Photo by George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
And without its big "A" - Angelica Ljungquist - the University of Hawaii just might not be No. 1 in women's collegiate volleyball this season.
The 6-foot-3 middle blocker is the heart and soul of the Wahine who are 45-1 over the past 14 months and 11/2 seasons. She is everyone's All-American and everybody's big sister, dominating the court with unassuming authority and humble superiority, living her life off the court with equal grace and kindness.
Ljungquist should be a lock for NCAA Player of the Year, her biggest competition coming from her pepper partner of three years, senior setter Robyn Ah Mow. Yet neither cares if they receive that top national honor at the end season; the only thing that matters is winning the NCAA trophy on Dec. 21.
"Yes, I've been having a great season, but that's not important to me," said Ljungquist, a three-time All-American and twice named WAC Player of the Week this season. "The only thing that matters to me is that the team wins. I'm not working hard for myself. I couldn't care less about (individual) awards.
"All I want is to do everything in my power to get us to Cleveland (site of the final four). When the season is over, I want to know in my heart that I have done everything possible to get us there."
I'd have to rate her as one of the best players we've ever had in our program and one of the best players I've ever seen. Dave Shoji
Wahine coach
"I don't know if anyone can completely stop her," said Fresno State coach Lindy Vivas, her team a victim of a 19-kill, .548-hitting performance by Ljungquist last month. "She has such a quick arm swing, is so quick to the ball, so quick to hit. You try to cheat on her (on the block) and you get burned."
Ljungquist is third in a solid line of Swedish imports to play for Hawaii, following the All-American footsteps of of Anna Vorwerk and Malin Fransson, who also wore No. 9. Ljungquist is unquestionably the best of the three, perhaps the best-ever all-around middle in Hawaii's vaunted history.
"I'd have to rate her as one of the best players we've ever had in our program and one of the best players I've ever seen," said Hawaii coach Dave Shoji, who has had 26 All-Americans in his 22 seasons at Manoa. "She's so focused and real versatile. Her strength is in her ability to do a lot of things.
"She's a very rare person, not just a rare player. There's never a question about her character, about her desire to do the right thing. Everything is geared toward the team winning. She's never selfish. You feel good being around her, she's just a good person."
Shoji wasn't sure how good of a player Ljungquist would be. A member of the Swedish national team, she came highly recommended by Fransson, her club coach, and was Player of the Year after helping Vallentuna to the junior championship.
"You can see a little on tape, but you never really know at what level a player can play," Shoji said. "I remember going to the airport and picking her up in 1993. This was right after we had that horrible year (15-12 in 1992). I was thinking to myself, 'I really hope she can play, otherwise we're in deep trouble again.' "
Ljungquist, playing every minute of every match her first season, was named the 1993 Big West Freshman of the Year. The Wahine rebounded from their worst season with a 19-11 record.
Hawaii has gone 70-6 since then, including a perfect mark that's on the line tonight against San Diego State. As the Wahine have improved, so has their co-captain.
Ljungquist leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.419, eighth in the country) and is tops in the conference and fifth nationally in blocks. Her improvement comes from a desire to right the wrong turn last season took at the end, one win away from the final four.
"I took the summer off and dedicated myself to this season," said Ljungquist, who had 17 kills in the regional final loss to Michigan State. "I was in the weight room four times a week. I was running, lifting, playing beach volleyball.
"My spring was very frustrating, being in a cast and rehabbing. I missed being part of the team. They were on the track running, I was in the pool doing my work. They were in the gym, I was riding the (exercise) bike."
Ljungquist played the last third of the last season with a fractured bone in her foot. She did not want to have it X-rayed because the truth would have meant she was done for the year.
"There was no doubt in my mind there was a fracture," said Ljungquist, who had surgery during spring semester. "I knew what kind of pain I was playing with. I knew I had to suck it up and play it out."
Tears well in her eyes when she thinks about this season ending. She has grown to love Hawaii and its people, embracing the island culture and the American collegiate experience, everything from plate lunches to football.
"And there truly is no better place to play volleyball," said Ljungquist, who is 12 block assists away from breaking Suzanne Eagye's school record of 502. "The support we get here is awesome.
"For me, it's 'Go 'Bows' and hang up the banner. But I don't want it just for me or the team. I want it for the state of Hawaii. They supported us, they deserve it. It's time."
When her Wahine playing time is through, Ljungquist, a devout Christian, said, "I'll just have to see where God leads me. There's a lot of things I want to do. I'd love to play volleyball longer, either indoors or on the beach."
The political science major would also like a career in law, marriage and a large family. Ljungquist knows she'll leave behind a large extended family when she returns to Sweden and, she hopes, a legacy of hard work.
"I hope my teammates and the fans will remember me as someone who came out to every practice and every game always trying to give 100 percent," she said. "But more importantly, I want them to think of me beyond the blocks and kills. I hope I was helpful, a good friend, motivating and encouraging. I hope I'll be remembered as a person, not just a player."