FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY Lindsey Lee, Ashley Hanohano, Jazmin Pa'akaula, Brandi Higa and Kiana Kauwe, from left, stood behind Fairfield University volleyball coach Jeff Werneke.

5 Stags return home

The Fairfield players from Hawaii will play in a UH tourney

KIANA Kauwe, Ashley Hanohano, Lindsey Lee, Jazmin Pa'akaula and Brandi Higa adjusted to the snow and cold, the hurry-up pace of New England and the culture shock to thrive as members of the Fairfield University women's volleyball team.

The five Hawaii players plan to show their teammates a lot of aloha and local culture when the Stags visit the 50th State for the Waikiki Beach Marriott Volleyball Challenge, Sept. 7-9 at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Fairfield's opening match in the tournament against the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine will have several high school teammates facing each other through the net.

"I'm excited to show off the mainland girls we have on my team," said sophomore setter/defensive specialist Brandi Higa, who played with UH's Jayme Lee and Rayna Kitaguchi at Hawaii Baptist Academy.

Hanohano, Lee and Jazmin were high school teammates with Wahine Sarah Mason at St. Joseph on the Big Island.

Could this familiarity lead to some trash-talking?

"You can bet there will some trash-talking, in good nature, of course," said Higa.

Lee said, "It is going to be fun. Sarah is in the front row. We have our little jokes and we will be trying to make each other mess up."

The Stags return five starters from the 2005 team that missed the NCAA tournament when they lost the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament championship match to Siena after finishing first in the regular season.

"Our goal is to win the conference and go to the NCAA. We've tasted it and now we have to finish the job," said Pa'akaula, who led the Stags in aces (48), digs (415) and was second to Lee's 327 kills with 310 a year ago.

Kauwe (Kamehameha '03), a marketing major, was the first Hawaii player to make the 5,000-mile trip East.

"The previous coach had contacted me and I contacted CJ (how Werneke prefers to be called by his players) when he took over," said Kauwe, who experienced snow the second day of her official visit to Fairfield.

"I liked the staff and the girls on the team and didn't seriously consider any other place."

"Overall, Kiana's mentality, her 'what can I do for the team' is a great asset on and off the court. She leads by example," Werneke said.

The trio from St. Joseph was not a package deal and might not have been noticed by Werneke had the morning pool-play matches not run late at a Las Vegas tournament.

"I was going to lunch with some other coaches when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lindsey hit a ball. Then I saw a setter (Hanohano) and a hitter (Pa'akaula). Ashley's mom (Rachelle) was their coach and she gave me their information," Werneke said. "We needed players at all three positions, but I don't think they thought about the possibility of playing in college together. I was willing to take one, two or all three."

The trio discussed playing together, but it was still early and they had other scholarship offers to consider.

"We decided to make the decision based on what was best for each of us," said Lee, a preseason All-MAAC selection.

"We made our trip to Fairfield together and there was this snow storm the second night. We had this huge snow fight and didn't realize how cold you get until you go inside."

Hanohano decided on Fairfield first, then Pa'akaula, then Lee.

"I had no trouble coming this far since I had two people I knew coming with me," said Lee, a 5-foot-4 middle/outside hitter, who is majoring in psychology. "I couldn't wait to come back to school because I knew we were coming back to Hawaii."

Werenke said of Lee, "Lindsey jumps almost 3 feet in the air. People turn and watch. She is one of the most intense competitors I've ever been around.

"Jazmin is our most versatile player. She can hit from both frontcourt positions, play libero and is one of our primary passers."

Pa'akaula, who is majoring in visual and performing arts with a music concentration, appreciated the persistent contact the Fairfield coaches made while recruiting her.

"Things began to feel comfortable and it was pretty cool that two of my longtime friends and teammates were being spoken to by the same coach," Pa'akaula said.

She had to adjust to everything from the culture and food and atmosphere to what she called the New York attitude.

"Go quick, go here, go there. Me, I like to take my time and when I want to speak pidgin I can."

Hanohano is the overall ringleader who puts everyone in their place, but lifts the sprits of those who need it, according to Werenke.

"I really liked how the coaches set practice up. They recruit players with good personalities that you can get along with," said Hanohano, a communications major who is being pushed by Higa at the setter position.

Higa said, "I prefer the back row. When I started playing I was changed to a back-row player and then the libero became popular. CJ said I could compete for both positions."

They all tried to bring a touch of Hawaii to their teammates with a spam musubi dinner.

"At first, a couple of our teammates said, 'We can't try this.' Then a couple took a chance," Hanohano said. "We're going to Hilo first and our families are going to feed us for two nights. I'm Hawaiian-Portuguese and I told my teammates they have to try everything."

Note: The Stags opened the season by beating Bucknell 30-20, 30-24, 30-18 and New Hampshire 30-26, 30-22, 30-28 before losing to St. John's 30-21, 30-25, 30-20 last weekend. Lee, who was named to the all-tournament team and earned MAAC defensive player of the week honors with 5.0 digs per game, led the team in kills in each match. Fairfield plays three more matches this weekend before heading to Hawaii.