DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Lauren Duggins led the Wahine in hitting percentage and blocks last season. Hawaii coaches would like to move the middle blocker to the outside, but no one has beaten out the 6-footer for the job.
Undersized middle blocker
Lauren Duggins succeeds
with athleticism and grace
Think grace.
Wahine Classic
What: 16th Hawaiian Airlines Wahine ClassicWhere: Stan Sheriff Center
When: Tomorrow through Monday
TV: All matches live, KFVE, Ch. 5.
Radio: All Hawaii matches live, KKEA 1420-AM.
Internet: k5thehometeam.com or kkea1420am.com
Tickets: $3-$16. Available at Sheriff Center ticket office, by calling 944-BOWS or online at etickethawaii.com
Think Grace Kelly.
Think Lauren Duggins.
At 6 feet and 145 pounds, Duggins may be undersized for her position. But the senior middle for the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine volleyball team continues to get the job done, with a quiet effectiveness and deceptive quickness.
And with an athletic beauty uniquely her own.
"She is so graceful," said Wahine teammate Lily Kahumoku as the team prepared for tonight's match with No. 22 Louisville. "She's undersized, she's thin, she shouldn't be a good volleyball player. But she is.
"She's so agile, so athletic, so statuesque. She's like Grace Kelly. Lauren is the quickest middle blocker I've ever seen. And she is so beautiful to watch as a player."
"Lauren is so consistent," said junior middle Melodie Eckmier. "She just gets the job done. She's got that vertical, the quick arm swing, the quick feet.
"You have to watch out for her. You have to respect her. She makes you respect her."
The Hawaii coaches would like to move the 22-year-old to the outside, but Duggins' success -- she led the team in hitting percentage and blocks last season -- has kept her in the middle.
"We originally looked at her more as a left-side or a right-side hitter," said Wahine assistant Charlie Wade. "And we'll continue to evaluate the situation. She could be a really good right-side, but for that to happen, one of our other two middles has to be good enough to allow her to go over there.
"She's the best we have at closing the block right now. No one has been able to beat her out."
And Duggins is proud of that.
"I feel at home in the middle," she said. "I like showing people that I'm not too small.
"Sometimes it can be intimidating, like when (USC's 6-foot-6 middle) Emily Adams was looking down on my head. It's a challenge and I like the challenge."
Her third-team All-America selection came as no surprise to those who have watched Duggins blossom in the sport. Deb Fredricksen Duggins coached her oldest daughter since Lauren was involved in youth soccer at age 6 in Fullerton, Calif.
"To be honest, I wasn't surprised she has done well," said Deb Duggins, who was raised on Oahu's Windward side until she moved to the mainland for high school. "I remember (current USC assistant) Rob Machan telling me that one day Lauren was going to be famous.
"She's the type of athlete who observes something then she'll practice it and fine-tune it. I think that her playing center-mid in soccer, where she had to predict and read, has helped her as a middle blocker. It's the same concept, a game of space. She's applied it to volleyball. I foresaw her being successful in volleyball, not like the Kim Willoughbys and the Lily Kahumokus, but I knew she would do well. Lauren is very happy to be the quiet leader."
Being quiet ... sometimes too quiet ... is Duggins' main fault, according to family and teammates. Deb Duggins said the one way to get Lauren angry is to eat her ice cream.
"That will get her upset," she said.
Duggins is a major ice cream-aholic, and she can indulge as much as she wants, thanks to a high metabolism. The senior leans toward the Ben & Jerry flavors such as Chunky Monkey, Half-Baked and Phish Food, but "I love anything when it's two (pints) for $5," said Duggins. "That makes my day."
Having family in Hawaii helped Duggins make her decision to play for the Wahine. She had spent a number of summers here, camping with her family and her mother's relatives.
But, she said, she was unaware of how popular -- and successful -- the Hawaii volleyball program was.
"I went to a Hawaii-USC men's game when I was in high school and I thought that was a lot of people, maybe 2,500," Duggins said. "Then when I came on my recruiting visit, saw the arena packed, it was, 'Oh, my gosh. I can't believe this.' It was a bit of a shock. But a nice one."
The Hawaii coaches didn't know initially that Duggins was part-Hawaiian and had family here.
"I think it helped her feel more comfortable about making her decision," said Wade. "We pretty much rolled the dice on her and took a chance that's paid off."
"It seems to be a perfect fit," said Duggins' father, Mike. "She's a real kick-back kid, loves wearing the slippers and the shorts. And she's always had a strong interest in the Hawaiian culture.
"Everyone was so nice on her official visit. There's unbelievable support there. It was pretty much a no-brainer."
The Duggins family -- Deb, Mike and younger sister Elise -- flew in last night to watch this weekend's matches. Lauren Duggins is looking forward to the visit.
"I love it here, but if my family and friends would move here, it would be perfect," said Duggins.
After graduation in 2005, she intends to remain in Hawaii, hoping for a job as a school teacher. Her degree focus is on elementary and special education.
There could be a pro volleyball career in her future, too. Kahumoku has asked Duggins to consider being her beach doubles partner on the AVP Tour.
"She has all the ball-handling skills," said Kahumoku. "And she looks good. We might be able to get some endorsements."
For now, Duggins is concentrating on winning a national title and perfecting her game.
"Personally, I need to work on my confidence," she said. "And I need to work on my defensive passing. And I need to be more vocal."
Just on the court, not on the stage. She won't be appearing anytime soon in a club ... except as a groupie. Her boyfriend, Kyle Chun, plays guitar for Woody, a punk rock band based in Honolulu.
"I know all their songs, but don't ask me to sing," said Duggins.
Schedule
Tomorrow: No. 13 UCLA vs. No. 22 Louisville, 5 p.m.; No. 2 Hawaii vs. No. 6 Minnesota, 7 p.m.Saturday: Minnesota vs. Louisville, 1 p.m.
Sunday: UCLA vs. Minnesota, 3 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Louisville, 5 p.m.
Monday: Hawaii vs. UCLA, 4 p.m.
