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Rainbow Wahine put WAC title on the line

Published: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Updated: Monday, August 3, 2009 18:08

At stake, an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but most importantly, it's a chance for the Rainbow Wahine to showcase their skills in front of their home crowd. It's also a chance for fans to witness a showdown between teams who have so much on the line.

For the first time in history, the No. 6 Rainbow Wahine volleyball team will host the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, at the Stan Sheriff Center on Nov. 20, 21 and 23.

"We're the sixth-ranked team in the country, and we play for the school, we play for the students, as well as the state," said head coach Dave Shoji.

The 'Bows, who are seeking their ninth consecutive WAC Tournament title (1998 and 2001-2007), and are a perfect 24-0 in tournament play since 1998. Although the Rainbow Wahine will be hosting the tournament, they will not be the top seed despite being ranked sixth in the country.

But that hasn't taken anything away from any of the 'Bows.

"I'm really excited about hosting the WAC. ... It's the first time we get to host, and that's really cool," said senior libero Tara Hittle. "It's good for us to be able to stay home."

For the 1999 and 2000 seasons, the coaches voted to eliminate the WAC Tournament, so Hawai'i received automatic bids after securing the season conference titles, going a perfect 14-0 in 1999 and 16-0 in 2000.

Since 2001, the 'Bows have played nearly flawless volleyball in the WAC Tournament; they lost a single set to the Nevada Wolf Pack three times (in 2002, 2004 and 2005), the Fresno State Bulldogs once (in 2004) and once to the New Mexico State Aggies (in 2006).

The 'Bows have been the NCAA leader in average home game attendance since 1994.

"I think that our fans just love the sport of volleyball so much," said senior outside hitter Jessica Keefe. "If there's a good play on either side of the net, you get a round of applause whether it was our team making a great play or the other team."

Fans attending the WAC Volleyball Tournament will also have the opportunity to register to win a WAC Prize Pack, which includes a WAC Play-Up shirt, an autographed volleyball (by the head coaches), a WAC hat and other WAC gear.

Fans can register throughout the tournament for their chance to win. Following the conclusion of the tournament, the WAC will draw one winner from the names entered.

KFVE will broadcast the Rainbow Wahine's match against Boise State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The two semifinal matches and the championship match will air live on KFVE. All tournament matches will be streamed live on the Internet at wac.tv.

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