Nihipali dismissed from team

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Nihipali dismissed from team

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http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/bulldog ... 8680c.html


'Dogs Nieves see net loss hit 3
Two more dismissed from volleyball team.
By Andy Boogaard / The Fresno Bee

(Updated Thursday, October 27, 2005, 2:10 PM)


Fresno State volleyball coach Ruben Nieves dismissed two players from his team Wednesday — the second and third players the coach has removed from the program in the past five weeks.

Ilima Sam Fong and Mounia Nihipali were dismissed Wednesday and La'akea Campbell was kicked off Sept. 19. All were dismissed because of poor attitudes, said first-year coach Nieves, whose team takes a 2-7 Western Athletic Conference record and 4-15 overall mark into tonight's home match against San Jose State.

The three players, who are roommates, will have their scholarships honored through the end of the school year. All said they probably would complete the year at Fresno State. But sophomores Sam Fong and Nihipali said they would attempt to play elsewhere next season. Campbell was a senior without further eligibility.

"Once the [coaching] relationship with [Campbell] took a [negative] turn, it impacted the relationship with the whole group," Nieves said. "There's very little that has surprised me about all of this."

Sam Fong, a setter/outside hitter, and Nihipali, an outside hitter, had played 11 and seven matches, respectively. Both expressed discomfort with Nieves soon after he replaced Lindy Vivas in January.

"I've been very unhappy with the whole volleyball situation," Sam Fong said, "so this is kind of a relief, to tell the truth, because I can be free from all [these problems]. I love volleyball so much, but it wasn't fun for me playing under these circumstances. I don't respect [Nieves] as a person, much less a coach. I don't feel he was very honest."

Nihipali said: "We never got along, basically. I feel like it's a relief, also. I really love playing volleyball, and it's really hard going through something like this."

Nihipali, who recently came off an academic-related two-week suspension, said she anticipated a possible dismissal when she failed last week to complete 4 hours of study hall, as mandated by Nieves.

Nihipali said her intention was to complete her remaining 1 hour and 15 minutes after practice Friday, only to find the study hall room closed at the school's new Ricchiuti Academic Center.

The Center is accessible to students from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, said Desiree Reed-Francois, the school's associate athletic director for compliance, whose office is in the same building.

Volleyball practice generally ends at 5:30 p.m. daily.

"Over time, it has become clear that Mounia is not willing to do all the things it takes to be a Fresno State volleyball player," Nieves said.

Regarding Sam Fong, the coach said: "[Her] unhappiness, attitude and actions toward the program and the coaching staff has reached a point where it's best that she no longer participates as a member of the Bulldog volleyball program."

Sam Fong, as opposed to Nihipali, said the dismissal came as a surprise and without warning.

"Honestly, I had no idea I was going to get cut," she said.

Nieves said she should have been prepared for it.

"There was progressive communication over time," said the coach, who met with the players at the same time Wednesday morning. "Neither showed surprise whatsoever when I gave them the news."

Not all news has been grim for the Bulldogs this season. In the past three weeks, they've defeated the WAC's second- and third-place teams in Nevada (7-3) and Utah State (6-3).

"One thing I feel really good about, despite all the distractions from within," Nieves said, "is this team has really been able to take the floor and compete. We still have a lot to play for. There's the WAC championship tournament and, as unlikely as it is [for us], there's an NCAA bid for somebody."

The reporter can be reached at aboogaard@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6336.


Now there are no local girls at Fresno St. anymore. Thank god. The program is in disaray and doesn't sound like it will get better anytime soon. Hoope Nieves has enough players to field a team because at this rate he won't have any left.

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Post by flipen »

Wow. So does he hate local kids or something? How do you go from having, what 4? 5?, local kids to having none. Does Fresno like to have problems in the athletics department or something? Didn't their basketball team get removed from postseason just recently?

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Post by 808 »

A team that is seemingly in disarray can be a dangerous one. If Nieves has truly rid himself of all his problems by cutting the Hawaii players and Sam Fong, the rest of the team could now rally behind him. The victory over Nevada isn't that impressive considering how Nevada is itself in disarray (for entirely different reasons -- injuries). Utah State has been up and down this year so they could have just had an off night against Fresno. Nevertheless, after taking care of Nevada today, the Wahine would be well-advised to be on their guard, stay focused and just play with the intent of hammering Fresno on Saturday.

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poor attitude

Post by Mauifan »

Sounds like they got rid of the apathy to me. The majority of coaches at this level know what is best for the team. Hope these girls shape up and maybe play for a Div. II team.

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http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/ ... 037/SPORTS


Fresno State cuts last two players with Hawai'i ties


By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer



Tenth-ranked Hawai'i takes its gaudy 116-match WAC volleyball winning streak to Fresno State today. For the first time in more than a decade, the Bulldogs won't have any Hawai'i ties.

Punahou graduate Lindy Vivas was let go after finishing 15-13 last season, her 14th at FSU. Kahuku's Tuli Peters transferred to Brigham Young-Hawai'i.

New coach Ruben Nieves cut Iolani graduate La'akea Campbell five weeks ago. "It's just not working," Nieves said then. "The coaching change has been an adjustment for everybody, and Kea is not the only person struggling with the change in style and philosophy and expectations, but she was struggling with it to where it was not productive."

Wednesday, Nieves cut Ilima Sam Fong, who is from Utah but has close ties here, and Kamehameha's Mounia Nihipali. Both sophomores are on the cover of the FSU media guide.

Nieves said all three players, who are roommates, were cut for poor attitudes. Their scholarships will be honored until the end of the school year.

Nihipali said yesterday Nieves had asked her to quit earlier. "I'm not sure how or when this even started," Nihipali said. "All I know is, he just kept telling me that I have an attitude and he doesn't want me to do certain things on the team.

"He had the biggest problem with Kea and I. It kept building and I don't know why. I didn't even do anything. I couldn't figure out what he wanted."

Nieves issued a statement on the cuts this week, and asked yesterday that his response be contained to that. In part, it read that "Once the (coaching) relationship with (Campbell) took a turn, it impacted the relationship with the whole group."

Campbell, a three-time FSU Scholar-Athlete, is a senior. Nihipali and Sam Fong plan to transfer to play somewhere else their final two years. Nihipali said both already have options.

UH coach Dave Shoji said problems often come up after a coaching change. Nihipali denied that she had a problem simply with the transition.

"If I didn't want to be here, I would have left after last year," she said. "But I like Fresno, so I stayed. He (Nieves) kept bringing up Lindy and referred to us as 'Lindy's girls.'"

Through it all, the Bulldogs have struggled to a 4-16 record, but have upset Utah State and Nevada this month. Which gives Nieves hope tonight.

"This team has responded to adversity and tough situations in a surprising way ...," he said. "I think we can beat Hawai'i once out of every 25 times, or maybe 50, maybe 100. For other teams it might be once out of every 10 or 15. It's kinda like the lottery. If we keep playing, eventually we're going to win."

Tonight's match begins at 4 p.m. HST. Sports Radio (1420 AM) will have reports during the football game and carry the end of the match live, if it is still going after the post-game show



How often do you hear a coach ask a player to quit? I agree with the statement Nihipahi said if she didn't want to be here she would of quit last year. I think there's more to the story.

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