RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM "She really showed signs of being an excellent player last week. She's been a work-in-progress and there's definitely been a lot of progress." Dave Shoji Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach, on UH middle blocker Juliana Sanders, right

Breakthrough
Blocker

Last week's big performance has
likely landed Juliana Sanders in
the starting lineup

She learned early about grace, discipline and finesse. First from dancing hula, then from karate and steering outrigger canoes.

Women's College Volleyball Who: No. 2 Washington (7-0) at No. 6 Hawaii (5-3) When: Today at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 6 p.m. Where: Stan Sheriff Center Tickets: $3-$18. Radio: Both matches live, KKEA (1420-AM) TV: Today's match live on KFVE (Ch. 5); tomorrow's match live on pay-per-view (Dig. 255), delayed on KFVE, 10 a.m. Sunday

All required blocking out the noise of a crowd, all of which put her in good stead when she decided to play volleyball.

It's why, when Juliana Leilaniomakalapua Sanders hears the cries of "Make us proud," she listens to her heart. Her answer is to go hard ... every play.

When the sophomore blocker takes to the court again tonight with her Hawaii volleyball teammates, she carries the same burden as every local player before her. It's a sense of pride and responsibility mixed with extra pressure.

"There is a 'localness' thing, a feeling to do well and make everyone proud," said Sanders, expected to start for the No. 6 Rainbow Wahine against No. 2 Washington tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center. "Of course, Hawaii wants to see its kids succeed in what they do.

"It's an awesome feeling that people are backing you up. I think there's a native pride."

Sanders, a Castle High graduate, walked on to the Hawaii program as a raw talent blessed with a blend of power and humility. She wasn't expecting a scholarship.

"I was grateful they asked me to join," she said.

Sanders has gone from a redshirt in 2003 to earning all-tournament honors at last week's Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge. She hit .444 with 3.11 kills and 1.56 blocks per game over three nights, including a career-high seven blocks against then-No. 10 UCLA.

Blocking is her weakness, something she worked on with help from her rival for the starting position, sophomore Kari Gregory. Sanders, who shared the spot with Gregory last season, became the second middle when Gregory went down with a knee injury last Friday against Cal State Northridge.

"My feeling is whoever's the best should be out there and I would never wish anyone an injury so I could play," Sanders said. "If I'm playing junk and Kari goes in, then I'm all for it. Anything to get our team to go forward.

"It's actually more pressure, knowing I'd be in there the whole time. I know I have to perform even better."

And getting better is what she has done. What the 6-foot-2 Sanders needs to do is work on her consistency, according to Hawaii coach Dave Shoji.

"She really showed signs of being an excellent player last week," Shoji said. "She's been a work-in-progress and there's definitely been a lot of progress.

"She likes to hit the ball hard. And when she gets up quick, she's pretty effective. But she needs to make solid contact every time, be more consistent and continue to be an offensive threat all the time."

The learning curve has been steep for Sanders, who didn't start playing volleyball until her freshman year at Castle. She took up the sport at the urging of her grandmother Alberta Sanders, a former park league player on the windward side.

"Juli was always a competitor and always athletic," said Alberta Sanders, who, with husband James, helped raise Sanders and her three brothers. "She was an All-American cheerleader in Pop Warner football, a brown belt in kempo (karate), played tennis, and loved basketball.

"But she had the height and I always wanted her to play volleyball. She's worked very hard to get where she is. It's the ultimate for her to play for the university, such an honor for our family that she has made the team. We are so thrilled."

"I owe my grandparents everything," said Sanders, whose parents divorced when she was young. "They've been through all my hard times, all my transitions, and made sure that I stayed focused."

It took a while for Sanders to figure out she enjoyed the sport. Although she still considers basketball her love -- as is canoe paddling -- she has come to see herself as a volleyball player.

"It's a lot like paddling," Sanders said. "There's a motion to it. You have to play as a team, you can't play for yourself. If one person is off, it throws off the canoe ... or the team."

The ideal, according to Shoji, would be to blend the offense of Sanders with the blocking ability of Gregory into one player. It has pushed both players to become more like the other.

"She likes to terminate the ball," Gregory said. "I've learned how to hit from her and to go hard all the time. And I've become a better coach, trying to help her with her blocking. It would be nice for the two of us to be in the front row together."

"I'd like to be more like Kari when it comes to blocking," Sanders said. "My confidence is building and I'm feeling more comfortable out there this year."

Shoji thinks Sanders could become a dominating player.

"She's 6-2, has a great vertical and has a lot of upside to her game," Shoji said. "She should be able to put up bigger numbers when it comes to blocking. A lot of it has to do with reading the setter, and that comes from playing time on the court.

"She's right on the edge of being an every-day player and contributing a lot."

Senior Ashley Watanabe feels Sanders has a bright future ahead.

"I've seen her grow as a person and a player," Watanabe said. "She probably doesn't know it right now, but I think she'll be one of the main leaders of the team the next few years."