A Hard-Hitter With A Soft Heart

The first time I saw Punahou's Aneli Otineru was at the volleyball state championships when she was just a freshman and I was broadcasting the finals on TV. "Awe-inspiring" is the best phrase to describe what I watched that night. How can so much power and poise come together in such a young player, I kept saying over and over. But the other thing that touched me about Aneli was her sweet disposition and the way in which she cared so much for her family. She asked us, as well as the P.A. announcer, if she could be announced as "Aneli Cubi-Otineru."

Keeping Score Bob Hogue

"Cubi is my mother's maiden name and also my grandfather's name," Aneli told me. "They come to all my games and I want them to know how much that means to me. When my grandfather heard his name announced, he was so excited."

With Aneli, volleyball is all in the family. Her dad, Joseph, a federal fire chief at Wheeler Army Airfield, is her club coach for Quick Sets. Her mom, Delphine, is a former community volleyball star who is now a Honolulu prosecuting attorney. And her older sister, Babes Kalulu, is a former setter for the UH Wahine.

"It's volleyball, volleyball, volleyball with our family," says Aneli, now a junior outside hitter for The top-ranked Buffanblu. "I grew up in the gym. I have four sisters who all play. I remember begging to get in the games at family gatherings when I was little."

Now powerfully built at 5-feet-10-inches tall, Aneli doesn't have to beg. In three years of high school play, she's become the toast of the islands. Her power-packed swing and 30-inch vertical leap have confounded opposing teams and helped Punahou win this year's ILH title.

"Her talents speak for themselves," says Punahou head coach Scott Rigg. "What a huge heart she has. She's the heart and soul of our team.

But Rigg isn't just impressed with her magnificent skills. It's her leadership in just her junior year that has helped Punahou regain the magic that was missing from last season's disappointing fourth-place finish.

"Mediocre isn't OK for her," says Rigg. "She's always pushing us and helping out the younger kids. She's made a difference both on and off the court."

"One thing I would never want to be is cocky," says Aneli. "So I go out of my way to help others. I talk with other players ... I stay after practice. It's important to be a good role model."

It's not always an easy life, though. Aneli lives on the North Shore of Oahu, in Haleiwa. She has to rise for school every day at 4 a.m. for the long drive into town. "I'm not home some nights until 10 or 10:30," she says. "It took awhile to get used to it."

She'll probably get even less sleep this week because this year's state championship tournament runs Tuesday through Friday. (I'll be broadcasting the semifinals on Thursday night, plus the Boys Volleyball and Girls Volleyball Championships "live" Friday night from the Stan Sheriff Center on KKEA, 1420AM.)

"I think we have a really good chance (to win the state title)," she says. “We’re all focused on that one goal. I think our club experience has helped. But it’s also important that we’re so close. We’re really, really close as a team.”

Just like a family.

That spirit of aloha, along with her magnificent hitting ability, passing prowess and defensive skills, have also caught the eye of Wahine head coach Dave Shoji, who wasted little time in securing her skills for the future.

“I verbally committed to UH (last month),” Aneli says.

“It was always one of my goals. I want my grandparents and my family to see me play. I don’t know what I would do without them.”

-- Midweek, November 12, 2003