Sports Watch
There is a tomorrow for the Rainbows, chosen as the at-large pick for the Final Four despite losing to UC Santa Barbara.
Of course, it took UCLA to beat UCSB for everything to fall in place for the Rainbows, who learned of their good fortune the morning after.
I hate to think what would have happened if the Gauchos had beaten the Bruins in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship. It would have come down to picking UH or UCLA as the at-large pick for the Final Four at the Bruins' home court.
So it was strange to hear the Hawaii faithful cheering for UCLA. The fans knew that was the only way that their Rainbows were going to get to the Final Four.
It goes to show that not only politics, but volleyball makes for strange bedfellows.
It was even more bizarre to hear the fans finally cheer for UCLA's Paul Nihipali, who was their designated booing choice all season.
As it turned out, they had every reason to cheer Nihipali, who proved to be the hero in UCLA's five-set victory over the Gauchos. The 6-foot-7 part-Hawaiian had a school-record 52 kills in the match, including the game-winner in the pivotal 16-14 fifth game.
"It was a nice change, a nice change. Totally unexpected," said Nihipali, a junior outside hitter from Yorba Linda, Calif., whose dad was born in Hawaii and played football for Kahuku High School.
Both of Nihipali's grandmothers - Christina Nihipali of Laie and Peggy Bunting of Boise, Idaho - were at the game.
"I've got to get them there (to the Final Four)," said Nihipali, who called them his good-luck charms.
"I played some of my best volleyball here," said Nihipali, whose 52-kill performance erased the school record of 39 he set earlier this season against the Rainbows. It's because of the booing, he said.
"It's great. I love to play before a lot of people, whether they cheer me or boo me. I understand. I'm their nemesis."
It was in that March 1 match against the 'Bows that the booing started. Over a small incident, really.
Hawaii's Naveh Milo was upset at a call at the net. On the next play, Nihipali put down a point and wagged a finger at Milo.
"I was just telling him, `No more complaining,'" Nihipali said. "It was all in fun and I know he didn't take it personally. We went out the last time we were here."
The fans got on Nihipali, booing him ever since, especially when serving. You thought he was playing for BYU or something.
Sure enough, when the Bruins came back to town to play Cal State Northridge last Friday, the fans picked up where they left off, even though Nihipali wasn't facing the Rainbows.
Then when UC Santa Barbara's Amaury Velasco got under Hawaii's skin in the other semifinal, the fans found a new target to boo.
The biggest question in the championship final then, was who was going to get booed more? Nihipali or Velasco?
It was the Gaucho senior, hands down. After all, Nihipali was now playing for Hawaii's temporary team.
"They were telling me that the fans won't be booing me because they want us to win," Nihipali said. "I said, no way."
Sure enough, when Nihipali was introduced, the boos turned to cheers. There were some malingering boos, but they were drowned out by the cheers. "OK, I can go with this," Nihipali said to himself.
Long after the match ended, Nihipali was in the parking lot signing autographs. But he had no illusions.
"Today, I was their favorite," Nihipali said. "Next week, boos again. Especially, if we play Hawaii."