VB practice 8-26: starting lineup, injury update
Another early morning practice, went to 830 since there was no lifting. They go to afternoon tomorrow, as is the game-week routine.
Wait for it
Setters are progressing, added a few plays. First time I’ve seen Maglio hit the slide.
Manu-Olevao had some bombs of lineshots from the left. Long also, particularly on the right.
Wait for it.
There were several lineups used, including the tall one that had the 3 freshmen in the front row on the ‘second team.’ Greeley left, Maglio middle, Huff right. Huff and Greeley also switched positions for some plays.
Wait for it.
Injury update: Taylor still only cleared to rehab. They are hoping for her to be cleared to practice by next week.
Adolpho held out of practice to rest her ankle. It’s not serious but with three matches this weekend, they wanted to give her an extra day to recoup. She was at practice, wearing fuchsia KT on her right lower leg. Said she was fine when I asked.
That being said, if it doesn’t look like she can go or she seems that she’s struggling, they will not hesitate to put in Maglio.
Thank you for waiting.
As of today, the tentative starting lineup is S Higgins, MB Adolpho and Magill; RS Passi. LS Manu-Olevao and Long. L Kahakai. Mendoza DS, first sub. Could change over the next two days. Who really knows.
Except for Magill a completely Hawaii-raised starting lineup, the first I can remember there being going back to the 70s. There have been instances when there were six ‘local’ players on the court at the same time but I don’t recall six in the starting lineup.
thanks for the update.
I’m sure there will be a bunch of tweaks in the lineup. should be interesting.
Wait for it.
Thanks Cindy for the updates! Interesting starting lineup. No matter who starts since it looks like many will have playing time this weekend.
Go get em Wahine!
Not that confident if Long and Olevao are both starting at LS. Honestly I still think Greeley will start one of the positions opening game.
This tentative starting lineup, for the Wahine, should not be much of a problem for them height wise against Ohio, especially on the Outside Position. Ohio’s outside hitters go from a height of 5’8 to 6’1. Very comparable to the Wahine starting Outside Hitters. In fact, there really will not be any height difference between both teams starting unit. Where the Wahine have the advantage, is the height they have coming off the bench. This match could come done to who does a better job of blocking and playing the back row. Oh forgot to mention, even though Ohio has quite a few players back from last year, they do have a New Head Coach.
3. uhfan, when Greeley does see the court, she will have quite a height advantage going for her. Ohio does not have an Outside Hitter who can match up with her height wise. She can easily go over any Outside Hitter they have.
3. As I said, this was as of today. things could change. Greeley will see the court this weekend. just not sure when
The starting lineup is Shoji logical to me, I didn’t expect anything different. We all expect an improvement from Olevao’s performance last year, and Long will have an opportunity to show under the spotlight what she can do to elevate the fan’s confidence in her. Greeley will have her chance if Long’s performance is below Shoji’s par. Of course this starting spot may swap with Long and Greeley before the first whistle Friday.
From the latest report on Nikki, it looks like she’ll miss the second weekend of tournament play. It will take a bunch of reps to get into game shape.
I am thinking, if Nikki Taylor is NOT cleared to practice by next week, that would mean she will miss all of the pre-conference matches. My biggest fear is that her elbow injury is a lot more serious then we are led to believe it is. If she is not cleared to practice when the Conference season rolls around, Dave needs to really think about redshirting her. Why waste a year due to an injury.
Wait for it
On a lighter note…..a preseason hype posted on Hawaii Athletics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGismY17C_w
got dizzy looking at this, too fast for an old geezer like me, lol!
hmm sorry about that, you’ll have to go to the Hawaii Athletics Women Volleyball site to see this video posted.
small lineup with the marginal improved….
wait for it.
8. Give it a rest, you have said the same thing now at least 5- 6 times, why must you repeat yourself constantly????
Hope Olevao and Long’s passing have improved. If not… YIKES.
Greeley is the best freshman since Daniels. She will be a major factor moving forward. At this point, Kahakai is not as good as Mendoza, she is very athletic but she is not as volleyball smart as Mendoza. The freshman setter and the freshman middle are great recruits, Huff needs work but is a natural athlete. wait for it This will be a top 10 team by the end of the year and a top 4 team next year!
14. There’s a reason she is the highest ranked recruit for the wahine since Kanani. Hope Shoji shows confidence in her early and starts her.
14. Hey Ron, I completely agree with you on Kalei Greeley. I guess Shoji is doing his thing easing her into top level D1 play, wants to start her on a positive note, and not putting too much pressure on her as being a starter. She definitely has all the skills from what I saw at the scrimmage and, making a bold prediction, she will be an AVCA All-American by the time she’s a senior, if not earlier. Me being dramatic, she has that presence on the court that gets your attention.
16. agree. Greeley will be a star. the only thing that held her back in double-days was the rolled ankle and sore shoulder.
Has an approach that will remind many of Kahumoku. Long, loping and powerful. She hit well from both sides this morning, passes well. really solid all-around game and IMHO six-rotation player.
15. small stuffs…..Senior Aces…… Greeley was #35 for 2013, in 2012 Tayler Higgins was #19 and Nikki was #27 (? close enough). just for info.
13. Believe you will see that they have improved. The time on the sand really helped Long’s game.
I’ve been in all sandbows home games last spring and I must agree it really helps Long to improve her game indoor.
17. Hey Cindy that was me. Greeley has that twirl when she cocks her armswing that reminded me of Lily.
Wow, Kahakai at L.
Stephanie Hagin, Michelle Waber and Jane Croson onto 3rd colleges. Why can Hagin play at Idaho but Waber is at Cal Baptist. I don’t really understand transfer rules.
#waitforit. genius!
I foresee this to be a theme this season for the wahine. With the minor injury setbacks and new players joining the mix, I will patiently WAIT for the time injuries heal, individual players start to blossom, the team starts to gel, and then galvanize their way to a grand finish by the end of the season. Waiting for it, I will, and it will be oh so worth it.
#WAITFORIT – consider it coined.
23. Croson is not enrolled anywhere
it was meant as the tease to keep you reading since the post began with “Starting Lineup.” didn’t have anything to do with the season but guess it could. and does now #unintendedgenius
Mauna, didn’t really see it until the scrimmage and got a good side view.
23. Hagins: 2010 Washington State redshirt. 20011 Washington State. 2012 Hawaii 2013 sat out, basically lost a year. 2014 Idaho senior
Waber: 2010 Hawaii. 2011 redshirted, left. 2012 & 2013. San Diego State
She did not have a year to lose, like Hagins did, if she wanted to transfer to a DI school. you only get five years to play four. This is Waber’s fifth year.
If Dave starts the floor wipers and ballgirls this Friday, I’ll be providing them my full support. I’ll also support Dave exploring the depth of his bench. Friday’s starters, their biggest contribution early on is to establish team leadership and identity. Fight and scrap for every point and support each other and pick each other up and fire up the crowd. Talent will find its way to the starting lineup soon enough, but with a team with so many newcomers, tradition and team identity may come from another place.
warriorfan — i think jane croson was hawaii’s highest ranked recruit on the senior aces since kanani. croson was top 10, i believe. although since she is no longer here, it appears that that honor now belongs to higgins (#19), per mauna’s post above.
Have to agree Ron, on the defense side, Mendoza is a much stronger, smart player from what we saw last year, with good numbers and there when they needed her out of the center back where National liberos play, Kahakai will get up to speed over the year, would love to see her ease in as DS instead putting the deer in the headlights which could effect mid year play if her confidence is shattered.
31. Think both are very solid. Shoji may rethink starting the freshman. The two are pretty even in practice. and, as I’ve said, who ever doesn’t start at L will be the first sub at DS.
I believe Hawaii has only had 3 recruits ranked in the top ten: Danielson at #5, Croson at #7 and Boogaard at #9.
I would like to add that I think Nikki is also an elite player who really blossomed last year and could now be considered a top ten recruit of the freshman class of 2013. I dont know if anyone has said anything about Longo helping out with the defensive players. I think she is doing a great job and I can see her becoming a top flight coach someday if she wants. Ray, you are seldom wrong!
they’re talking about ranking coming out of HS not what they would be ranked now.
I don’t believe they had the senior prep aces during the kamana’o willoughy and kahumoku era. if they did, they’d easily be top 10.
lets not question daves decision to start kahakai over mendoza. I’ve watched her throughout her entire prep career and I’m confident in saying that in 4 years people will agree with me in saying that she will be, hands down, the best libero to have worn a wahine uniform.
Remember what happened to Blake? As Cindy said, they will both see a lot of action. My other comment about Nikki was meant as a complement to her and the coaching staff who were able to recruit her.
Kamanao was ranked. She was ranked about 12 I believe and she wasn’t even the top ranked setter. If I recall, Willoughby wasn’t even ranked that high coming out of highschool. Houston was 13. Dave has a knack for turning the not so high players in highschool to all Americans. Imagine if he got the USC recruits, the Stanford, who have 5-7 top ten recruits on their team at once. USC has enough top yen recruits to run two separate 5-1 and be effective
36. Even in hindsight, Taylor might not have made any list since she did not play her senior year at Kaiser.
37. HS talent doesn’t always transition to the college game. Even if SC has 12 top recruits, only 6 players on the court at one time.
Shoji and staff have been very good at developing players for decades.
35. We’ll see if Kahakai starts or not. the lineup was as of this morning.
38. But if SC has 12 top recruits, it makes practices way more competitive with the level of athleticism and volleyball IQ in the practice gym. Constantly going up against great players in practice will make a team better also.
Why not wait until the end of this weekend before bickering over how good or how bad they will be.
40. you have a point. Doesn’t mean that will translate to game time however.
41. agree with that.
it’s true that not every top-rated recruit will always pan out. but, of course, the more top recruits a program attracts, the greater the chances are that recruits WILL pan out in a meaningful way.
43. true but great players do no always mean a great team.