Day 3, Practice 2 … Shoji not voting on coaches poll
For the first time in over 20 years or so, Shoji is not voting on the coaches poll. He said he thought it was almost automatic since he’d been doing it for so long. Then when he reread the email he realized that there was a deadline to respond. He was a couple of days late and was told they’d found someone to replace him. He said it didn’t really bother him. That the poll means nothing. It was all about the RPI anyway.
He hadn’t seen the poll. we discussed it a little. His comment was about the usual suspects being in the top. Was surprised that San Diego wasn’t ranked, that he expected the Toreros to be a very tough team
They scrimmaged a lot this afternoon, went longer than he had planned because he forgot they started at 3 and not 3:30. He’s been going 2 1/2 hours. they went to 6 so that was 3 hours.
they had been taking minimal stats but did a little more today. He liked the passing efficiency but thought it could be better, and that none of the 3 middles were hitting negative.
Shoji said that the players need to know that there are no guaranteed starters, except pretty much for Hartong and Longo. That everyone has a chance, that no decisions had been made and they should all keep working hard to make that starting lineup. Decisions will start being made maybe later this week and next week. Said the staff was putting pressure on the players to see who could handle it. That he wanted the toughest people out there, and that means mental toughness.
He knows his son Erik has a great volleyball mind so he took a picture on his cell of the stats taken during the scrimmage and sent them to Erik for analyzing.
As for the scrimmaging, lot of combinations being used. Tuaniga continues to move well and he’s looking at Kastl (6-0) and Taylor (6-3) on the right. Long (5-11) played some right-side and might do well there against a smaller block. She hits line so well and has a nice 3-meter attack.
One drill had a full team on one side and defense on the other. They’d set one LS, then put another in. Same with the set to an MB, then they’d swap out with another. Then with the RS and also the setters. All three setters getting reps during drills and scrimmages but pretty sure Goodman will redshirt.
He continued to stress fundamentals, getting in the middle of the court to show what he wanted. One point made was how passing set everything up and he pointed out a couple of digs that had been made by certain people that led to the perfect set being made.
Think that’s about it. They have early and late practices to accommodate some school stuff tomorrow. They go at 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Thanks for the report Cindy!
Cindy, this is a message for Hot, that was meant to be posted a few blogs ago. He had problems posting and I found it the same for me. I click on to the Submit Comment, wait a couple seconds and click it again. You will get a duplicate message but your comment will be entered. Thanks too for the report Cindy.
Thanks for the updates, much appreciated.
Just a question, any idea who the new men’s assistant is?
2. Thanks Mauna. Still not happy with the blog and the lack of timely notifications that people have posted. Plus I am clearing up to 400 spam daily. Very time consuming.
3. no, haven’t seen any of the guys around to ask.
Wow, so much spam, thank you for clearing it, I really appreciate the work you do for us in reporting, your time and great insight. Mahalo. Go Wahine!
I think Mita is still a guaranteed starter although she wasn’t mentioned.
7. ^ I think she will start against Texas, but maybe not by midseason. We will see.
Croson – Sounds like Dave is about to become a flip flopper like Ben Jay.
Thanks mauna! I did get the duplicate error every time. But when I refreshed, still no comment. I thought it was only me, since there was that one post where I wanted to reply but couldn’t while Steve/Laura seemed to have no problem posting.
When I post I get the old spinning wheel thing as if it can’t connect , if I abort too early my post won’t go through,if I just let it spin for a minute then come back here my post is posted.
On other SA blogs I don’t have this problem my post go through immediately.
Cindy,
Massive amounts of spam is a backhanded compliment. It your big wasn’t popular, the spammers wouldn’t be here.
On the other hand, I hate spam but you are doing an excellent job of clearing it. Good luck on game days as its going to be difficult.
I like it that Shoji said all positions are open except for Hartong and Longo. All the others can improvr their game and he’s just letting them know now.
We all have our favorites and strongly feel they should start or play more. To me, as long as we win, mission accomplished. Can’t wait to see Texas???
Can’t wait for the texas match, hope the girls have their serve and pass game on point. That’s what it takes to beat a team of Destine Hookers , serve tough and pass nails and dig dig dig all their rockets until they frustrate! go wahine!!
I really like the Wahine chances against Texas with 10 top ten Senior Aces including 2 #1s. No bachi-ing but in sports some teams have the other’s number no matter what the odds are. I believe the Wahine has it over Texas.
Did Texas not beat Hawai’i in there most recent match-up?
In any case… New players. Don’t think the past has anything to do with the present.
I believe Hawaii is 10-2 overall against Texas if the media guide is correct and UH has beaten some tall Texas teams in the past so I think Shoji knows how to beat Texas.
haha Shoji showing his age … forgetting the deadline for the voting, forgetting the start time for practice. lol j/k
i’ve noticed the issue as well that a “post” looks like it’s taking a long time to post. for me, it’s always gone through though, even when it’s taken a long time.
17. Yes, UH lost to Texas in their last meeting a couple of years ago at the SSC and also in the 1988 NCAA title game.
18. No,don’t think it was old age. The practice originally set for 330. They changed it at the last moment.
Then the scrimmaging was going so well, time just got away.
14. Mauna it is going to be a big task for Hawaii to beat Texas. Don’t see them matching up that well with the Longhorns who return basically everyone from last year and can put up a wall that averages 6-3. Although they just announced that 6-3 JR OH Tiffany Baker, transfer from Tennessee, is redshirting after knee surgery following an injury in spring ball
Texas’ tournament in early Sept. will be a doozy. They host Penn State, Stanford and Florida.
10. LC, i share your frustrations. I dont get notifications that people have posted for sometimes 24-36 hours after so sometimes it is me not checking the spam filter and having to approve the comments that causes delays.
What you folks see as ‘pending’ is not what I see as moderator. I have a different menu. And, as said before, i average 400 ‘spam’ a day to clear out.
Cindy, I’m very well aware that it’s going to take a gigantic task with everything lucky falling in the Wahine’s way for them to win. A very few people, the coaches and the Wahine are probably the only ones with a positive W in their minds. The point I’m getting to is that in the sports scene there are teams on the opposite side of the national rankings, power ratings and whatever poll and numbers, but when they match up and play, somehow it almost comes a tossup who the winner will be. My point is Maybe, just Maybe the Wahine has Texas’s number in this sense. Just stirring the pot of wishful thoughts. Baker and highly touted recruit Dalton are redshirting.
23. Agree with you. It’s why they play the game. Hawaii has to play extremely well to complete the upset. Texas will not be intimidated by a big stage, TV, etc.
Thanks for agreeing with me Cindy. One thing the Wahine has that no other team has is Dave Shoji. He is the greatest active volleyball mind in game time situations and also putting what he players he has on hand to the best position and getting the most out of their abilities. It will never happen, but if he had his share of the top Senior Aces of which the BCS schools always sign up year after year, his teams would be in the Final Four every year.
Hawaii has an outside shot, IMO, of upsetting an incredible Texas team. Hopefully, the Wahine can take advantage of this being the first game of the season for the Longhorns, and the their adjusting to the absence of graduated primary passer and leader, ShaDare McNeal.
26. For sure McNeal a big loss. And, as we know, it’s all about serve and pass. UH has quickness but will need passes to be on the money for the options to be there to run the offense.
6 & 8. LC, agree with you that Uiato will start.
Regarding ‘flip flop’ which seems to be a negative from you (correct me if I’m wrong, please)
IMHO, Jay made a decision to get one nickname. but didn’t understand how much opposition there would be to dropping Rainbows. Guess you can say flip flop but i see it as someone who was not too stubborn as to alienate the part of the community which was very attached to Rainbows.
As for Croson, Shoji wanted her to have some consequences for what went on during spring. Not releasing her is one of those. Not like it hasn’t happened with other players. Fonoimoana a prime example. Haley wanted consequences for her not attending class. The difference between the two is Croson is academically eligible to play immediately, Fonoimoana wasn’t when she left USC.
Again, you can say flip flop but I see it as some softening with some time passing to rethink things. And that includes what is in the best interests of Croson. As Ferd wrote, Croson may be doing some of the things at Arizona that UH asked of her but she didn’t do here.
If I’m 20 and embarrassed about how public my situation went, I might have balked at being told I had to meet some criteria, and just didn’t do it because of pride … and embarrassment. Sometimes you dig yourself in so deep, you don’t think there is a big enough shovel. So you just do nothing.
I honestly believe Shoji wanted some sort of consequences for Croson and, if she is doing things at Arizona to show she is moving in the right direction, that might be enough for him to change his mind about the release.
And one way to look at it. Volleyball has defined Croson for so long. To not be able to play this season, just practice could be enough to keep her mired in a negative situation where she never changes. A year is nothing for those of us at our age. It is eternity for someone her age.
Someone had posted about why not redshirt Higgins and use Goodman as a backup
to me, if you think Higgins is your future then you get her real experience now, even if it’s as a backup.
Besides, they may use a 6-2 at times this year so whoever is the backup gets even more in-game experience.
28. The few games that I’ve seen Higgins play in high school, she was consistently setting the middle, even with not so great passes, which bodes well for UH. With the absence of Croson, we only have one ‘go to’ hitter in Hartong, and will need to get the middles more involved than last year. I think she could do this for the Wahine. She has a great serve too, which we’ll need during the season.
From what I’ve seen of Higgings… very nice hands, quick release, can make that cross court set.. Her one issue (from the brief time I saw her) was backsets to the right side. but the passes could have been a little off.
And her hitters are definitely taller across the board than when in high school.
If they decide to use the occasional 6-2, her serving will be an asset.
Cindy — I think that’s a very valid take (post #27) above, regarding the “flip flop” issue on release (or not releasing) Croson. If Shoji is re-thinking giving the release, it sounds like it may have more to do with Shoji considering what’s in the best interests of the student-athlete. It’s not a clear, black-and-white issue. There are certainly shades of gray, and also a lot about the behind-the-scenes that the public doesn’t know about.
AVCA says Hawaii never submitted info for their 2013 team previews.
I have often wondered if the voters use these previews to guide them in how they vote.Not every coach knows what changes took place between seasons.
32. may have been in the same email asking Shoji if he was voting on the poll. He missed the deadline for answering. Don’t know if the SID received the request. But doubt if a preview would have made much difference to the coaches who are voting.
Dave is DEFINITELY retiring after 2014.
I can’t believe, but yes I can..
Why do people in the media, Cindy, you know them, hah?, how peoples tend to use their ‘sharp’ wheeled talents./w/matters.
Lewis often da stirrateous
Reardon, Tsai. STIRRATEOUS