Assistant Coach Kari Anderson
Kari Anderson, former setter for the
Wahine during the 1990s, has quickly become a rising star in collegiate
women's volleyball. Anderson begins her fourth year under her
former coach, Dave Shoji.
"Being involved in the Wahine volleyball
program for nearly 10 years as a player and coach, I feel very
much at home," Anderson said. "The program is very special
to me and I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a great volleyball
tradition."
Anderson's main responsibilities include
charting the academic progress of the players, providing administrative
assistance, and working directly with the setters during practice.
For the last seven years, Anderson has
served as a coach for the Asics Rainbow Volleyball Club. In 1999,
she earned national recognition, coaching her team to the 14-Open
title among 32 teams at the Junior Olympic National Championships
in New Orleans, La. This past summer, her 15-Open team placed
fifth in the National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky.
As a four-year letterwinner for the
Rainbow Wahine, Anderson still ranks fifth all-time on the UH
career list with 2,385 assists and a 10.51 assist average. During
her junior and senior seasons, she captained the squad and was
also named second-team all-Big West in 1992. Anderson graduated
from UH with a bachelor's degree in business administration in
international business in 1995.
As a coach, Anderson has made a big
impact on the program. In 1998, setter Nikki Hubbert broke the
school's single season record for assists (1,782) and assist average
(14.61).
"Kari continues to contribute greatly
to the Wahine volleyball program," Shoji said. "She
is a confident and capable volleyball coach and is indispensable
in the office. The players really respond to her coaching and
respect her value to our program."
Anderson made her way to Hawai'i as
a highly touted prepster out of Columbia Heights High School in
Minnesota, where she guided her team to consecutive state championships
in 1989 and 1990. Her many accolades include Metro Area Player
of the Year, four All-America teams, all-state, all-Metro Area,
and all-conference.
Anderson is single and resides in Honolulu.
Her hobbies include running, reading, and going to the beach.