Friday, October 26, 2001
[ WAHINE VOLLEYBALL ]
Short stuff Being vertically challenged in a sport dominated by height isn't necessarily a bad thing.
UH's Shoji is happy to have friends,
Ilustre and Villaroman, as 'quality'
back-row specialistsBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comFor Hedder Ilustre and Melissa Villaroman, it's an advantage to be closer to the ground.
Ilustre is listed as 5 feet 7 inches, but in reality is just a little over 5-4. Villaroman is 5-4, but the roster says she's 5-6.
As the two smallest starters, they dart back and forth on the court with ease. Their height (or lack of it) all but excludes them from seeing any time in the front row.
In spite of their size, they've had bigger roles in a season where offense-oriented Hawaii has been forced to become much more defensive-minded.
Without the big block, UH coach Dave Shoji says the Wahine have had to rely on defense and he feels fortunate to have Ilustre and Villaroman on the team.
"It's good to have two quality back-row people," Shoji said. "I think there's a need to have two, possibly three, back-row people to play.
"They just add so much in practice. They're such positive players. They're always trying to get the team pumped up. Just by their play, it really fires the team up."
Sparking the team is only one part of their job. The two have prowled the back row all season and have gobbled up a combined 122 balls. Ilustre is averaging 1.86 digs per game while Villaroman averages .63 digs.
Though they play the same position, the increase in the number of substitutions allowed (from 15 to 18), gives both the opportunity to contribute and see ample playing time.
The two are close friends, a trend with this year's Wahine squad as other players who compete for the same position are also good friends on and off the court.
"It is and it isn't (competitive)," Ilustre said. "We push each other. But we're not at each other's throats. Some people get that way about a position, but we know the better person will play."
They're not closers like Kim Willoughby or Maja Gustin, who can end a rally with a single swing. But they are playmakers with acrobatic, body-sacrificing moves that inspire teammates.
The ferocious determination to never let a ball drop, coupled with their quickness and ability to anticipate where the ball will go, makes them almost as crucial as big hitters.
Passing and defense have been ingrained in them since the beginning of their volleyball careers. Ilustre started playing when she was eight, following in the footsteps of her older sister Heidi, a Wahine player from 1996-99. Villaroman didn't begin volleyball until the eighth grade.
They were outside hitters at rival high schools in Carson, Calif. Ilustre was a three-year starter at Bishop Montgomery, winning state championships in 1996 and 1998. Villaroman earned all-league honors as a hitter at St. Joseph but had few scholarship offers.
Neither expected to be playing together for the Wahine. Villaroman's arrival at UH came on an unusual tip. Her club coach in high school contacted Shoji to tell him there was a player he might be interested in.
"It's kind of ironic, because she's a Long Beach State player," Shoji said. "I'm glad she did. I had to wonder why Long Beach didn't take her. I don't know if they were full on their roster or not."
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m., Nevada; Sunday at 5 p.m., Boise State GAMEDAY
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: KFVE, Ch. 5, tomorrow and Sunday
Radio: Live, KCCN 1420-AM
Internet: uhathletics.hawaii.edu
Notes: Nevada lost to Cal State Sacramento on Tuesday ... UH holds a 10-1 advantage in the series.
Villaroman walked on last year and earned a scholarship this season. The sophomore spent the summer with the U.S. junior national team and wasn't worried about Ilustre's transfer to UH.
"I think we're both good players," Villaroman said. "I was excited when I heard she was coming. I wasn't worried about my playing time because I'm fortunate to be here. We really get along."
Ilustre played two years at Cal State Northridge where she was an outside hitter and a defensive specialist. She was the 2000 Big Sky Conference Defensive Specialist of the Year and spent last summer with the A2 national team.
Her experience at CSUN, though not negative, wasn't quite what she had hoped for. So when she thought about leaving, her sister advised her to come to the islands.
But Ilustre wasn't sure if she wanted to be in Heidi's shadow again, a place she'd spent much of her life, both literally and figuratively, as Heidi at 5-10 is nearly a half-foot taller.
"I wasn't happy there," Ilustre said of CSUN. "I've always wanted to come here, but I felt like I needed to get a scholarship ... It was a hard decision to make because I would have to live behind my sister's shadow again."
But she's earned the scholarship, and except for being occasionally mistaken for Heidi, Ilustre has happily adjusted.
Though their defensive skills have earned them significant playing time, both Villaroman and Ilustre say they miss hitting.
Both were cagey hitters against tall blocks as preps. Ilustre once hammered 32 kills in the California state championship.
"It's so exciting (to hit against taller players)," Villaroman said. "I miss it, but I don't regret anything. I'm glad I was able to hit in high school."
But they have worked out a pact so they can take an occasional swing from the back row.
"We always try to keep each other as options," Ilustre said. "She's a good hitter, too. We always try to be an option. We always try to call for a set."
And while their defense impresses their teammates, the players also admire their hitting.
"It's even better when we'll have a bad pass and they're yelling to hit the pipe or whatever set," Willoughby said. "They really jump and bang the ball. Sometimes I look at Hedder and go 'where is all that power coming from?' She's so little. She can really hit the ball. The same thing for Melissa."
Villaroman is hitting .500 with two kills in four attempts. Ilustre has four kills in 20 attempts.
HAWAII (15-4, 7-0 WAC) PROJECTED STARTERS
Ht. KPG Aces DPG S Margaret Vakasausau (Jr.) 5-8 .35 7 2.35 MB Nohea Tano (So.) 5-11 1.39 3 1.20 MB Lauren Duggins (So.) 6-0 1.80 15 2.88 OH Kim Willoughby (So.) 6-0 6.91 16 3.52 OH Maja Gustin (So.) 6-3 3.60 13 0.95 Opp Tanja Nikolic (Sr.) 6-0 2.53 14 2.22 DS Hedder Ilustre (Jr.) 5-7 0.06 2 1.86 NEVADA (14-3, 7-2)
Ht. KPG Aces DPG S Jill Couwenhoven (Jr.) 5-8 .76 23 1.37 MB Michelle More (Jr.) 6-2 3.81 16 1.38 MB Kellie LaBossiere (Sr.) 5-11 2.36 21 2.52 OH Suzanne Stonebarger (Sr.) 5-9 2.92 13 3.74 OH Shannon Stemler (Sr.) 6-0 2.24 14 1.83 Opp Navonna Chambers (Sr.) 5-10 2.12 4 0.68 DS Emily Baracco (Jr.) 5-7 0.06 23 1.51
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii