NCAA Sweet 16 set

Big Mahalo to Robyn-Angelica persistent coaching team who did super job in building good team with techniques, cutting down self-destructing mistakes and energizing players, promoting team from C-grade start to B+ grade finish, and then taking into post-season in their first two years. Tough ask to advance in post-season without a go-to player. Even, Cal Poly after not having one of two go-to player (Torrey due to practice injury) failed to advance against bigger (6’ 2”) San Diego team. #46 Wahine finished almost the same playing standard as # 17Baylor, #19Oregon, & #23CalPoly and did better than #40 Denver, #27Florida St, #13UCF, #30 Rice, #39Arizona, #16UNI, #41 Yale, and #44 Duke in score-wise. Well done wahine! Robyn-Angelica coaching staff is steadily progressing up the learning curve. Here are few constructive points in order to move from top-30 to top-10. IMO, game strategy which is very important against top teams, was below par. That is why, not knowing to convert match point, failing stop bleeding, loosing after being 2-0 etc. Plan with BRAIN STORMING as a coaching team in making game plan as well as in real-time strategy planning (i.e. during the on-going game). Hope next season begins with focusing on missing element, OFFENCE with at least one go-to hitter with high % kill and consistency throughout season. Season beginning tournaments (which are core-stat for post-season) are not for trying out pre-season activities (such as different line-outs or measure skill level of players). Keep up good work!

What will we remember most about the 2018 version of the UH Rainbow Wahine? Will there be a mind-popping trigger?

Positive: It will not be remembered as the second edition of the 1992 Bows, which remains the only UH team not to be invited to the annual NCAA D1 Volleyball Championship tournament.

Neutral: Watch Cindy’s blog for the announcement of the 2018 D1 Regional Awards – Pacific North Region. A candidate must be awarded All-Regional status to be AA eligible. In the rally scoring era, the AVCA recognized the growing popularity of women’s volleyball by adding a Third Team to its First- and Second-Team AAs in 2002, then followed that by creating Honorable Mention in 2003. Throughout this era, at least one Wahine has been honored as an AA every year. Will 2018 be the year no Wahine receives national recognition?

Neutral: Or it might be remembered (negatively) for setting the program-low 100 RPI …. Or (positively) for moving from that program low to a Top 40 RPI depending on the success of Oregon (15th seed & runner-up to Stanford in the Pac-12), as all of UH’s other opponents failed in their quest to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

Negative: Will it be remembered as a schizophrenic team that choked one too many times? Who can forget that 1st set against UCSB: “UH led 24-20 late. But UCSB rallied and staved off 4-straight set points on 3 UH hitting errors that sandwiched a Gauchos’ service ace. After trading sideouts, UCSB scored the last 3 points to steal Set 1, 28-26,” and eventually sweep the Bows a night after the Bows celebrated its biggest win of the season.

Will it be remembered as the team of three “one-and-done transfer seniors” – all of whom for the first time in their collegiate careers were invited to the Big Dance.

Will it be remembered as a team without a terminator? Seldom (if ever) did we hear from the live media announcers, “You can deny her once, but you cannot deny her twice!” or “When in doubt, go to ____!”

Will Team Rainbows 18 be remembered at all? Or will it just fade into the Manoa night?

IMAO (In My Arrogant Opinion): When mind-pops occur regarding this team, I think it will generate the volleyball pop ups of Hawaii’s senior libero, who should be given AA Honorable Mention consideration.

Next up: Gooooooooo Sand Bows!

4.

I’m responding to your comment, “Will Team Rainbows 18 be remembered at all? Or will it just fade into the Manoa night.”

Twice I have spoken to people who misremember the Anthony Carter/Alika Smith teams as being the back-to-back squads that made the NCAAs.

Mindaugas Bureneika and Nerijus Puida draw blank stares.

7. If Cal Poly had Torrey van Winden, the team could have defeated both San Diego and USC. I don’t know if the Torreros could upset the Wisconsin badgers or if Cal Poly could have either. Torrey couldn’t play due to concussion protocol.

Along w Azusa Pacific (of the Div. II PWC), Chaminade ends up on the latest/last AVCA Poll, RV, replacing Biola–who had all along been also listed through 2018 behind APU.

FWIW

San Diego? I would say that BYU has taken the mantle of responsibility to lead the G5.