[ WAHINE VOLLEYBALL ]
UH’s Prince busy with
volleyball’s dream job
The middle blocker lands in Hawaii
after injury and unhappiness
The "Dream Job" television show can wait.
Victoria "V" Prince is already anchoring what she considers the "Dream Job" reality series.
It's showing tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center for the fourth time this fall season. And Prince, who aspires to be an ESPN sportscaster, can't wait to be back in prime time.
Tonight, the No. 11 Hawaii women's volleyball team puts its 3-0 record on the line against Southwest Missouri State (5-0) in the second match of the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Challenge. All four teams come into the tournament undefeated, including those in the 5 p.m. match -- No. 3 UCLA (4-0) and No. 17 Santa Clara (3-0).
"It's another huge weekend," said the 21-year-old Prince, the Rainbow Wahine starting middle blocker. "Someone's going to lose ... and it's not going to be us."
Prince, a junior transfer from Washington State, has made herself quite at home just three matches into the season. She started out last Thursday as a right-side hitter, but ankle injuries to middle blockers Juliana Sanders (Thursday) and Melody Eckmier (Friday) have put the 6-foot Prince back where she earned All-NCAA East Regional honors for the Cougars in the 2002 elite eight ... in the middle as the Wahine won their ninth Hawaiian Airlines Classic title.
"I've always been a middle," said Prince, named to the HAC all-tournament team. "I only started playing right-side since double-days (last month's practices).
"In practice, I move around a lot. I'm with the hitters. I'm with the middles. I was the shortest middle blocker in the Pac-10 and here I'm the shortest middle and the shortest hitter. That's fine. I like being underestimated."
It's the position that "V" -- as she prefers to be called -- finds her team in as well. Few thought Hawaii would escape the HAC without a loss, and the Wahine did need to go five to pull out wins over San Diego and Arizona.
"It's better to be underestimated than overestimated," she said. "People were surprised we won all three, but I wasn't. I was expecting it.
"This past weekend was great for us because five-game matches are the hardest to win. Those are the ones you work hard in practice for, the ones when you're out of breath and can't feel your legs ... you have to go hard."
Prince went hard in Game 5 against the Wildcats, serving aggressively, getting in on blocks and putting down the match-ending kill, her 12th of the night. Her aggressive style is what made Hawaii coach Dave Shoji take a chance on Prince, his third transfer from WSU (setter Nikki Hubbert and hitter Nohea Tano are the others).
The Wahine were experience-depleted with the loss of seven seniors, and had one scholarship remaining. Shoji wasn't expecting to use it this season, unless a player surfaced who would have an immediate impact.
"You can never count on getting a transfer and sometimes you get lucky," Shoji said. "We got lucky. She solidifies the lineup and, with the injuries, we're fortunate to have a middle like her.
"Offensively, we needed someone like her. She's instant offense. She's aggressive, attacks the ball, serves aggressively (team-leading 11 aces). Sometimes a young team needs someone to take chances, to just go for it. When they see that, they'll say, 'I need to do that.' "
It's similar to how Prince ended up at UH. Unhappy after two seasons at Washington State, she and several teammates sat out last season while looking for schools to transfer to.
Prince was also rehabbing from a broken foot and nerve damage suffered during a spring 2003 practice. The Kennewick, Wash., native had earned notice as a sophomore with several breakout matches -- including an 11-kill, 11-block outing in a win over UCLA -- and finished sixth in the Pac-10 in blocks (1.21 bpg).
Her choices were narrowed to Long Beach State and Hawaii. She liked the 49ers program but fell in love with the islands.
"I came on my visit and right when I got off the plane, I knew this is where I wanted to be," Prince said. "It wasn't a hard decision at all.
"I love the environment here. Everyone is so positive. On my visit, we went canoe surfing, actually swam in the intense waves at Sandy Beach and went to my first men's volleyball game -- ironically against Long Beach State. The fans were so overwhelming. My teammates said that this is what we get, too, and even more."
Prince has acclimated quite nicely, she says, and has acquired a taste for loco moco plate lunches. She's also begun to experience Wahine-mania, being recognized at the mall.
"What I've got to work on is my autographs," Prince said. "My teammates say I take too long. I guess I'll have to have my own signature sessions to work on it."
Just three matches in, Prince has put her signature on the Wahine's quicker offense, currently third in kills (2.92 kpg and blocks (1.08). She and sophomore setter Kanoe Kamana'o have connected well on the step-out or slide move to the outside.
"She's such a dynamic player," Kamana'o said. "She's really quick. Her speed makes up for her shortness, especially on the slide. I can get the ball out there quicker and she gets there."
And here is where Prince wants to be.
"When I got hurt, I knew there had to be a reason, there had to be a plan," she said. "I didn't understand what it would be at the time.
"Looking back on it, it was a blessing. Every morning I wake up, see the ocean from my lanai, and thank God. I'm so blessed to be here and to be on this team. I knew I would be happy here, but I didn't know I would love it like this. It's more than I ever imagined."
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