Stanford to Play Hawaii in NCAA Volleyball Final

Tonya (Tee) Williams made 24 kills, and top-ranked Hawaii defeated Illinois in three games Thursday night to advance to the final of the seventh annual NCAA women’s volleyball tournament against Stanford.

Hawaii was forced to rally in each game, but the Rainbow Wahines responded to defeat the Illini, 19-17, 15-13, 15-11.

No. 3 Stanford scored an 11-15, 15-12, 8-15, 15-6, 15-5 victory over Texas in the first semifinal to reach Saturday’s final at Market Square Arena.

Hawaii (36-2) will return to the final for the first time since 1983, when it won its second title. Stanford (29-6) is in the Final Four for a sixth straight year, seeking its first title. The Cardinal was second in 1984 and 1985, third in 1983 and 1986 and fourth in 1982.

Illinois, led by NCAA hitting percentage leader Mary Eggers, took a 14-8 lead in the first game, but Williams and Suzanne Eagye led the Hawaii comeback.

Williams, a sophomore communications major from Long Beach, was named the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball player of the year by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. at a Thursday luncheon.

In the first match, Stanford’s Jenny Chaffee hit two winning shots early in the fifth game to give the Cardinal a 4-1 lead. She added two more kills as Stanford scored the final seven points of the game. Lara Asper hit a service ace for the winning point. Nancy Reno made 21 kills in the match, while Chaffee and Teresa Smith added 18 each.

Texas finished 25-10.