The No. 6 Hawai`i volleyball team will be featured on this week's CSTV Sunday Night Spikes: AVCA Match of the Week. The Rainbow Wahine (8-0) will face Pepperdine (2-5) in Honolulu. The match, played on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. HT, will be aired on Sunday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. ET on CSTV. The Waves and Rainbow Wahine also face each other on Sept. 24.
Hawai'i has not missed a beat in 2004, despite losing AVCA National Player of the Year Kim Willoughby, AVCA All-American Lily Kahumoku and four other all-WAC performers. The Rainbow Wahines are one of eight undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division I, which has included victories over four currently ranked teams. Sophomore setter Kanoe Kamana'o, the 2003 AVCA National Freshman of the Year and AVCA Third-Team All-American, directs the Rainbow Wahine offense to a .254 team attack percentage this season. Junior outside hitter Susie Boogard leads Hawai'i with a 3.91 kill average to go with 2.64 dig average and .241 attack percentage. Junior middle blocker/right side Victoria Prince hits at a team-best .381 clip with 3.42 kills and 1.06 blocks per game average. Sophomore outside hitter Alicia Arnott adds 3.91 kills per game to the Rainbow Wahine offense, while ranking third in dig average 2.79. The televised match will also represent Hawai'i Head Coach Dave Shoji's 1,000th contest leading the program.
Shoji, in his 30th season at Hawai'i, has led the Rainbow Wahine to 22 NCAA Tournament berths, including four national championships (three NCAA, one AIAW). He holds an 848-149 record with 15 seasons of 30 or more victories. Shoji has been named the Tachikara/AVCA Region Coach of the Year six times. He earned the 2002 USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award.