UH victory over Stanford a nice surprise for fans

You can admit it. No one will question your loyalty.

Perhaps you were among the skeptics. Did Hawaii really deserve its national ranking? The Wahine lost two of the best players in the storied program’s history after last season.

As it turns out, UH probably does not belong at No. 8. The ranking should be higher after it chased No. 6 Stanford off the court in four sets Sunday.

Fess up, you’re surprised.

Even Scott Robbs, the voice of the Rainbow Wahine, says he didn’t expect anything like this — not this early in the season, anyway. Not against Stanford. Not after the way UH started the match.

“Who would’ve thought that after that first set?”

Not me, Scott. I thought the big crowd was going home early and sad after the Cardinal peppered the Hawaii side of the court at will. So did coach Dave Shoji.

He credited “getting some breaks” for the Wahine resurgence in the second set. Sure, there was some of that. And a whole lot of heart.

IF WE LEARNED anything in that second set — in which the teams were never separated by more than three points — it is that this group is mentally tough.

There were numerous opportunities to fold to a taller and some would say (at least before Sunday) more talented squad.

Hawaii scratched and clawed to win that second set, all the way to the final point, when the Wahine scrambled out of system before Jane Croson delivered one of her match-high 21 kills.

At the break, someone told me this team lacks enough weapons.

He was quickly proven wrong.

Croson’s got that crazy athleticism and power. Emily Hartong’s a gamer who gets better as the matches progress. Jade Vorster’s a force in the middle, hitting and blocking. Kalei Adolpho repeatedly comes up clutch.

And, of course, there’s the coaching. Every player interviewed by this paper Sunday credited the scouting report.

SETTER MITA Uiato and libero Ali Longo both concede that this team plays with a little bit of a chip on its collective shoulder. Even though it’s Longo’s first year here, she said she could sense some fans focusing on the Wahine losing their stars from last season and not expecting much from this edition.

“Nobody’s going to come right out and tell you that, but yes. And playing Stanford, there are going to be some doubters,” the Penn State transfer said. “I think we proved a lot not only to ourselves, but the state, the country and the volleyball world.”

And the no-respect card is one Shoji knows how to play.

“Dave told us no one expected us to pull out this game,” Uiato said.

Few other than the Wahine themselves.

But on this fine August evening, that’s all that mattered.

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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783 or on Twitter as @dave_reardon.