1998 Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Outlook

1998 Rainbow Wahine Outlook

Losing a pair of All-Western Athletic Conference honorees, including the league's player-of-the-year, could be devastating to a team that came one win shy of winning the WAC title. Although the 1998 University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine season will prove a daunting challenge - it will be one head coach Dave Shoji can overcome.

"We have a lot more options this season than we would normally have," Shoji said. "With the new recruits coming in, we'll be able to play three middle hitters at times. We have the option of playing a big or small lineup, depending on who we play."

With six returning letterwinners on the roster and the addition of four newcomers to fill the void left by middle hitter Cecelia Goods and left-side hitter Therese Crawford, the Wahine look to build a strong core of hitters and blockers while utilizing their depth on the bench.

"We'll have to find the right combination with the returning players that we have," Shoji admitted. "But we have enough depth to experiment with our lineup."

Four of the seven returning players started for the Wahine last season and the remaining three saw considerable playing time. The four newcomers have valuable playing experience either in the collegiate ranks or overseas. Shoji hopes the combination of experienced veterans and highly-touted first-year players will prove a winning one.

"We have proven players who are capable of making us a good team," Shoji said. "It's an exciting opportunity to mold the team to what we think will be the best."

Welcome Back
Quarterbacking the Wahine offense will be one of a trio of setters, all of whom have a year of experience under their belts. At the front of the pack is senior Nikki Hubbert (5-9, Sr., Bakersfield, CA) who gained extensive knowledge last year, starting all 33 matches. In her first full season at UH, Hubbert directed the Wahine to 25 wins, an impressive undefeated WAC season, and garnered All-WAC Pacific Division second team honors. As the team's catalyst, she averaged 12.34 assists per game and is currently fifth on UH's all-time career assists list with 1,586. In addition, Hubbert proved effective on defense, compiling averages of 2.11 digs and 0.89 blocks per game.

Challenging Hubbert for the starting nod will be All-WAC Pacific Division first teamer Tehani Miyashiro (5-7, So., Honolulu). The team's primary defensive specialist last year posted a 2.15 digging average while serving up 17 aces.

There are no strangers at the outside hitter positions, as senior Leah Karratti (5-9, Sr., Waimea, HI), junior Heidi Ilustre (5-10, Jr., Carson, CA) and sophomore Jessica Sudduth (6-2, So., Yorba Linda, CA) return after gaining a full-year of competitive action. Karratti, who was a part-time starter last year, sparked the team with her gutsy hitting and strong defensive play. Shoji is looking for her to provide the kind of leadership needed to take this team to the next level.

"Leah has been such an inspiration to her teammates," Shoji said. "From being a walk-on to a scholarship player, she commands a lot of respect from her team."

In her rookie campaign, Sudduth was a steady force for the Wahine. TheVolleyball magazine Fab 50 pick from Esperenza High School, appeared in every match, averaging 2.33 kills and 2.09 digs per game. Right-side hitter Ilustre, returns after another solid season for Hawai'i. Last season, she hit .264, led the team in digging (2.31 dpg), and produced 26 aces off her lethal jump serve.

"We have Sudduth, Karratti and Illustre, who make up a solid core of outside hitters," Shoji remarked. "We'll have a lot of depth at those positions."

Returning at the middle hitter position is junior Jennifer Roberts (6-2, Jr., Huntington Beach, CA) who drastically improved her overall game during the past two seasons. Her 130 total blocks last season, along with a 1.61 kill per game average and a .265 hitting percentage, has gained the attention of Shoji, who plans to incorporate her into the starting lineup this season.

"Roberts can hit all types of sets," Shoji said. "We're not just limiting her to being a middle player; she can do a lot more outside work."

Welcome Aboard
Shoji and his coaching staff carefully scouted volleyball players around the world and brought back what they feel is the strong and talented class of recruits needed to keep the Wahine competitive and nationally-recognized.

"The middle position was our main priority," Shoji said. "We were fortunate to get three middles. To be a middle now, you have to be 6-2 or above, so we went out to look for those players."

And they succeeded. Shoji landed a pair of hovering freshmen, Veronica Lima (6-2, Fr., Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and Adrianne Bradley (6-2, Fr., Castle Dale, UT), both of whom are expected to contribute immediately for the Wahine. Lima is the first foreign player to be recruited by the Wahine since four-time All-American and 1996 National Player-of-the-Year Angelica Ljungquist. She is a player with valuable international experience, playing for Brazil's Junior National team that participated at the South American Championships, Pan American, and World University games. Bradley, who also lettered in basketball, softball, and track at Emery High School, impressed the coaching staff with her versatility. The sister of NBA star Shawn Bradley led Emery to the state title her senior year.

Hawai'i was also fortunate to acquire the services of Heather Bown (6-3, Jr., Yorba Linda, CA), a transfer from UC Santa Barbara. She will bring her collegiate experience to the Wahine lineup after starting at middle blocker for the Gauchos the past two seasons. Bown finished last year ninth nationally in hitting (.384) and second in the conference in blocking (1.52 bpg) while earning All-Big West first team honors. Shoji expects her to solidify the middle position.

"The addition of Bown and Lima gives us a chance to be really good this year," Shoji said.

Another transfer, former Kamehameha Schools standout Shelly Kim (5-7, Jr., Honolulu), will join the Wahine roster this fall. Kim comes aboard as a defensive specialist from Tennessee State, where she was a setter and outside hitter for the Lady Tigers the past two seasons.

A Tough Year Ahead
Year after year, the Wahine have boasted a competitive schedule, consistently playing nationally ranked teams. This year's schedule is no different with the Wahine challenging eight teams that participated in last year's NCAA Tournament and six schools ranked in the final USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll.

To kick-off the season, the Wahine will host the 11th Annual Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic, which will consist of national powerhouses Florida (#4), Ohio State (#15) and UCLA. The following weekend, Hawai'i will host the Fourth Annual Aston's Imua Wahine Volleyball Challenge with Baylor, Arizona State, and Bradley making the trip to the Stan Sheriff Center.

"With this year's preseason schedule, we'll see some of the top teams in the country," Shoji said. "Florida has been to the final four the last two years, Ohio State is a power in the Big 10, and UCLA is always nationally ranked."

Hawai'i's first conference match follows the Aston's tournament as the Wahine host San Diego State with the hopes of extending their conference regular-season consecutive match win streak of 49. Also in WAC play, the Wahine will meet two-time defending WAC Tournament champions, Brigham Young, Utah, Fresno State, San Jose State, New Mexico, and UTEP.

Other nonconference opponents gracing the Wahine's schedule are NCAA Tournament qualifiers, Pacific (#16), San Diego (#20), Pepperdine (#24), and Central Florida. In mid-November, four-time defending NAIA champions Brigham Young-Hawai'i, who will be making their debut as an NCAA Division II team, will hook up with the Wahine for state bragging rights.

"Our non-conference schedule is very tough," Shoji said. "As far as our conference schedule, we play BYU once at home and once on the road. We'll see Utah for the first time and they're much improved. I think they'll finish in the top four in the conference. We're looking forward to a challenging year."

Raising the Stakes
On paper, the Wahine looked unstoppable last season, winning 14 consecutive WAC regular-season matches and holding strong in the national polls. The team posted its 25th win, marking the program's 18th 25-win season, and were invited to its 16th trip to the NCAA Tournament. But when it mattered, the Wahine couldn't hold on, falling to Brigham Young in the championship match of the WAC Tournament and Loyola Marymount in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

According to Shoji, this season will be different. He recognized their mistakes and shortcomings, and is ready to focus on winning.

"We're committed to winning," he said, "We're committed to doing better than we did last year. Our players are committed, our coaches are committed, so we'll just go back and work, knowing that we want to back the program bring to where we were in '96."