Friday's only practice
As mentioned, the team had one practice today (8-23). They had a team outing to the beach and lunch. The also had a potluck dinner at the Shojis following practice. Not sure how the aforementioned brownies turned out. My understanding it was a Goodman family favorite made with brownie mix, Oreo cookies and chocolate cookie dough.
Back to practice. Team continues to run mini scrimmages with different lineups used. Very spirited long rallies with great defense.
Some other observations
Kawamura continues to impressive, with her serve and solid passing.
Kastl shows continued improvement at LS and from the 3-meter. maybe needs a little more work on consistency in the passing department
Manu-Olevao looks good both at LS and RS, offense and blocking
Vorster working on her quick set connection, put down some nice balls
Tuaniga also continues to impress with her quickness, not just on her plays but on the misdirection on the slide that’s going to take the opposition out to the right with her. They’re going to have to honor all of UH’s middles this season, which is a weapon in itself and will take pressure off having to set the left side, or being a bit predictable in doing it.
Hartong bombing away with authority from all parts of the court, RS, LS, BR. Her serve is even better than last year.
Goodman also looking good on the RS. Shoji will have lots of options and do a lot of ‘situational’ subs. Taylor also hitting well from the right, puts up a big block
Adolpho also moving well in the middle, footwork greatly improved.
Biggest accomplishment? Finding all 106 practice balls on the first try. Usually there is one that got away under the bleachers. Friday there were 3 missing.
Official scrimmage this afternoon. Hoping to do some live blogging. Laterz.
Thanks for the up-date. The scrimmage should be revealing as to who has stepped up since last year.
With everyone improving or improved, makings of an even better team than the last season. Reason to be optimistic for high level play and closing matches early, a bit too many cardiac matches last season.
I think shutting out the public for this scrimmage is appalling when twitter is a buzz this morning with virtually every program in the country including the BIG West teams inviting and encouraging the public to come out.
We have the best fans in the world #1 in attendance every year yet UH treats them like second class citizens.
Get some back bone today Cindy and tell Shoji what I said.Ask him if he even has a clue as to what the rest of the country does.
To #3 (LC) – As a fan you show your support during the games and yes if the team plays poorly support suffers (especially in Hawaii). If Shoji feels having fans at his practice/scrimmage will be distracting and negatively affect his team then it is his choice to close the scrimmage. The bottom line is winning the game not entertaining fans during a scrimmage.
Hawaii Volleyball to volleyball programs is like a top 10 football program. Do you think Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon open footnall practices to the public? The answer if you did not know is NO!
Cindy, thank you for the updates. One question, you have seen Tuaniga, for 4 years now, how does her shins look to you?
Thank you Cindy for all you do!
LC……please. In your own insulting way, you are asking Cindy to ask the most winningest active coach in the country if he has a clue?
Do YOU have a clue?
Second class citizens is a pretty harsh accusation. Coach’s prerogative. If he wants a closed practice, it is his call. After all he has done for UH, I think he has earned that right.
Now go take your happy pill and have an awesome Saturday.
THANKS FOR ALL THE UPDATES CINDY!
Do you think we have enough firepower this year?
I remember when croson was suspended only hartong really put balls away.
Beside hartong who do you think will be a terminator?
Cindy, is Shoji planning to play his first starting squad as of today against the rest of the team, or mixing it up? Wondering of course if he decided who he would start at next weeks first match.
lc – second class citizens? because the scrimmage is for boosters? … that’s a little much. hawaii matches are at a great arena, with giveaways, shirt cannons, contests between sets 2 & 3 … and corporate sponsors! there’s almost always a band and cheerleaders at the games. matches are televised live, with constant replays during the season. there’s been live streaming for a few years now, and last year, the streaming was offered free. how many programs can boast just one or two of those things, let alone all of those things?
can the athletic dept do a better job of integrating fans and keeping fans informed? sure! all programs need to step it up in one form or another. but second class citizens? far from it.
Another apologist,UH treats the fans base like second class citizens
NEXT. So how about the weather?
LC At least you are not second class. Thats because you have no class.
Pot calling the kettle black Ron ?
LC – You want to watch scrimmages or win matches? If Shoji believes having the public at his scrimmages and practices is going to distract the team, then that’s his choice. The team needs to win matches not provide entertainment for people who have no life and need something to do.
Geez, don’t think anyone is apologizing or siding in this situation. It is more so, like, it is what it is. At the end the day, it doesn’t hurt the program as evidenced by the amount of first class fans we have, and proud they are, as evidenced by their continued support of the program, especially noted at the senior game. Don’t you think we have the best program and fan base in the country? Don’t you think this year’s team maybe one of the best and may reach the final four? So, isn’t it better to stay focused on the positive? Just saying….
LC — the history of my posts (both on this blog and on VT) say otherwise. i’m certainly no apologist. i’ve been supportive and also critical of things, where i see fit. on this point, we simply disagree.
you continue to say ur treated like a second class citizen, yet you’ve not disputed anything i’ve said. that in itself says more than you’re simply repeating the same line over and over again.
Texas will not be lacking for offense, that’s for sure. their key will be passing. it looks like they’re trying a number of combinations at outside hitter, like having bailey and eckerman play OH opposite each other. bailey is not a passer, and eckerman was only a part-time passer last year. in the post-season, eckerman was frequently subbed out for a DS. the texas thread on VT seems to suggest that ecerkman may have made some strides in her passing.
the thread also says texas has toyed with the idea of a 2-person serve receive, with palmer and eckerman.
texas it seems has also experimented with moving their dominant middle, kat bell, to one of the outside hitter spots, and moving eckerman to be a passing opposite.
i don’t know if hawaii can match texas’ offense, but if hawaii can win the serve/receive battle, that will be the key.
Am I missing something here? Is there another women college volleyball program that televises their home matches (and during the three preseason tournaments, televise also the first match) on a regular viewing station, such as OC16. It’s a long three month season and a lot of time to see the Wahine live.
Someone likes being a little drama queen anyway….
Hoping one of you kind boosters or Cindy will give updates about the scrimmage.
11. Tako, I agree with you concerning the best fan base in the country, but I disagree with concerning the best program. The Wahines have not won a National Championship, since 1987. This year’s team could be one of the best, and they could reach the Final Four, but a lot of things have to full in place first for that to happen. Mainly, hosting the 1st and 2nd round to stay away from playing on Sunday.
Thanks again for your reporting and glimpses into players and coaches off court selves. Know they are players but always suspect they are fun young women, too. And ohana. Can hardly wait for Texas test and match against last year’s best team. Find out where we stand right off the opening whistle I’d say. Go Wahine!
Texas is good but beatable.I stand by my pledge,$1000 to the program for a win even though I was told to get loss when I asked if I could attend the scrimmage.
Just join the damn booster club already and shut it.
1ST SET:
Tai LS; Goodman RS
2ND SET:
Ashley LS; Tai RS
3RD SET:
Who knows??
How can he squelch the momentum that Olevao’s got going?
Seriously, did anyone expect Tai to start at LS on any of the given A2 teams this past summer?!
She’s improved and still go further.
Texas is yet too tough. Texas won’t allow their winning streak to end just yet.
They’re the reigning champs for goodness sakes.
They too however won’t go undefeated in the Big12.
Da Beach Da Beach Da Long Beach has it in them to at least tie for the BW title this year.
MBs on LBS and UH will be where the battles are won this 2013.
The middles on LBSU WILL shut Hartong down. the way Gil did @ UW last Christmas.
She’s 1st team, but would NOT have made 1st team back in the day.
Today they take what would’ve been 1st and 2nd teams and call all 14 players as part of the elite first-teamers. She’s still about a #9 on the 1st team All-Am. list, sorry.
Cindy,
SHOULD TK start, will she be likely All-Am. this year?
p&g — your failing to take into account that there were fewer D1 programs back in the day as well, which is why the AA lists were shorter. The number of players named on the AA lists have expanded, and so have the number of D1 teams from which players are chosen.
who’s to say if lbsu’s hampton/okpala can shut down hartong. i wouldn’t rate those middles on the same level as gil/wade from uw. wopat/ajanaku from stanford is also a considerably better middle duo than lbsu’s middles, and they couldn’t shut down hartong.
hartong had croson to draw some of the attention of the defense away last year. but even when croson was out for a month, hartong was getting kills with impugnity. it remains to be seen whether hawaii will have enough offensive threats at the other hitting positions, to take the pressure off hartong.
Cecelia Goods – U.S. National Team Member / ‘German’ Professional (1998-2000); 1997 WAC Player of the Year; Wahine “Top Five” middle-blocking efficiency hitter [.300+ ea. (btwn 1993-’97)]; 1st Hawai’i Div.I–Outter Island, Mauian–athlete to excel through the NCAA.
Brittany Hewitt – 2010 AVCA 2nd Team All American / CVU.com Blocker of the Year [USA’s uniquely Idahoan *Boise, Ada Co.* Div.I, team-sported, female All-Am….PNW’s–Inland Empire–exceptionally non Prepvolleyball.com’s “SeniorAce” athlete to be recognized as All-Am.]; a NCAA, 21st Century, rally scoring record’s hitter @.917 (w/11 kills of 12 attempts).
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Yeah.
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Yeah, yeah!
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see new thread on scrimmage. will address the other issues later.
LC, as pointed out before. other teams are tring to get people to come who don’t normally come
This is a Booster Club perk
However, I will ask Shoji
27. If TK has the numbers worthy of AA, she will be considered.
Cindy, plez don’t ask Shoji about opening his scrimmage to the public. Let’s let him do what he wants to do as he knows what he is doing and we shouldn’t let people like LC dictate to a coach what to do and not to do as far as his scrimmages (opening his scrimmages to the public) are concerned. He has enough problems without some second class blog like LC making idiotic comments…Let’s respect Shoji for his prowess as a coach.
31. I did ask Shoji out of curiosity. he is not ‘clueless’ as some have suggested. He said seeing what Nebraska did … again they are making the big push because of their new facility … that he’d take a look at it. It’s not that the public is ‘shut out’. Have heard no ‘uproar’ about being not being allowed to attend from fans who don’t belong to the booster club.
Mentioned this elsewhere that I was unaware that the scrimmage was initiated and established by the Booster Club years ago. It isn’t run by the athletic department. It was the Booster Club that approached Shoji about having it, putting on something that also allowed the Booster Club to introduce themselves to the team with their first official potluck.
That being said, the explosion of social media has allowed others outside the environs such as read what other programs are NOW doing to get more fans to attend something like a scrimmage. It would be interesting to find out how many programs actually have an ‘official’ scrimmage, one they might want to have people watch.
That things such as twitter make it easier to reach a fan base, or potential fan base, is great for the sport. But these are programs begging for people to come. Just because someone tweets their excitement doesn’t mean it’s reciprocated.