big time recruiting assistant to his staff he could make it work.
Wong is the type of coach Matlin likes to hire……former UH coaches who went away….young….good character…..knows the culture…..and represent the state well. He is kind of like Eran Ganot and Nick Rolovich.
Lindsey has no head coaching experience. Neither has Hall. I think that would take them out of the running. But they are good assistants, and I hope Hall continues as the beach coach.
all the injuries they had from beginning to end, the team never gave up. Get well Ms
Taylor & good luck in your new career
Pepperdine is alot easier to recruit than Pacific, the campus is nice and in Malibu no comparison to stockton ,which is a dump.
Fisher is also a former UH coach albeit on the men’s side.
I like coach Wong but think he needs to take Pepperdine to the Ncaa tourney first or at least to a winning season.
This will tug at our hearts for a long time. This was a really good team – a final four worthy team but it was not to be so. Even when Nikki went down, the team played hard on every point. You made Hawai’i proud. We are so thankful for your efforts.
Our thoughts are with Nikki and her family. Thank you seniors for all your hard work and dedication. You played wonderful volleyball and we could not be more proud of you all.
i do wonder if Coach Hall will go beach coach full time when UH gets its next indoor head coach. think the indoor coach will want to bring in their own assistants?
IMO, next year’s team will have no clear outside terminator (one we can count on against top 25 competition). We’ve had Taylor, and before her Hartong, Danielson, Houston, Willoughby. When was the last time UH had no reliable terminator at the pins? 2004? Pre-Willoughby?
43. Depends on who UH hires, IMO. Key is to recruit HI and CA well, and to have established club relationships there. One key to UW’s success over the past few years is getting great CA recruits.
Hall has reeled in top beach recruits the last two years, so he’s got things going in the right direction. Hope UH finds a way to keep him regardless of the indoor situation.
Emily will shine at opposite , one of the athletic freshmen or Casey/natasha in the middle , Norene at setter , healthy kalei and Mckenna at outside , Savannab at libero.
Don’t sleep on this team! Wont be shocked one bit if they claw their way back to the elite 8 with Coach Shoji or a new coach( coach Fisher) of course if we get a good draw and avoid a top seed’s subregional.
Kind of wish we tried Emily at Opposite earlier this season in case Nikki got injured again. Oh well.
Obviously, the match would have been different with Taylor…no brainer. But, it is what it is and the girls fought hard. I feel extremely disappointed that no one will ever know how this team could have gone in the tournament.
Hearing Dave speaking after the game and him saying he will announce “something” in a couple weeks. That makes me think retirement is coming. In previous years, no announcement was going to be made because him staying is not an announcement. The fact he said he will have an announcement makes me believe this is it. All we can do now is hope and pray we don’t have a mass exodus of players transferring. We need to find a quality coach…and fast. So he/she can have a chance of trying to keep the team together.
But…you never know. A transfer will open up a spot for some blue chipper, like Lanier (wink, wink) to transfer in. I know nothing. Just a hopeful comment.
Please don’t bash me for saying we will have transfers after we lost today. I am only bringing it up because if a coach retires or leaves, NLIs become null and void and players can transfer with no sitting out penalty. And I’m calling Dave’s retirement in a couple weeks. Which opens the doors. It is what it is
#37 Ron…we really have got to meet one day…I have been saying the same thing….if Dave retires…I hope Jeff Hall would consider as well as Lindsey Berg being his right arm man (woman)….I love their demeanors…I also love Coach Tom but I know he has to return….
Great season to our Rainbow Women! Felt really bad for Nikki, but great effort on behalf of the whole team to keep fighting. I feel that Minnesota deserved to win! They are so well balanced and they play really quick. Our middles and outsides were just exposed due to their quickness and great setting..Remember, their setter won the 1st team “Setter of their Conference over All American Lauren CarlinI of Wisconsin. Minnesota has great balance! Our team with Nikki would have kept the game closer, but Minnesota just was clicking returning Granato’s and Mitchem kills.
I am and will always be a “PROUD RAINBOW WAHINE FAN!!” I love you girls!!!
Forgot about moving Emily to the outside. Still don’t see an effective left. Granato or Ross won’t cut it against the top tourney teams. Greeley is steady but not dominant; still recovering. Natasha is a tall work-in-progress. Lots for her to work on. But she can be really good in two or three years. Don’t know what they will do with Castillo, or how serious her leg issues are. I see glimpses of brilliance from her, and wonder what could have been but for her leg injury in high school. Even if you are right, the team still can’t pass well consistently. That’s been a problem for at least two years now with the current core group. Maybe the freshmen will impress, but I doubt it. They aren’t top 10 recruits like Khalia Lanier.
I think if there is no terminating pin hitter, then I hope the team is like the 2004 squad, balanced. A great setter, a pretty good libero, a good middle & pin hitters who could pass.
Passing issues with Kalei and Savannah , hopefully they will just click as seniors. granato should be subbed out for Smith.
Oh…my dream choice for new head coach is Fisher.
He has Hawaii ties
He has USA vball ties
He has good mainland (both west and east coast ties)
He will bring with him connections we will need to compete for top notch blue chippers. In my opinion…he is the man that can take this program to the next level.
Wonderful season wahines. Unfortunately, Nikki injury prevented the nation from seeing how good we were. I predicted that we would win it all.
Dan Fisher must have a heck of a time recruiting against Penn State and the rest of the Big10. At least he made it to the second round this year.
54. Recruiting at Pitt has not been great but that’s a tough school to recruit too (in the acc), however he just wins with whatever team he has he is a coach that gets the most out of his players. At Concordia 75-2 record in two years and at Pittsburgh got them in the second round and competitive with Penn State within four years, wins over Michigan and sweet sixteen teams North Carolina and Florida State this season also.
UH just released post-match press conference on YouTube. It eases the sting of the loss a little. Iosia and Mitchem both felt the team gave it their best effort, and what more could you ask for? It was an uphill battle to begin with, but the Bows showed a lot of heart. Relentless effort by all of them.
55. Thx for the info. Which Concordia was that, the one that won all those titles? I have greater respect for him now that I know his background better.
Concordia Irvine in cali.
always enjoy wahine volleyball. good luck next year
coach Fisher recruits hawaii , setter Akeo from Kam and he just signed another local girl ( i forget who) He also gets foreign players (canada and europe) top four players were underclassmen and two top hitters were just freshmen (both played very well against Penn state !!) and akeo at setter was a sophimore so things are looking up for them if he stays there.
Some more positive thoughts on a night when positivity can be challenging…per the UH recap, all 15 players suited to play for UH got in the match. Great experience for all the players, going against a top-ranked team in a hostile environment playing in the tournament. Not sure why Guinasso and Ponce weren’t suited to play, but glad they were with the team too.
Thank god that steve/laura person got banned over at volleytalk that person was a a real bad thing for our fan base. Thats a bit of positive to me at least.
ill really miss annie and Nikki:(
60. Was that the poster who kept claiming the injury was done on purpose by MN? I stopped reading that thread when that started up.
Objectively speaking:
— The longer Shoji takes to announce his retirement the less time the new coach will have to prepare for next season.
— Hall will probably be offered the position for continuity, and to assure players of their place in the new order. (It would be an economic move as well.)
Subjectively speaking: change is inevitable.
Don’t think hall will get it if Shoji retires.
By the way I really like pitts signee Kayla Lund really heavy arm maybe she follows coach Fisher (she is from california lol)
Not really much to prepare recruiting is done soo far in advance , shoji was finalizing 2018 class. And that wouldnt be done till spring/early summer plenty of time for the new coach.
, besides Shoji said he would make an announcement in a few weeks.
Hall will probably apply, but highly unlikely he will get it. No HC experience. UH admin doesn’t care about players’ place in the new order. Economic considerations are relevant. Looked up Pitt salaries and avg. women’s HC salary excepting the WBB coach is roughly $140k. So WF’s fave is within UH’s reach. Sealy, probably not.
In 2014, Sealy made $196k in total gross pay. Publicly available data:
http://ucpay.globl.org/index.php?name=michael+sealy&s=gross
Fisher is an excellent choice but other than our wishful thinking does anyone really know if he’s interested in the position.
The sand volleyball program deserves a full time head coach and Hall should absolutely be that coach.
If you are interested in tracking the tournament results vs. AQ’s, seeds, brackets, hosts, and RPI and doing a little spreadsheet ‘what if’ play, I’ve built a spreadsheet for myself that does some of that. I’ve put it up on a OneDrive Public folder. Here is the link to my 20161203_NCAA WVB_Tournament Ranking and Results spreadsheet:
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AgoVY4MJP0wagnGTEuORoQZT37gT
This spreadsheet is updated through tonites results. Note: this tracking spreadsheet comes with no assurance of accuracy and is in no way official. Do not rely on it. If you find any mistakes, please let me know; however I offer no assurance I’ll be updating it.
Sealy actually intended to turn down the high paying UCLA job to stay here in Hawaii but Shoji told him to go. Russ Rose for one said he studied Hawaii and that he would love to have a pool of homegrown volleyball players in Pennsylvania like they do in Hawaii.
My impression is that many coaches would enjoy coaching here due to the fanbase, the potential recruits, and the weather (despite the lower pay).
Hall will be interim HC anyway until a decision is made. Making him permanent would save money in more ways than one. Plus he would have references from both Charlie Wade and Dave Shoji. Furthermore, he is acquainted with all the recruits and potential recruits. Plus, he will probably be the HC for sand volleyball and can offer both to recruits.
As far as being a HC please note that Eran Ganot was never a HC before being hired here as Head Basketball coach, Norm Chow was never a HC before being hired here as Head Football coach.
This is my only “gripe” about shoji and retiring. He had been our foundation and rock and owes us (the fans) nothing.
I know he does not like the attention on him during the school year if the schools know he is retiring. However….here is my devil’s advocate regarding the situation.
Him announcing news like this so late in the game (in my consideration this is late) this holds up a possible coach being hired early enough to really manage to not just keep the girls together, but if it’s someone like Fisher who could bring some blue chippers this way if he knew early enough a late start in recruiting.
I love Dave and he can announce when he wants to retire any dang time he wants. I just wish he would allow the program more time to prepare for his loss than to scramble at the end of the year. That’s all.
What a bummer the way the season ended. What bad luck. I thought Wahine could have given Minny a run for their money. Gotta feel for Nikki. Poor thing gotta be tough.
If Shoji does announce retirement, how long do they have to get a new HC? Dan Fischer seems like a good choice. How interested would he be?
Tiff Wells tweeted that Shoji will announce by end of the week…..
https://twitter.com/tiffersHI/status/805280921469517824
GOOD MORNING HAWAII!
The loss at Minnesota is a heart-breaker, not only for Nikki, but for the Wahine, and Hawaii.
The loss was by 7 points in the first two sets. Would Nikki make up those seven or so points if she played? We will never know.
One possible coach – and I understand she is really liked by the Wahine – in Robin Ah Mow. The question is whether she likes the administrative end of coaching and whether she would come back.
As to finding and selecting a new coach, economics and familiarity with Hawaii are the most important issues . The ability to coach at the D-1 level is a given. Maverick’s revelation of the salaries that are being paid elsewhere, hit home just how hard it is for the little guy to compete with the “Big Five” in any sport. Hawaii’s coaches are all under paid across the board and there is no hope that that will change any time soon. If Fisher is interested, he would be a great get but he was not in Hawaii long enough to have that “us against the world” attitude that you develop the longer you live here. If Dave would stay 1 year the Tom P.might take it. I really Wong also.
In Set 3 with Annie getting her groove on running the slide and blocking, it made me think back to last summer and our projected lineup with her in the middle and Greeley and Granato outside. No true terminator at OH, but an All-Everthing at opposite, top flight setter and libero, and – as the tournament made clear – two middles that can neutralize any other middles in the country, including Elise Ruddins and the Tapp sisters. This will (may) be a tough swan song for Dave, but I really loved the individuals on this team and the way they played together.
38. big island vb fan … how were you able to see the Big 10 Network ? Was glad that OC Sports telecast and streamed it, since i tried the BTN and it didn’t work for me.
Good articles on the loss and Dave today. Question, it said all 16 on the travel roster played but i see 15 listed in the box and i saw Ponce and Gianna at the game but not in the box score. Is the travel roster 17 ?
I believe that the NCAA allows all players to travel, but only 16 may suit up. Ponce and Guinasso were not in uniform.
Loved seeing Claire Marie Anderson on the sidelines with mittens on! LOL. Too cold for the local girl!
Mahalo setaone. So only 15 suited up ?
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The OC telecast showed three men with headset(s) from afar and Kanoa said that is Tiff Wells broadcasting, but he didn’t say which one was Tiff.
It’s true that UH has hired HCs without prior HC experience before. IMO, WVB is a different animal. It is the only perennial post-season team at UH, a top-15 program in a sport with over 300 participating teams. This is the one program you don’t approach with a money-saving first mentality, or one that you risk with an unproven HC.
I remember what Nebraska did when Pettit was planning to retire. They hired John Cook as the HC-in-waiting after Cook turned Wisconsin into a top-10 program. Cook was the hottest young coach in the country with a proven track record. And Cook had to wait three years as the top NU assistant before Pettit retired. Nebraska wasn’t going to risk the program on someone unproven and executed a great transition plan. Although there will be no training/transition period at UH, I think UH will hire an experienced HC with Hawaii ties/understanding to preserve the program’s excellence. Sealy or Fisher.
Still feeling like it was all a bad dream:/
Maverick, I hope you are right, financially it would be the smart move.
I’m good with Sealy (and his fast offense). Mike is one of those coaches who puts quality of life before salary, and he loves it here.
UCLA’s passing and defense are a notch above Hawaii. Moreover, popularity is not a priority with him. He puts the best on the floor regardless of seniority, popularity, or local ties.
Happy 70 th birthday coach!!
Aloha to the seniors
Like all of fans I am heartbroken for the team, for us…
Praying for a rapid healing for Nikki
Happy holidays everyone ❣️
There was no “I” in team yesterday, and no quitting. The players tried so hard in the midst of concern for their teammate and her fluke painful injury. What a sinking feeling.
And yet they kept digging and diving, not sparing their own bodies. I hope they know that although the record book records numbers, not heart, those of us who watched know they truly played with heart and grit.
Safe travels home for all, and best healing wishes for Nikki.
For all of you saying that Sealy will never leave UCLA, don’t be so sure of yourselves. The last time I saw Sealy recruiting at the Las Vegas Classic he told me that the HC job at UH was his dream job….
Well said green thumb, you put into words what I was thinking but didn’t know how to express it. Very impressive how they kept fighting the whole match.
Wahine, Thank you for a wonderful season.
86. Things have changed for Sealy within the past couple of seasons, he went from missing the tournament in 2013 ( that’s when I thought he would maybe come back)
then Karsta Lowe happened and UCLA has now been a top 15 team for three seasons in a row, and now the Bruins recruiting is on a major roll. I really think Sealy is a long shot.
Now that we are at the conclusion of another season:
To Na Wahine:
Mahalo for another thrilling season. You have represented yourselves, your school, and indeed our hopes with class, passion, and dignity. Fairly or not, WVB is the premiere athletics program at UH and your dedication and hard work should be appreciated by all.
To the coaches and staff:
Mahalo for sheparding the team through another successful season. Success is NOT defined by whether or not you win a national championship, but rather by whether the individuals and team have achieved a body of work for which they are proud of.
To Cindy:
Mahalo for hosting the blog and providing a forum where fans (active, vocal, and otherwise) can share our common interest.
To the blog participants:
Mahalo for your lively and passionate discussions and insight into Na Wahine VB. For a casual fan such as myself who can only experience this at a distance, the blog provides a connection and view I wouldn’t otherwise have.
Peace to all!
I hope some of you guys stick around the blog, we might be in for a very interesting off season.
Also have the Warrior volleyball season in a month, and beach season in three months.
#89 It was so very well said – totally agree. And to our seniors, take it from an old dog, it is often from these disappointing moments where life lessons are truly learned. As disheartening and painful as this jolt was, new doors will open if you stay the course and be true to yourself. Volleyball is only a means to an end.
Special thanks to Nikki for being such a wonderful role model to our young people. With many hundreds of young girls wanting to grow up to be just like Nikki Taylor, it may likely be the biggest legacy of her great career.
travling most of the day, as is UH
No word on Taylor. Believe they have to do X-rays but may wait for swelling
yes shoji said he’d have some sort of announcement at the end of the week. he comes back on Wednesday, said whether he’l retire or not, hasn’t decided.
As for the coaching opening WHEN it happens.
have long said that it will depend on the agenda of the committee
top choices will be Sealy Wong and Fisher IMO if they apply for all the reasons many mention above.
Hall’s goal is to be the full time beach coach. the position is only part time now.
as for the longer shoji takes comment … recruiting is done for 17.
http://hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=40548
new thread up for Sunday … finally