COURTESY JAREN WILKEY / BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
Uila Crabbe made one of her record 409 digs of the season for BYU on Saturday in Provo against Eastern Michigan.
Crabbe ecstatic
to play at homeThe BYU libero could
go up against her former
Kamehameha teammates
Uila Crabbe's enthusiasm drained Sunday as the NCAA women's volleyball brackets rolled up on her computer screen.
The at-large bid that Crabbe, the senior co-captain, and her Brigham Young teammates were looking for wasn't there as the brackets rolled by.
Fifteen brackets rolled up. Nothing. One to go.
Then there it was. Not only was BYU going to the Big Dance, Crabbe was going home to Hawaii to play.
The BYU women's volleyball team arrives at Honolulu Airport about 3:25 this afternoon on Delta. The Cougars play New Mexico State on Thursday at the Stan Sheriff Center at 5 p.m.
If they win, they probably will play against Hawaii and two of Crabbe's former Kamehameha Schools teammates -- Lily Kahumoku and Nohea Tano -- on Friday night.
"I jumped up and down and called everybody," said Crabbe, whose first name is pronounced "Whee-la." "I was like shaking. I am totally excited."
Playing at home "in front of the people who taught me how to play volleyball -- coaches, fans, uncles and aunties" is a deferred dream for Crabbe.
"We were scheduled to play at UH in 2001," Crabbe said. "We were packing to leave on Sept. 11. ... The trip was canceled."
In 2001, Crabbe was selected to the All-Mountain West Conference team as a defensive specialist. She had been the Hawaii state Player of the Year in 1999 as a setter for unbeaten Kamehameha, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
In 2002, the defense-only libero position was added to college volleyball and Crabbe embraced it.
"I stepped into that role of being our team's eyes on the court, and gained the respect of people on the team," Crabbe said. "I have some credibility now."
Coach Karen Lamb endorses Crabbe's assessment. "From the minute she stepped foot on the floor four years ago," Lamb said yesterday, "Uila has been on task, on time and on target."
Crabbe broke the BYU season record for digs Saturday on Senior Night. She got 16 digs against Eastern Michigan to push her season total to 409. The record was 401.
She leads the Mountain West Conference with 3.65 digs per game and is fifth on BYU's career digs list with 1,093.
Crabbe has played in 346 consecutive games since late in her freshman season, but BYU has no record for that.
Crabbe realizes that her playing career may end here this weekend, but her career won't.
She will graduate in April in health science and after she gets her masters, Crabbe wants to come home.
"My dream is to come back and work for Kam Schools," she said.
"I want to be giving back to the school that gave me so much. I also want to help young kids like myself reach some of their dreams."
The Hawaii Grown Report runs every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin. Reach Dennis Anderson at dennis@lava.net.BACK TO TOP |
Hawaii players
There are at least 16 alumnae of Hawaii high schools on the rosters of teams in the NCAA division I volleyball championship tournament starting Thursday. The players:
in NCAA volleyball
>> Kekai Crabbe, Pepperdine (Kamehameha '03 of Mililani) -- libero, has played in 42 of 99 games. Plays Manhattan on Thursday in Malibu, Calif.
>> Uila Crabbe, Brigham Young (Kamehameha '00 of Mililani) -- Record setting libero. Plays New Mexico State on Thursday in Honolulu.
>> Jennifer Fukino, Nicholls State, La. (Waimea '01) -- starting setter, averages 10.9 assists per game, only one serve-receive error all season. Plays at Texas A&M on Friday.
>> Leahi Hall, Stanford (King Kekaulike '01 of Ha'iku) -- shares libero and defensive specialist roles. Plays Sacramento State on Thursday at Stanford.
>> Taryn Horner, Utah (Iolani '00) -- Was starting libero most of the season. Plays Santa Clara on Friday at Seattle.
>> Kea Kimball, Loyola Marymount (Kamehameha '00 of Kaunakakai) -- Three-time All-West Coast Conference, this year as outside hitter. Over 1,000 career kills and digs. Plays Cal State Northridge on Friday at USC.
>> Michelle Look, Loyola Marymount (Punahou '02 of Kailua) -- reserve outside hitter. Plays Cal State Northridge on Friday at USC.
>> Kristen Luxton, Santa Clara (former Maryknoll) -- starting libero. Plays Utah on Friday at Seattle.
>> Krislen Morgado, Colorado (Punahou '03 of Pearl City) -- Injured early, has played one game. Plays Michigan on Friday at Berkeley.
>> Amanda Vasquez, California-Irvine (Moanalua '02) -- sophomore middle blocker, had 21 total blocks in her last two matches. She is eighth in the Big West Conference with 1.14 per game. Plays Missouri on Friday at UCLA.
And for the University of Hawaii, which will play Idaho on Thursday at Stan Sheriff Center:
>> Alicia Arnott (La Pietra '03) outside.
>> Lily Kahumoku (Kamehameha '03) outside
>> Kanoe Kamanao (Iolani '03) setter.
>> Juliana Sanders (Castle '03) backup middle.
>> Nohea Tano (Kamehameha '00 of Kailua) right side.
>> Ashley Watanabe (Aiea '01) backup libero.
Compiled by Dennis Anderson and Rich Kern
