[ 2003 SEASON PREVIEW ]
KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
WITH ILLUSTRATION BY
BRYANT FUKUTOMI, DEAN SENSUI AND MICHAEL ROVNER
Wahine
Do they have the stuff
to top the NCAA chart?
IS this the year? Is this FINALLY the year?
How many times has that been asked since 1987?
Hawaii has had great teams in the past 15 seasons, but the Wahine have come up short. The four banners have been silent testaments to that.
The Teee Williams-led squads couldn't do it, falling to Texas in the 1988 NCAA championship and nemesis Long Beach State in the 1989 regional final five-set heartbreaker.
Cover features the Wahine's seven seniors:
1. Karin Lundqvist
2. Lauren Duggins
3. Melissa Villaroman
4. Lily Kahumoku
5. Maja Gustin
6. Nohea Tano
7. Kim Willoughby
The improbable, magical, undefeated season of 1995 skidded to a halt at 31-1 with the 3-2 meltdown against Michigan State. Player of the Year Angelica Ljungquist had a debilitating flu and the Wahine went cold in the 1996 NCAA final, the last time UH was in the championship match.
The Heather Bown-led teams had the potential, but lost another five-setter at Florida in the 1998 regional final and were stunned at home in the 1999 regional semi by Texas A&M.
Despite two of the hardest hitters in NCAA history - Lily Kahumoku and Kim Willoughby - the Wahine twice were unable to advance past the NCAA semifinals, falling to Nebraska in 2000 and Stanford last December.
Hawaii's four women's championship banners were remade and re-hung earlier this year. They tease the players every time they practice or play in the Stan Sheriff Center, reminders waving gently from the rafters.
The talent is there to win it all. But is this the year - FINALLY - the promise will be fulfilled?
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Player Roster
This year's roster for the Wahine:
No. Name Ht. Cl. Pos. Hometown 1. Juliana Sanders 6-2 Fr. M Kaneohe 2. Susie Boogaard 6-2 So. RS Bellflower, Calif. 3. Kim Willoughby 6-0 Sr. LS Napoleonville, La. 4. Kari Gregory 6-3 Fr. M Las Vegas 5. Nohea Tano 6-0 Sr. RS Kailua 6. Karin Lundqvist 6-3 Sr. M Stockholm 7. Alicia Arnott 6-0 Fr. LS Honolulu 8. Melody Eckmier 6-3 Jr. M Simi Valley, Calif. 9. Lily Kahumoku 6-2 Sr. LS Lubbock, Texas 10. Kanoe Kamana'o 5-8 Fr. S Honolulu 11. Ashley Watanabe 5-6 So. L Aiea 12. Maja Gustin 6-3 Sr. M Maribor, Slovenia 13. Cayley Thurlby 5-10 Fr. S Naperville, Ill. 14. Lauren Duggins 6-0 Sr. M Fullerton, Calif. 15. Melissa Villaroman 5-6 Sr. L Carson, Calif. 16. Raeceen Woolford 5-7 Fr. L Pearl City 17. Katie Carlson 5-6 Fr. L Los Alamitos, Calif. RS. Teisa Fotu 6-0 Sr. LS Laie
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The Seniors
Karin Lundqvist solidified the Wahine middle in her first season. The 6-foot-3 transfer from Montana State was named All-WAC second team despite missing nearly half the conference season with a torn ACL.
Lauren Duggins started every match the past two seasons, finished a strong junior year with third-team All-American honors. The 6-footer led the Wahine last season in hitting (.396) and blocks (1.33 bpg).
Melissa Villaroman, arguably the best libero in the country, had 19 double-digit dig matches in being named All-WAC second team. Had 33 digs in the win at Fresno State,
19 in the regional final at Nebraska.
Lily Kahumoku averaged 5.27 kills per game with a career-high 33 kills against Fresno State. The 6-2 hitter is a two-time All-American. Still lists Lubbock, Texas, as hometown, spent much of her youth there.
Maja Gustin continues to move up the career chart in blocks and should crack the top 10. The 6-3 middle missed 12 matches with a stress fracture. She had eight blocks in the NCAA semi vs. Stanford.
Nohea Tano moved to the outside last season from the middle and responded with solid numbers. The 5-11 Tano hit .342 with 1.33 kills per game.
Kim Willoughby, a two-time All-American, has a killer shot from the 10-foot line in her versatile repertoire. The 6-footer was the WAC Player of the Year, had 20 double-doubles and 17 20-plus kill matches.
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By Position
Libero / DS
Senior Melissa Villaroman leads 4 back-court specialistsThere remains room for the "little guy" in volleyball. The Wahine trademark has long been their defense and this year will be no exception with a strong quartet of liberos/defensive specialists.
Melissa Villaroman earned the libero position last year, as well as the respect of her teammates and opponents. She is back to build on her team-leading dig total from last season and likely will move up to the first team of the All-Western Athletic Conference honors.
Villaroman averaged 3.52 dpg, including 33 in the five-set win at Fresno State.
"I think it's going to be a great season," said Villaroman, who had 198 digs last season. "I look at the (championship) banners and they won one in 1982, the year I was born. It would be great to put one up my last year.
"No words can express how excited we are. I'm very confident in all of us. I'm ready to play."
Pushing Villaroman for playing time is sophomore walk-on Ashley Watanabe, who played in 20 games last year with 16 digs. The Aiea High product has been with the program two seasons, redshirting her first year.
Two freshmen who have made the roster as walk-ons are liberos-in-training. Both Raeceen Woolford and Katie Carlson were outside hitters in high school, the 5-7 Woolford at Iolani School, the 5-6 Carlson at Los Alamitos (Calif.) High.
It's likely that Dave Shoji will keep all four on the active roster this season.
Setters
Kamana'o appears to have won the starting spot for nowHawaii's biggest loss may not have come when the Wahine fell to Stanford in the 2002 NCAA semifinal.
The team also lost two outstanding setters in Jen Carey and Margaret Vakasausau. In their place are two untested freshmen, redshirt Cayley Thurlby and Kanoe Kamana'o, two months out of Iolani School.
The 5-8 Kamana'o has earned the starting position ... at least for opening night.
"Kanoe will be getting most of the reps with the first team this week," said coach Dave Shoji. "But like I told the team, that we have competition at every spot. It doesn't matter who starts. Everyone should get some playing time.
"I told them that, even if you don't start, you'd better be ready to go in. And there's no guarantee for the starters that once they're in, they're going to stay in."
Kamana'o is smaller (5-8) and perhaps more athletic than Thurlby (5-10). Both have much to learn and much to give.
It will be as much a trial by fire as on-the-job training for the two. Patience, according to Shoji, will be the key for the veterans.
"We have such great hitters," said Thurlby, who worked with the majority of the team during her redshirt year. "Dave has said the setting just has to be good enough. He's right in that it might not have to be perfect because our hitters can do so much. But I want to hold myself to a little bit of a higher standard."
This is one position at Hawaii that has always been held to that higher standard.
Middle Blockers
Wahine have solid front but Duggins may go to oppositeThe "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" axiom does not apply to this Wahine team.
Senior Lauren Duggins is the most effective middle the team has - as evidenced by the third-team All-American selection last season. She led Hawaii in hitting percentage and blocking, and appears set for another big year.
It may not be in the middle, however. Duggins is practicing at opposite to take advantage of her athleticism.
"We have a few experiments going on but not enough time to put some of them into the offense by the weekend," said Shoji.
Instead, fans likely will see the tried-and-true with Duggins and either Maja Gustin or Karin Ljundqvist in the middle for starters against Kansas State.
The 6-3 Gustin, an All-WAC pick in 2000 and 2001, recovered from injuries to finish with a solid second half of the season. The 6-3 Lundqvist, All-WAC last year, is coming off knee surgery.
In the mix is 6-3 junior Melody Eckmier, who may also see time on the outside.
Two freshmen give Hawaii something to build on for the future in 6-2 Juliana Sanders (Castle High) and 6-3 Kari Gregory of Las Vegas. The two likely will redshirt, joining senior left-side hitter Teisa Fotu, a Kahuku High product who transferred from Hawaii Pacific.
"We haven't made the decision yet," said Shoji.
Outside Hitters
"Loaded" is a mild term with Willoughby, Kahumoku & Co.It is Lethal Weapon 2. Seniors and two-time All-Americans Lily Kahumoku and Kim Willoughby give Hawaii perhaps the most effective 1-2 punch on the left-side in volleyball history.
Both are legitimate player of the year candidates. Both say the only thing that matters is winning the national title.
Willoughby finished second in hitting nationally as a junior (6.31 kpg) and led the country as a sophomore (7.20). Kahumoku averaged 5.27 kpg, as the Wahine became the first team in NCAA history to lead the country in all three major offensive categories (.329 hitting percentage, 18.19 kpg and 16.72 assists per game).
"That combination is really hard to stop," said Shoji. "It's going to be a long time before another Kim and Lily come along."
This is the position with the most depth and options. The right-side starting position is up for grabs, with 5-11 senior Nohea Tano, 6-2 sophomore Susie Boogaard, and 6-foot true freshman Alicia Arnott vying for playing time. Arnott (La Pietra) has the best chance of any of the freshmen, with the exception of setter, to contribute right away.
Shoji said Boogaard and Arnott are the heir-apparents to Kahumoku and Willoughby on the left-side.
Arnott, a Fab 50 pick, comes in with very impressive credentials. She was a member of the 18-and-under national championship team at this summer's Junior Olympics.
