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Wednesday, November 29, 2000

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Milia Macfarlane of Punahou is a member of the
Star-Bulletin's volleyball and basketball ILH|
all-star teams this year.

Super setter

Milia Macfarlane of Punahou
is the Player of the Year on
the Star-Bulletin's All-State
Girls' volleyball team

---

By Tim Crouse
Special to the Star-Bulletin

She doesn't wear a fancy cape, and she definitely doesn't see herself as rising above the crowd.

But nothing seems impossible for Star-Bulletin all-state girls' volleyball player of the year, Milia Macfarlane.

"She's Superwoman," St. Francis coach Sean Maskell said.

But the 5-foot-5 senior setter who guided an unstoppable Punahou offense all the way to a state championship just wants to be seen as a part of the whole.

"My name shouldn't be there as player of the year, it should really just say 'The Punahou Team,' " Macfarlane said.

"I'm getting credit for this and I really don't deserve it," she said. "My passers, our backrow people, make my job very easy and the hitters make me look good. It's a team effort. Everyone did their job."

Macfarlane's job was to set up hitters like Michelle Look, Puna Richardson and Melissa Wilton.

"This is the first year I seriously set," Macfarlane said. "Last year I set half the year as a backup."

The former outside hitter played setter this season like she's been doing it for years.

"She can set from anywhere," Maskell said.

"She has great hands," Kamehameha coach Joey Miyashiro said.

Said Aiea coach Blythe Yamamoto: "It's not only her skills, but the way she handles the team and her composure. That's something you can't teach."

Punahou coach Diana McKibbin said Macfarlane's athleticism and hard work are the keys to her success.

"You have her go through 30 or 50 repetitions and she'll want to do 100," McKibbin said. "She wants to do it right and she'll continue to push herself to get it right."

Macfarlane's accomplishments on the court are all the more impressive since, unlike the majority of the top players in the state, she doesn't play club volleyball during the off-season.

"I take the summer off (to focus on basketball) so I'm always the only one who comes back each season not having played," Macfarlane said. "Everyone else on the team has more experience, so I learn from them."

Next fall, she will put on a University of Hawaii uniform to play basketball for coach Vince Goo.

Macfarlane already knew she was going to sign with UH, but she waited until after the state tournament to make it official because she didn't want to cause distractions for the team.

Earlier this month, Macfarlane canceled a scheduled recruiting trip to UH because she had so much school work to get done and couldn't afford to miss a day.

"Whenever we hear that (students) are concerned about their work it makes us happy," Goo said. "It shows that she has her priorities in place.

"She excels in academics and she excels in character. We think she's going to have good leadership qualities," he said.

Macfarlane eagerly accepts the idea of setting a positive example for younger athletes -- including sisters Mahina, Anu and Ilima, who are following her as multi-sport players at Punahou.

"I really want to try to be a role model like (former UH basketball stars) Nani Cockett and BJ Itoman," Macfarlane said. "I really want to push myself to be someone my sisters can look up to.

"I think I have a lot more to offer than just athletics," she said.

Besides this year's volleyball state crown and one in basketball from her freshman year at Punahou, Macfarlane also owns another type of crown -- from a pageant.

Macfarlane was named Miss Hawaii Teen earlier this year, in the first pageant she ever participated in.

She traveled to Florida in August and finished in the top 10 in the nation in the Miss American Teen pageant.

"I did it because I felt that if I could accomplish this on my own, I could accomplish anything," Macfarlane said.

The rest of the Star-Bulletin's All-State team, which was chosen after consultation with coaches from around the state:

Elizabeth Narkon (6-0 Junior Middle Blocker, St. Francis): Pounded kills with regularity and stopped opposing offenses at the net.

"She controlled the middle," coach Sean Maskell said. "She shut teams down early with her blocking and kills. She excelled at her position."

Michelle Look (5-9 Junior Outside Hitter, Punahou): Improved as the season progressed, saving her best play for the second half and state tournament.

"She was mentally tough," Kamehameha coach Joey Miyashiro said.

Leahi Hall (5-9 Senior Middle Blocker, King Kekaulike): She did everything on the court, was the focal point for the offense -- and showed considerable leadership skills.

"She's the player that other coaches wanted to take out of the match," coach Karen Deguilmo said.

Kelii Wilson (6-0 Senior Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter, Hilo): Gave opponents fits with hard hitting and a big block.

"She is a smart player," Radford coach Candace Cabrera said. "I was impressed with her control of the game."

Liezel Ganotisi (5-1 Senior Defensive Specialist, Farrington): Used her athletic ability, intelligence and fearlessness to become a force from the backrow.

"She reads the defense very well," coach Jenic Tumaneng said. "And she's not afraid to go on the floor. She tends to get to the spot before the ball gets there."

Ganotisi also developed a tough floater serve this season.

Coach of the year -- Sean Maskell, St. Francis: The first-year coach led the Troubadours to their first-ever state tournament appearance -- and all the way to the championship match.

"He knows a lot about volleyball. I look at him as being somebody who is going to be good with whoever he has," Kamehameha coach Joey Miyashiro said.

Second Team

Kalae Araujo (5-6 Senior Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist, St. Francis)
Naomi Edgell (5-8 Senior Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter, Moanalua)
Kanoe Kamana'o (5-7 Sophomore Setter, Iolani)
Maxine Karimoto (5-2 Senior Defensive Specialist, Punahou)
Puna Richardson (5-11, Sophomore Middle Blocker, Punahou)
Holly Yamada (5-6 Senior Outside Hitter, Farrington)

Third Team

Piikea Dudoit (5-10 Senior Outside Hitter, Kamehameha)
Amy Kotani (5-2 Sophomore Defensive Specialist, Moanalua)
Tiana Lum-Tucker (5-6 Junior Outside Hitter, Kauai)
Cherie Mattoon (5-6 Senior Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker, McKinley)
Mahea Rawlins (5-5 Senior Setter, Molokai)
Kim Tano (5-9 Senior Middle Blocker, St. Francis)

Honorable Mention

Aiea: Jacelyn Reyes, Ashley Watanabe, Aritta Lane, Joelle Sugai. Hawaii Prep: Hannah Hind. Hilo: Kamalei Hayes, Bethany DeGuzman, Dessari Olevao. Iolani: La'aKea Campbell, Ashley Elliazar. Kahuku: Natasha Kai. Kaiser: Pomai Neff. Kamehameha: Courtney Cho. Kauai: Danielle Kiyabu, Rona Nishikawa. Maryknoll: Mel Tang. McKinley: Kehau Bajet. Mililani: Kaala Lo, Uheina Tuihalafatai. Moanalua: Kahala Kabalis, Jennifer Narimatsu, Amanda Vasquez. Pearl City: Jeanetter Mendoza. Punahou: Kaleo Ka'aihue, Melissa Wilton, Caroline Ane. Radford: Jasmine Kapesi, Natacia Manuma. Roosevelt: Jodi Nakashima. Sacred Hearts: Nohealani Burgess. St. Francis: Jenae Barona, Jonnilyn Brown, Sarah Desuacido. St. Joseph: Kuuipo Hayes. University: Janeen Waialae. Waiakea: Lindsey Lee, Lovey Aiana. Waianae: Briana Marinas. Waimea: Ashley Hori, Britne Boeder.