DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii defensive specialist Hedder Ilustre left Cal State Northridge in search of better camaraderie. She says when the Wahine start to drag, she likes to talk, as she did when she congratulated Lily Kahumoku, to get them going again.
Winning equation She is one part energy, one part laugh and two parts chatter. Or maybe it's a 50-50 blend of pep and chatterbox.
Hedder Ilustre was looking
for some better chemistry
in transferring to HawaiiBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comThere's no exact breakdown for senior Hedder Ilustre, but the sum of all the parts equals a tenacious defensive specialist who has been the consummate team player for Hawaii.
"She's just all about the team. It's never anything about her," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "She seems to always be up and she seems to always get people going.
"I know deep down inside when she struggles with her own game, she never lets on about it. That's hard to do. Everybody goes through tough times. Most people kind of show their feelings, but she doesn't. She's always really good about putting everybody else before her."
Ilustre, the youngest of three children, has always been focused on the team concept. It was one of the reasons she left Cal State Northridge last year.
Individual honors were plentiful for her there -- she was the Big Sky Conference Defender of the Year and an honorable mention all-conference pick -- but the lack of team chemistry had her looking for a change after her sophomore season. Her older sister Heidi Ilustre, a Rainbow Wahine from 1996 to '99, urged her to transfer to Hawaii.
"I wasn't happy there. It wasn't fulfilling at all," Hedder Ilustre said. "I did well there personally. I dug a lot of balls there. As far as records, that was good. The team wasn't as good, so of course personal records would be higher. But the team didn't get along.
"This is where I wanted to be. I'm so lucky the coaches liked me. ... I wish I came here sooner, but I wouldn't appreciate it as much as I do."
Though she's only been here for two seasons, her teammates feel she's been an integral part of the squad.
"Hedder came late, but she's added so much to our defense," middle Lauren Duggins said. "She can dig everything. She has a certain spirit to her that really adds to our team.
"She's crazy. She's always laughing, singing and dancing. She's real positive. On the court, she's real competitive and she always wants to win."
Ilustre, who is of Filipino and Chinese descent, proved her defensive ability last season. She averaged 2.06 digs a game and earned all-conference honors as the only defensive specialist named to the All-WAC first team.
The 5-foot-7 defensive contortionist is all about sacrificing her body to play jaw-dropping defense. Ilustre uses the dolphin dive -- a technique used most often by men -- that allows her to get under the ball faster. And she uses her mile-a-minute mouth to keep the team energized.
"I see when the team is going down. If we're playing, I'll just keep talking. It'll keep the energy up," Ilustre said. "Even if what I'm saying doesn't make sense sometimes. Just as long as there's noise, it's keeping the team going."
Shoji agrees that Ilustre's talk can sometimes be garbled, but it does boost the team.
"It helps because her energy is really contagious," Shoji said. "When she comes in, she automatically lifts everybody up.
"I don't really hear what she says, but usually it's constant chatter. Whether it's, 'C'mon, let's go,' or encouragement of some particular, or babbling. She'll babble just to have talk. If we just need talk, she'll provide it."
Energy and defense aren't the only things she provides. Ilustre is option No. 6 on the court as a hitter.
She starred in high school as an undersized outside hitter and once hammered 32 kills in the California state championship match. Ilustre also played outside hitter at Northridge and once tallied 13 kills in a match.
She knows she won't see the front row for the Wahine, but Shoji has hinted that Ilustre could accidentally sneak through the front row.
"Maybe I'll forget to sub her out one time," Shoji said. "I told her if I ever don't have somebody ready (to go in) for her, act like you belong out there. Don't act surprised. Just walk to the front row and be ready to block and hit. ... I wouldn't be surprised if she got in and got herself a kill. She was an attacker for 10 years."
Ilustre gave up being a hitter to come to Hawaii, but she still remembers how good it felt to hear her name announced in the arena after she put down a ball from the back row.
If given the opportunity to take a crack at the ball in the front row, she knows just what she'd do.
"I'm cheap. I will tip. I will roll shot," Ilustre said. "Us short people aren't going to pound it straight down, so we have to be cheap and use the block.
"They might hate us even more on the other side because we're so cheap. Especially if you're a short hitter, the blockers get more pissed off if you're using the block or hitting past them. It's a win-win situation for us."
It's been win-win for Hawaii with Ilustre on the court.
Ilustre said she will complete her degree next year. She would like to eventually work in the music industry, but has not ruled out playing professionally overseas if the opportunity became available.
Note: Hawaii (21-0) is the lone unbeaten team in the country. No. 6 UC Santa Barbara (23-1) lost a four-game match to No. 10 Pepperdine at the Thunderdome on Wednesday. The match was delayed for more than two hours when there was a power outage.
Gameday
When: Today, 7 p.m., vs. Nevada; Tomorrow, 7 p.m. vs. Boise State; Sunday, 6 p.m. vs. Stanford
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: KFVE, Channel 5
Radio: Live, 1420-AMNotes: Hawaii defeated Nevada 3-0 in Reno last week before a record crowd of 2,023 at the Virginia Street Gym. The Wahine lead the series 13-1. ... Willoughby has 1,550 career kills and needs four kills to pass Suzanne Eagye (1,553), who is No. 3 on the Hawaii career kill leaders list. ... Hawaii players will be available for autographs after today's match. Sunday's match against Stanford will be senior night for Vakasausau, Jennifer Carey and Hedder Ilustre. ... Salavea is from American Samoa and her uncle Joe Salavea plays defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans. ... The grand prize winner of the WAC tournament trivia contest is Angie Santiago of Hawaii. Santiago's prize is a trip for two to the WAC volleyball tournament in Reno, Nev.
Probable starters
Nevada (18-5, 7-3 WAC)
Ht. KPG Aces Digs S Jill Couwenhoven (Sr.) 5-10 0.76 13 1.85 MB Michelle More (Sr.) 6-2 5.53 23 1.00 MB Salaia Salavea (Fr.) 6-0 2.69 19 0.79 OH Laura Wooley (Jr.) 5-10 2.98 10 2.98 OH Christine Harms (Fr.) 5-8 2.32 21 2.83 Opp Kellie Burton (So.) 6-2 1.86 0 0.26 L Lindsay Holda (Fr.) 5-7 NA NA 3.24
Hawaii (21-0, 9-0)
Ht. KPG Aces DPG S MVakasausau (Sr.) 5-8 .16 2 2.08 MB Maja Gustin (Jr.) 6-2 2.47 4 0.65 MB Lauren Duggins (Jr.) 6-0 2.54 15 1.94 OH Lily Kahumoku (Jr.) 6-2 5.28 8 3.15 OH Kim Willoughby (Jr.) 6-0 6.43 46 3.44 Opp Susie Boogaard (Fr.) 6-2 1.76 3 1.06 L Melissa Villaroman (Jr.) 5-6 NA NA 3.00
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