'Bows settle down after wacky start
Advertiser Staff
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After a wildly unpredictable preseason, the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine are settling nicely into what they hope is a nice, normal Western Athletic Conference volleyball season.
What a difference a dozen days makes. The 15th-ranked 'Bows were 6-4 on Sept. 22 and about to start their eighth different lineup.
Hawai'i was hitting a measly .238, as was the opposition. The statistic is a glaringly good illustration of how easily the Rainbow Wahine could have been 3-7 going into their conference season, or 7-3.
Now, heading into a seven-match-in-12-day stretch that starts Friday against Utah State, Hawai'i is 9-4. It is out-hitting WAC opposition .340 to .101. It has yet to lose a WAC game, extending its conference winning streak to 128 consecutive matches.
The Rainbow Wahine have not lost to a conference opponent at home in nearly 12 years. If it's going to happen in the next week, Utah State, Nevada and/or Boise State will have to make a dramatic breakthrough.
The Aggies, who play at Nevada tonight, have won three of their first four conference matches. They lost to the 'Bows in last year's WAC championship, then lost coach Bert Fuller, who applied for the UH assistant's job, and accepted the same position at Utah.
Amanda Nielson is averaging more than four kills and a block to lead USU. She also has 27 aces. Freshman Hailey Jeppson was last week's WAC Player of the Week and averages more than three kills. Kahuku graduate Monarisa Ale starts in the middle.
After a rough start, Nevada has also found its comfort zone in the WAC, winning its first three and beating New Mexico State in five Saturday to knock those Aggies out of the Top 25. If the Wolf Pack and the Rainbow Wahine can get past USU, they will be playing for first Sunday afternoon.
Nevada has the reigning WAC Player of the Week in junior Karly Sipherd, who had 25 kills and 13 blocks in wins over Louisiana Tech and NMSU. The Pack is also getting more than four kills a game from junior Teal Ericson.
In contrast, Boise State opened the WAC season 1-2. The Rainbows have won all 11 meetings with the Broncos, dropping just one game, but have been hurt by three-time all-WAC hitter Cameron Flunder. She is hitting .342, with 3.3 kills a game.
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