For those who missed Ann's article 1-22
Hawaii will open coach Dave Shoji’s 40th season Aug. 29. Arizona State, San Diego State — coached by former Wahine All-American Deitre Collins — and Ohio University are in the year’s first tournament at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The following weekend, 2012 NCAA runner-up Oregon will be here with New Mexico and St. John’s.
UCLA and former Western Athletic Conference opponent Utah State return the third weekend, with San Francisco.
Pepperdine comes in for two matches the following week, before Hawaii begins Big West Conference play.
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Can’t say I’m thrilled about this schedule Doesn’t look like it will help rpi like last season and if Pepp and UCLA have seasons like last season yikes ( which is possible with what they are returning and new coach for Pepp)
Disappointed with no big name other than UCLA.
We lost a lot of good players and Shoji has mentioned several times that new additions are very raw.
Keep your expectations in check for 2014 and lets see how it all shakes out.
Good schedule considering what the 2014 roster will look like.I don’t have high expectations for 2014 anyway.
A little bit of a letdown RPI wise for the 2014 team, I know its a rebuilding year but many are already selling this team short. I feel Kalei Greeley will fit in nicely with Higgins and they will certainly add/build depth with Maglio and Passi. I say this upcoming season will be exciting.
Also heard on VT that Kendra Keolsch may have switched to the indoor program instead of sand….is this true? She may be a great rs player for Hawaii as she showed in club and high school.
I certainly expect them to be in contention to host again but this schedule won’t help much.
I’d be happy with Koelsch playing indoors and beach.
She is more of a setter though, would push Higgins for the starting spot.
They can control what they can control, and that means scheduling teams who are willing to come out here.
Don’t think anyone can predict how the other teams will do in their respective conference yet. 2 Pac-12 teams help the RPI because of the perceived strength of that conference.
4. Don’t know about Koelisch’s plans.
What happend to them making the trek out to Lincoln for the AVCA Showcase?!
Stanford, Nebraska, Florida State and Hawai’i..I thought they were all in it to win it.
😉
This wasn’t that the tourney which Shoji was supposedly hinting at midway through last season, eh??
*We’re going to be including a GRAND bunch put together, next season, it was said.
**It’s going to be unlike anything we’ve been a part of in some time, it was intimated.
What’s up?? ..sooo mid-major already
It would be nice to have BYU return to O’ahu before this year is over. Whether it be during the spring or before the season’s end in December, BYU should plan on making it out to Laie for a match too boot. Won’t BYUH be pretty good again next season?!
Hah?
They wren’t invited to the AVCA Showcase. end of story.
Don’t believe that was the tourney Shoji was hinting at. There was another proposal which didn’t materialize.
Yes, BYUH will be very good next season.
9. Pepp will be ranked (along with BYU outta the WCC, only). I could also see Long Beach state *POSSIBLY*.
I think the better decision on Brigham YOUNGS would be to have a mini-tourney out in Laie.
*UH, “traveling”, included
The Seasiders have played the Cougs in Provo within the last couple of years. The Cougs could return the favor; Mona was/is a fierce competitor yet approachable. She was one to be quite Taeatafa reminicsent back in the day ..who wasn’t as approachable.
10. that would be up to BYU to make that decision. There are limited on playing dates.
Anyone know if there will be any transfers in or out next season?
Set the order–win the conference first…the BWC is making strong in roads.
This is not a Wahine team capable of winning the RPI lottery. JMO.
At present the wahine have major pukas to fill and have more questions than answers.
This team has little star power to light up the Stanley but it does possesses some potential moon glow.
We could be looking at a rebuilding year (that would explain Coach Dave’s schedule) without a conference title and no NCAA invite or we could be looking at a ‘No Name’ team with good all around balance capable of getting the job done…Coach Dave & Staff will be challenged for sure and will have their work cut out for themselves.
^
I have them tying with Long Beach (in BW) this next 2014. Ea. I’m suspecting will have two losses apiece.
& My Sistah’s @SDSU:
OHs–
6.3 Sr Michelle Waber (#81 Senior Ace)
6.2 So Alexis Cage (WA, $C, L.A., PSU recruit)
Setters–
5.11 Sr Chloe Mathis (VBM Fab50-Senior Ace)
5.9 Fr Courtney Eckenrode (TX’s GPOY, 5A State Title M.V.P.)
Libero–
5.7 4th Yr. Jr Christie Ring (TRUE NoCal All-star)
Middles–
6.3 Jr Kaja Sandberg (MB1)
6.4 So Cassie O-Hara (UH’s comparable=’14 Maglio)
Sub.–
RS 6.0 So Baylee Little (AVCA HS Honoree)
..at thee end of 2013, SDSU beat then #9 Colorado St.
…and being their no.1 rival–ALL time–UH will lose to L.A.
Do hope that the next 7 months aren’t spent debating the RPI.
As for rebuilding, wouldn’t call it that., UH does return 4 starters in Vorster, Adolpho, Taylor and Manu-Olevao. plus Mendoza, who likely moves to libero. Setter Higgins had quality playing time. See it more as filling in some pukas and rearranging positions since you basically have to replace only one OH. (Hartong). A big loss but still a lot coming back.
Any truth to the matter of Tai Manu-Olevao going on an LDS mission this coming year? Was thinking on the rumor of Kendra Kolesch playing indoors which prompted her change from sand. With only Taylor, Passi, Greeley, Long and possibly Megan Huff on the outsides UH is going to be short handed and inexperienced in that position with only Taylor the only one with quality D1 experience.
Have heard nothing about a mission.
16.
Schollie-less Mendoza CAN’T move into the libero position.. Her parents haven’t been long-time Wahine boosters to ensure it happening, otherwise. 😉
“..with quality D1 experience”^ It would/could.should be said about Higgins also. Was there a remedy?
Cindy, thank you for your comment. Notwithstanding your designation of “returning starters” Im having problems with equating that phrase to Conference champs.
Njkki Taylor has the potential for Star power and has shown the ability to remain in the rotation. She has passing and back row skills. Higgins already shows a great serve and reeks with quality. Mendoza is no Ali Longo but she played well down the stretch. The other three starters you cited have had 2-3 years to strut their stuff. I still have question marks.
BYU went through their blocks. Keani Passi is a dark horse and if we have learned one thing from last year’s national landscape–hitters need not be the 6’2′ prototype to be effective. If she can pound and hit smart, we have something. As for the recruits in the front row, two maybe projects and the other may contribute immediately. Still, there remains more questions than answers and “returning starters” does not settle the issue.
19. I don’t know why you think that. what do her parents and boosters have to do with this? And what’s not to say she won’t have a scholarship in fall
20 didn’t say that the number of returnees equal conference championship. just saying it’s not the ‘rebuilding year’ that some seem to think it is. Shoji has said that as well when people have bemoaned the loss of the large senior class.
Hawaii probably will stil be the favorite to win the Big West next year. UCSB and especially Northridge graduated a lot this year.
19. I did say that about Higgins.
Cindy,
#19..really can’t type to save its life!
It should read, I’m told:
“..with quality D1 experience.”^ It would/could/should be said about Higgins, also?? Was there (to be had) a remedy?
You seemingly like Higgins and her chances, I hope that you’re right in placing your warm approval there.
I’ll also say that this last graduating group was to have collectively been the Top 10 Prepvolleyball.com’s recruitment class as they came in..I guess it goes to show how much that J-Tawa(?) guy truly knows about the sport, I’m saying.
21.
Since it’s been sooo VERY long ago, it can’t affect any’s ego (I’d think) in presentation.
Yet I’ll go with exhibit ‘A’ as evidence:
4’11” Wendy Park
Should anyone under 5ft. be playing the sport of VB??
Congratulations to the wahine in three fall sports named to the big west all academic team. Checked the list on the Big West site, for VB 40 scholars 8 from UH – thats 20% UC Davis had 9 scholats everyone else less. Congratulatios again wahine.
15. Wow, you need to quit about LBSU. You hyped them last season to no avail. They may or may not be a major presence in the Big West this coming season. Likely not.
Why can’t Mendoza be libero? Only Kawamura’s parents could possibly be booster members longer than Mendoza’s. Ponce came the same season as Mendoza and the new scholarship DS has parents who are not yet boosters. Your post, as always, does not make sense.
Kudos to all your knowledge regarding other teams’ players and their individual achievements. I just wish there were less posts like that. End of rant.
I’ve got a LITTLE bit of time currently.
LBSU went “injured” beginning with against KY in one of the preseason tourneys. I guess some wouldn’t care less about hyping the BW all together. I’d think that they have visionary difficulty with the cart being before the horse, eh? Long Beach, as far as UH is concerned anymore, NEEDS to be a “power” themselves as both could use each other in boosting their respective standing(s).
Anyway. Joy Miley will be ‘forced’ to play MB2 as Hampton is no longer on the team. I have that other 2013 Hawai’i recruit playing OH for them in 2014 as well.
The cautionary talk in Seattle revolves around two players who are looking to ‘return’ home to moms& dads. 😉
I stand by my assertion that Pepp will be ranked.
What does being a booster member have anything to do with someone being a schollie or not? Or even being a libero
28. I’m sorry but your post never makes sense to me. It’s all rambling with no sentence structure or even coherency.
I agree with Brandon
25. Never said I like Higgins or her chances. Just saying she has some experience so this isn’t quite the ‘rebuilding’ year some have made it out to be. Stauber wouldn’t have transferred if she thought she would be the No. 2 setter this past year and not Higgins.
29. did anyone disagree with you that Pepperdine wouldn’t be ranked?
32. Agree as well.
26. As for Wendi Park, 1992-94 was a long time ago and the game has changed quite a bit. Not a lot of 4-11 players in DI then or now. She was a good DS and could play the game, regardless of her height … or lack of it. Not sure of your point.
I don’t consider this a rebuilding year at all. While mita was good, they have higgins (who almost beat her this past year). Longo will be tough to replace but I think kahakai or Mendoza can do it. Now emily will be extremely difficult to replace. She was a leader and one of the best wahine to play the game (IMO). But Nikki will ease into the transition of being a leader. I’m also really excited about Greeley. She seems like a very very good player who will start immediately.
The schedule reflects the present level of this roster in terms of experience and development. It’s a mixture of a few tough challenges and some easier ones. You don’t want to give them more than they can handle.
Incoming class is raw and you have heard this from Dave several times. Raw means they need development , some will acomplish that quicker than others and some will take longer.
It’s not really a total rebuilding year because there are returning starters so lets call it a semi- rebuilding year.
RPI is something that you can’t predict,it’s a crap shoot.
Chill out and take the season one match at a time.
I’m really looking foward to oregon. I love watching them play and they are a good team. This isn’t that bad for rpi either. Three pac 12, plus Pepperdine and San Diego state are good teams.
35. I agree with Brandon here. Tayler and Nikki will step it up and lead the team, but also Jade and Kalei A. Kalei Greeley went thru the same scenario that Emily Hartong did, transitioning from middle to outside. Her high school coach foresaw that her future in D1 was as an outside hitter. Saying that about the two Kaleis, wonder how the OC16 announcers are going to ID the two girls apart. On Savannah Kahakai, I don’t think that Dave Shoji gives out scholarships to a girl out of high school to play backrow for no reason.
Agree w/ 35… as i mentioned in the last post/last page, i agree that the teams coming in are “decent” also agree w/ Cindy that yes Hartong would be tough to replace, but hardly re-building… certainly re-loading…
Does anyone know if Dave is saving 2 schollies for castillo and granato for 2015? Considering he doesn’t gain any come 2015 with Adolpho and Mendoza not being on scholorship
You can split hairs anyway you choose w words, but when you replace your setter, go-to-OH and libero that is rebuilding your base strength. The same is true in football if you lose your center, QB and top running back. There are 6-starters and we are replacing 50% of them.
Our middles are above mediocre but less than dominating. Everyone else returning are limited role players, players seeking to raise their level of play, redshirts and recruits– of which one or two potentially have ability to have immediate impact. It will be a new team with a different personality w the exception of our middles. We should know what to anticipate or not expect from Jade and Kalei. Again, this is were Coach & Staff make a difference. A BWC title would be nothing short of spectacular.
ok, i’ll say it … it’s gets crazy weird on here during the wahine off-season … lol 😉
Just trrowing it out there maybe Dave still wants to keep his lead on wins over Russ Rose , hence the schedule….just c4ossed my mind…lol
Brandon, I think that poster was maliciously implying that booster members/parents have influence in whom Shoji starts. While I believe that Shoji has a tendency to stick with his favorites (Tara Hittle for example), the booster member stuff makes no sense. Are they paying Shoji’s salary? Do they figure in Shoji’s contract? So much nonsense from that poster.
42. it’s crazy weird all the time IMHO. 😉
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