Kim Willoughby, Lily Kahumoku, Lauren Duggins, Maja Gustin, Nohea Tano, Melissa Villaroman and Karin Lundqvist are no doubt the most athletically gifted Wahine Volleyball team the university ever put on the Teraflex. Does that make them the best team ever? No. You need a championship for that. But that does not take away from what they have meant to the community.
To recent arrivals to the state, women's volleyball may seem to be an unusual thing for a community to revolve around. It lacks the great athleticism of basketball, the familiar comfort of baseball or the sheer power of football. But here in the 50th state it has grown to much more.
Senior co-captain Melissa Villaroman has repeatedly referred to her teammates as sisters. To those who care, and there are thousands, the Wahine are more than athletes. They are just what Villaroman says.
They are our sisters, daughters and cousins. They are part of the family. Always to be cherished even after years of separation. The relationship remains. This was true of other squads. It is especially true of this one.
Kim Willoughby, the greatest female athlete ever to suit up for the university, has been the perfect Wahine warrior - possessing a steel look of determination that showed the burning desire of success that has driven her to great success.
Lily Kahumoku, the emotional catalyst of the team. Possessing an array of shots with a quick smile and a sunny disposition, she is who you looked to to see how the Wahine were really doing.
Lauren Duggins, the prom queen turned All-American. Though nearly frail when compared to some she played against, Duggins may have been the Wahine who improved the most. Whether placing a roof over the net or sliding to her right for a cross-court winner, her value couldn't be understated.
Melissa Villaroman, the defender. In a sport being overcome by giants, the libero position remains a small person's specialty. Villaroman, short in stature, big in performance, kept many a rally going by diving to the court to save a point, a game, a match.
Nohea Tano, the right-side complement. With hitters like Kahumoku and Willoughby, it is easy to forget about the capable Tano. But when coach Dave Shoji went searching for someone to hold up the other end, Tano came to the rescue with timely scoring and defense at the net.
Maja Gustin, Karin Lundqvist - different sides of the same European coin. Maja, from Slovenia, and Lundqvist, from Sweden, helped solidify the middle and team up with Duggins to add another roof to the Stan Sheriff Center while smashing kill after kill to the arena floor.
This team is seen as special. Years of winning will do that for you. But it was more than just victories. It was winning with great ability that separated them. So good that men, who may never claim to enjoy woman's sports, marvelled at their ability. In that sense, maybe they can relate to golfer Annika Sorenstam.
At her induction ceremony to the LPGA Hall of Fame, Sorenstam quoted a golf writer friend who wrote that Annika is no longer a female golfer, that she is just a golfer. "That's all I ever wanted to be," she said.
Maybe the Wahine's greatest accomplishment is much like those of Sorenstam. They rose their games to a level where they can no longer be viewed in qualifying terms. Gender aside, they are impressive athletes.
And sisters, daughters and cousins.