Thursday, October 8, 1998
Homecoming
could be Bradley’s
coming out
She might have to
By Cindy Luis
fill in during the Wahine
volleyball team's crucial
road trip to Utah
Star-BulletinThere's snow on the Wasatch Range above Castle Dale, Utah. And Adrianne Bradley can't wait to be cold.
"I'm so excited," said Bradley, a freshman middle for the Hawaii women's volleyball team. "I've been so homesick. I miss the snow and the mountains. I didn't think I would, but I do."
Bradley, a native of the Beehive State, may not play much against Utah tomorrow and No. 5 Brigham Young Saturday. It depends on the status of junior middle Heather Bown.
Bown sprained her left ankle in Game 3 of Sunday's victory over New Mexico. Bown, who leads the Western Athletic Conference in hitting percentage (.459) and kills (4.64 per game) and is second in blocks, stepped on the foot of a New Mexico player while going up for a block.
The 6-foot-3 Bown was relegated to the back row during Tuesday's practice while the 6-2 Bradley saw plenty of front-row action. Yesterday, Bown was allowed to jump during her rotation on the front row.
"Adrianne may have to play if Heather can't go," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "We're not healthy at either middle blocker or outside. It helps to know Adrianne can play either position.
"I've got a lot of confidence in her. I think she can handle any role we put her in. She's got a lot of skills, just doesn't have a lot of experience."
"Adrianne's a good one," BYU coach Elaine Michaelis said. "Hawaii got a good one in her."
"I'm prepared to play, whatever happens," said Bradley, who has appeared briefly in eight matches. "If Heather doesn't feel well, then I'm mentally prepared. Hopefully, I'm physically prepared, too."
Bradley is making sure she has plenty of support, garnering most of her teammates' complementary tickets to the two matches. She expects at least 20 members of her immediate family to attend, and "I've told tons and tons of friends that I'm coming back," she said.
Bradley was born in Provo and raised in Castle Dale, about 100 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. She grew up a BYU fan when her brother, Shawn, played for the Cougars, then rooted for the Utes.
Both schools wanted Bradley's volleyball service. She wanted to get away.
"They were both in my Top 5 or 10," she said. "But when it came right down to it, I wanted to come here because of the volleyball program.
"It's going to be weird against Utah because one of my best friends plays for them. McKelle Stilson and I played in junior high and high school together. It's going to be weird seeing her across the net because I've never played against her. And at BYU it will be weird because I've seen so many games there."
The fans at BYU's 5,000-seat Smith Fieldhouse can be brutal, but, "It's great if you play for them," Bradley said.
Utah's Crimson Court seats 1,500 and is similar to Hawaii's Klum Gym.
The Wahine expect a chilly reception in both places. Literally.
The overnight low in Salt Lake City and Provo, 45 miles to the south, is expected to be in the low 40s. On Tuesday, the Wahine received new travel bags, which included mittens and a knit hat.
"The one thing I'm telling the team is it's going to be cold," Bradley said. "I can't wait."
"Obviously, it's an important weekend for us," Shoji said. "But I wouldn't put it in the critical stage. It's early in the season and we do have a chance to play both teams at home. But this is a chance to get a jump on BYU and Utah in the standings.
"We have traveled well in the past. I don't think the travel part of it is a concern. It's the teams we're playing that concern me."
UH sophomore defensive specialist Tehani Miyashiro almost didn't make the trip due to an inner ear infection that would have been worsened by an airplane trip. She was cleared to travel before the team left last night.
Freshman middle Veronica Lima has responded to rest and is back in the starting lineup. She missed last week's two matches with a bulging disc in her back.
Sophomore hitter Jessica Sudduth has a torn ligament in her right hitting hand, but it shouldn't keep her out of the lineup. The injury occurred while she was with the U.S. National B Team over the summer. She may require postseason surgery.
WAC volleyball
Tomorrow
No. 10 Hawaii (11-1, 3-0 WAC) at Utah (10-4, 1-1), 3 p.m.
Saturday
Radio
The Series
Of Note
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
