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Wahine’s smile
coming back
Tara Hittle, as valuable for
her personality as she is for
her play, is getting healthier
Great debate questions:
» Which came first, the chicken or the egg?» Which is quicker, Tara Hittle's feet or her wit?
Of the latter, there may never be a definite answer. But one thing is certain. The Hawaii volleyball team has missed both Hittle's feet and her wit on the court.
The sophomore right-side hitter has been slowed by a severe ankle sprain suffered in practice Aug. 12, an injury that included a bone bruise and three torn ligaments. She watched from the sideline as the Rainbow Wahine went 0-2 in the season-opening AVCA/ NACWAA Showcase in Omaha, Neb., then returned to back-court action in last week's Hawaiian Airlines Classic, including a fairly successful stint as libero in the win over Western Michigan.
"It hurt us a lot when she wasn't out there," senior hitter Susie Boogaard said as No. 7 Hawaii prepared for tonight's match with Cincinnati. "She brings so much to our team. She's a great player with a great attitude. I'm not saying we lost because we didn't have her in there but we did miss her.
"And she's hilarious, that's all there is to it. Anything that comes out of her mouth usually gives you a chuckle."
Hittle's smile makes others smile. Some of it has to do with her "rainbow" braces, multi-colored wires she's had since her senior year at Doherty High in Colorado Springs, Colo.
"Yep, just had their two-year anniversary," she said. "I had cake the other night. Guess you can call it a birthday cake. They'll be coming off, maybe next month.
"I'm ready. It feels like I've had them forever."
She as easily could be referring to not starting in the front row, where she earned Freshman of the Year honors last season in the Western Athletic Conference. The rehabilitation has been slow, especially to the hard-hitting, high-energy Hittle, whose only other serious injury was a separated shoulder following a collision in a high school basketball game that kept her out a week.
"The rehab hasn't been bad," the 6-foot Hittle said. "The bad thing is not being able to do the things physically that I want to do.
"Omaha was tough. The positive is I made the trip. But I couldn't do anything for the team. We were struggling. I don't know what we needed, but we weren't clicking. I wished I could have physically helped."
As Hittle has healed, so has Hawaii. The Wahine (2-3) won two of three in last week's HAL Classic, falling short against Penn State in five after being up 2-0.
This week's 11th Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge schedule includes Cal State Northridge tomorrow and No. 10 UCLA looming Saturday. It's doubtful that Hittle -- or junior Sarah Mason (sprained ankle) -- will see front-row play.
Hawaii coach Dave Shoji is just happy to have Hittle back on the court. Three rotations of her being in the back row wasn't enough, he said, which led to Hittle playing libero for the first time since her first season of club volleyball at age 15.
"It really hurt us not having her at all that first week," Shoji said. "We could replace her offense in the front row, maybe, but not her back-court skills. She has a very quick first step, makes things look easy when they really aren't, and touches a lot of balls.
"I like her high-energy personality. She does everything well. When the pass is good and the tempo of the set is right, she is about as good as anybody we have to terminate."
Last year against Nevada and Fresno State, Hittle had a combined 41 kills and .585 hitting percentage when being named National Player of the Week. Her teammates feel Hittle's humor is even sharper than her stats.
"She is really funny -- out of nowhere here comes a joke," her roommate, sophomore middle Juliana Sanders, said. "And her energy. She doesn't need Red Bull ... but she drinks it anyway."
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