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Spreading the aloha
Four players from Hawaii make
an impact on the success of the
Fairfield women's volleyball team
Jazmin Pa'akaula figures that when her new teammates start to call things "da kine," their indoctrination into the culture of Hawaii will be well under way.
The indoctrination of players and fans at Fairfield University in Connecticut into the skills of Hawaii volleyball players already is under way, thanks to three freshmen from the Big Island who joined their ranks this season.
All three are 2004 graduates of St. Joseph High School in Hilo -- Pa'akaula, Lindsey Lee and Ashley Hanohano.
They join returning sophomore Kiana Kauwe (Kamehameha '03 of Hawaii Kai) to give Fairfield four players from Hawaii -- more than any NCAA Division I team except University of Hawaii.
The impact -- both ways -- has been immediate.
Lee has been selected to three all-tournament teams in three weeks and last Sunday was chosen Most Valuable Player of the Virginia Commonwealth Invitational. On Monday, Lee was named Offensive Player of the Week in the Middle Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Pa'akaula also was named to the Virginia Commonwealth all-tournament team, and on Monday she was named Middle Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Week.
Pa'akaula says the defense of players from Hawaii sets them apart.
"Every player here remembers seeing a Hawaii team at a club tournament and that their defense was awesome," she said. "Every Hawaii team got something in their back pocket. You don't see so much players like that on the mainland."
Last weekend, Lee had consecutive matches of 20, 27 and 26 digs. In the final against Mercer, she also had 17 kills and hit .341.
Pa'akaula had 18 kills and 25 digs in the final sweep against Mercer, when Fairfield won the last two games by scores of 36-34 and 43-41.
A bigger transition than volleyball, Pa'akaula says, is being responsible and living independently nearly 5,000 miles from home.
"No one checks on if you come to class," she said. "You have to make sure studies come first."
Visiting the recreation room or snack bar comes after visiting the library, she says.
Culturally, "wow, a big change," Pa'akaula said. "Little things, like how we talk back home, how we interact with each other.
"We have to slow down when we talk" to mainland teammates, but some Hawaiian and pidgin is being taught, "like puka, piko, da kine."
The St. Joseph players brought T-shirts with them that said "FAIRFIELD -- Hawaiian Style" and gave them to their coaches and teammates.
"They are fascinated by some things we do, like wearing flowers behind our ears," she said.
Pa'akaula, Lee and Hanohano made their recruiting visit during a blizzard last winter, so they know what to expect.
"We'll be trading our slippers for insulated boots," she said.
Pa'akaula says she is enjoying the fall weather, even though it is below 60 degrees at night.
"No beaches is the hardest thing, and the change in food," she said.
"Once in a while you crave lomi salmon or lau lau, or you want to go to the beach and get your toes in the sand."
There is a beach about 15 minutes from campus.
"They call it a beach," she said. "It's like artificial sand, and the water is not as clear."
Her favorite beaches in Hawaii are on Oahu, where she has eight uncles and aunties and where she lived until sixth grade.
"When I go back home, I get to be the other part, not the volleyball Jazmin," she said.
Fairfield coach Jeff Werneke appreciates his Hawaii contingent both as volleyball players and as individuals.
"One of the strongest attributes our team has is team chemistry," Werneke said, "and they fit in great."
"Lindsey is very competitive and intense and brings that personality to court; Ashley is a natural leader, directing the flow on the court as setter, and Jazmin keeps calm and composed no matter what the situation. She has a high volleyball IQ," Werneke added.
"Each aspect adds to team dynamic."
So does their Hawaiian influence.
"Hawaiian culture is pretty festive and exciting and joyous," the coach said.
"They bring those attitudes to our team. They remind us all at times to have a little more fun, relax and not take things so seriously."
Working through the big change in her life, Pa'akaula says, "I miss my family and friends, the beaches and food, but I'm not homesick.
"I like it here. I'm glad I came. No regrets."
Quick sets: Another St. Joseph alum, University of Oregon sophomore outside hitter Sarah Mason (class of 2003) was chosen to the all-tournament team at the Sacramento State Invitational last weekend. Mason had 15-, 16- and 16-kill matches, including 15-of-32 hitting against Charlotte.
Oregon suffered its first two losses of the season and is 8-2 entering its Pac-10 schedule.
While the three freshmen from St. Joseph are starters at Fairfield, Kauwe is a backup libero who is nationally ranked in digs . . . Lee, Pa'akaula and Hanohano have played together on club teams coached by Hanohano's mother, Rachelle, since sixth grade. Rachelle Hanohano is athletic director and girls volleyball coach at St. Joseph . . . The three St. Joseph alumnae have three of Fairfield's nine full volleyball scholarships and Kauwe has combined academic and athletic scholarships. Coach Werneke recruited the St. Joseph players after seeing them play in a tournament in Las Vegas.
Fairfield is a 1-hour drive north of New York City and 1.5 hours from Boston.
Narkon leads W. New Mexico
in hitting, kills
Its annual trip to Hawaii is where Western New Mexico volleyball dreams have come to die in past years. The Mustangs hope this year is different, in part because of the dominant play of 6-foot-1 sophomore Liz Narkon (Saint Francis '02 of Hawaii Kai).
In three road matches last week at UTEP and Montana-Billings, Western New Mexico improved to 12-4 and Narkon averaged 5.64 kills per game with at least 26 kills in each match.
She leads the PacWest in kills with 4.92 per game, including the conference season high of 33 against Indianapolis. She leads Western in hitting percentage at .277. Sophomore right-side hitter Meghan Watson (Kalaheo '03) is second on the team in digs with 2.71 per game and second in aces with 18. Sophomore Melanie Tang (Maryknoll '03 of Honolulu) is a backup defensive specialist.
Western comes to Hawaii for matches against UH-Hilo on Monday, Chaminade on Wednesday, Hawaii Pacific on Oct. 1 and BYUH on Oct. 2.
In other volleyball news:
» George Washington (Washington, D.C.) sophomore setter Kaimana Lee (Seabury Hall '03 of Wailuku) was chosen to the all-tournament team of the George Washington Invitational last weekend. She is averaging 9.64 assists and 2.28 digs and has 18 blocks in 39 games.
» Regis (Colo.) senior Holly Yamada (Farrington '01) averaged 4.0 kills and 3.67 digs per game in road losses to Nebraska-Kearney, the No. 1 ranked team in NCAA Division II, and No. 13 Fort Hays State.
» Two Menlo (Calif.) College players won weekly honors yesterday in the Cal-Pac Conference. Sanoe' Eselu (Moanalua '03) was named Player of the Week and Alyssa Chang (Maryknoll '04 of Tantalus) was named Setter of the Week. Eselu had 25 kills in 60 attempts in seven games and Chang served six aces Saturday against Mills. Menlo is 5-0 in the Cal-Pac.
In football:
» Junior Ha'a Bento (Saint Louis '01) tied the Texas A&M-Commerce school record with four field goals and added four point-after-touchdown kicks to tie the scoring record with 16 points on Saturday. Bento was named Co-Special Teams Player of the Week in the Lone Star Conference South.
His scoring helped Commerce defeat Northeastern State (Oklahoma) 40-21.
