Friday, October 2, 1998

Karratti finds a
home—at home
with the Wahine

Playing for the UH
volleyball team is a dream
come true for the former
Waimea High player

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

On the Garden Isle tonight, television sets in Kekaha will be tuned to Hawaii women's volleyball. As usual, those viewers will be waiting for "their Leah."

The same goes for one tutu in Waimanalo. A stroke may have put Margaret Karratti in a wheelchair, but it doesn't prevent her from one of her biggest joys -- watching her granddaughter play on statewide TV.

The Wahine have long earned a special place in the hearts of island volleyball fans. This season, the heart of the No. 10-ranked Wahine is Hawaiian.

Senior captain Leah Karratti personifies local-style volleyball: scrappy and overachieving with natural instincts and grace. She was born to play the sport -- dad Steve helped Church College of Hawaii (now BYU-Hawaii) to NAIA men's titles in the early 1970s.

And she was born to be a Wahine. It just took a while.

She lasted three semesters at Weber State in Utah before getting up enough courage to face her fears and doubts.

"My dream was totally to come here and play," Karratti said. "But it was such a big thing and I was afraid I wouldn't live up to what I had always wanted to be -- a Wahine. I didn't think I could handle the pressure.

"I had a lot more reasons to go away than to stay home. Being Mormon, I thought Utah would be a good environment. Another was the scholarship. I didn't want to put that burden on my family."

Despite playing well for the Wildcats, competing in all 57 matches over two seasons, Karratti was homesick. She cried every night her freshman year, maybe once a week her sophomore year.

By Christmas, the tears had won out over the fears. She came to Manoa that spring.

UH coach Dave Shoji had watched Karratti play junior ball for Ikaika and Kamali'i. But no scholarship was available in the fall of 1994.

"Honestly, I didn't think she was ready to be part of our program," Shoji said. "I knew she was a good player, but I wasn't convinced she was going to be a factor at the Division I level.

"We encourage people to come back and walk-on if the situation is good for them. The first full year she was here, I didn't think she would ever fit into our plans. She's not the most physical person, and at 5-9, she doesn't look like someone who will set the world on fire.

"But she has gotten better and better. She has meant a lot to the program, to the team and to me. She's such a good person to have around. Everybody loves Leah."

And Karratti loves volleyball. Always has.

"She's always had this athletic ability," said her father, Steve, who was her club coach. "I remember watching her long jump in elementary school and thinking, 'This girl has something and it's all natural.'

"She kept busy with swimming, soccer, basketball, volleyball and track. She did well in high school in the high jump (second in the state meet) and her coach said she had college potential. But her love and her fun was volleyball."

Steve Karratti was in the gym last August when his daughter was selected team captain.

"Dave came by and congratulated me," Karratti said. "I said, 'You're kidding.' Leah was so surprised. Then she started thinking about all the mental responsibilities. She told me she would take her role seriously, even if she wasn't playing on the court.

"I've always had that confidence in her. She's always been a goal-setter, a competitor. She's always been driven, always wants to do better. She's the daughter every dad would like to have and we've been blessed to have her."

Karratti, one of two home-grown products on the Wahine roster, hasn't been a regular starter. She has often yielded her left-side spot to good friend Heidi Ilustre.

"But that's OK because I'm having fun," said the four-sport standout at Waimea High. "It's my last year and I decided that no matter what, I'm going to have the best year I can.

"Everyone their senior year wants to play their best. But after being named captain, my goal changed. This season wasn't for myself, but for the team. And this year I've never loved volleyball as much. I don't want it to end."

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http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu