Ka‘aihues get to explore some family history

LOUISVILLE, Ky. » The city is home to a number of attractions, including the Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum, located a few blocks from the team's hotel.

The museum foyer has a wall of fame, with the signatures of every major league player to have a bat contract with the company engraved on a nameplate. A number of the parents and players visited yesterday, but it was a special visit for the Elizabeth Ka'aihue's family.

Among the group of players from 1961 to 1970 -- belt-high, right about where sluggers like a pitch -- was the name of Kala Ka'aihue, 1969, who played in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system and was a manager of the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders in the 1980s.

Ka'aihue's wife, Cookie, made a tracing of the nameplate yesterday as well as ordered two engraved bats, one for her daughter-in-law, the other for the girlfriend of son Kala Jr. -- former Wahine setter Kanoe Kamana'o.

Road trip

Among those making the trek here were several men's volleyball players from Missouri Valley College, who drove about 7 hours from Marshall, Mo. In the group was former all-state player Adam Tuifagu (Kamehameha '04), who is the first cousin of Wahine freshman libero Elizabeth Ka'aihue, and Drew Fernandez (Kohala '05).

Driving over from Cincinnati was former Hilo ('81) and UCLA standout Reed Sunahara, who has been the Bearcats women's head coach since 1999. Sunahara said he'll be bringing his team to Honolulu next fall to compete in one of the tournaments hosted by Hawaii.

Numbers game

Jamie Houston's 25 kills last night put her at 1,611 for her career. She is just the fourth Wahine to reach the 1,600-kill mark and is fourth on the school's all-time list, trailing Kim Willoughby (2,598), Teee Williams (1,873) and Lily Kahumoku (1,822).

Tell-tale sign

Hawaii and Middle Tennessee State had one opponent in common this season -- Oregon State -- with the outcomes against the Beavers holding true last night. The Wahine were swept by Oregon State on Aug. 26, while the Blue Raiders outlasted the Beavers in five a week later.