Instinct & IQ

Junior outside hitter Aneli Cubi-Otineru has helped Hawaii put it together

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She remembers those backyard volleyball games, ones that always accompanied weekend potlucks. Someone always put up a net and Aneli Cubi-Otineru was ready to play.

WAHINE VOLLEYBALL St. Mary's (6-0) at No. 10 Hawaii (4-2) 7 p.m. today, KFVE, Ch. 5; KKEA, 1420-AM

"But they kept saying I was too young and no one wanted me on their team," the junior outside hitter for No. 10 Hawaii said. "Now everybody wants me on their side."

It was the determination to be good enough to play with anyone that motivated Cubi-Otineru. The designated court captain for the Rainbow Wahine may not be the star on most nights, but her instincts for the game and high volleyball IQ have made her the glue that has helped Hawaii play as a team.

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For three seasons, Aneli Cubi-Otineru had left the volleyball court with championship hardware. It was the Hawaii high school state trophy in 2003 and 2004, her junior and senior seasons at Punahou; it was as an All-American at Southern Idaho in 2005.

ANELI CUBI-OTINERU Class: Junior Position: OH High school: Punahou 2005 Highlights: State Player of the Year 2003; State titles 2003, 2004; NJCAA & AVCA All-American at Southern Idaho 2005; NJCAA title 2005.

But last December, Cubi-Otineru walked out of the harsh coldness of the Kentucky International Convention Center and into the stark reality that comes with losing. The bitter taste of the stunning loss to Middle Tennessee State has lingered nine long months.

"I've never walked off the court not having won," the junior hitter for No. 10 Hawaii said. "It was a weird feeling, one I never want to have again."

To that end, Cubi-Otineru dedicated the offseason to getting herself into Division I shape, wanting to do everything possible that she could to make the Rainbow Wahine NCAA championship contenders.

There have been sacrifices, whether it was getting up at 4 a.m. to commute from Haleiwa for 6 a.m. practices or cutting back on that extra scoop of rice at a potluck. It has paid off as Cubi-Otineru has helped Hawaii (4-2) continue to improve six matches into the season.

Cincinnati coach Reed Sunahara called her the glue after the Wahine went 3-0 in last week's Volleyball Challenge. To others, she's become a magnet.

"I thought she was kind of cocky in high school," Hawaii setter Dani Mafua said. "But she has matured and found a way to get others to play with her intensity.

"She has a lot of passion. You can tell she loves the game. Even when we're in a slump, she's the one who grinds it out until we're back together."

The volleyball passion is part of Cubi-Otineru's DNA, starting with her grandmother Ruby. The lineage includes mom Del; sister Babes Kalulu, a member of the 1989 Wahine team and Aneli's coach at Southern Idaho; and sister Kawena (St. Francis '06), a sophomore hitter at Hawaii-Hilo. Dad Joe Otineru coached St. Francis to D-II volleyball titles in 2004 and '05.

"Aneli is just one of those players who knows the game inside and out," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "We talk a lot about IQ and instinct and that's what she has. She's been playing a long time.

"She's another undersized local player who can play the game and play it well. What separates her is how hard she can hit the ball. She has a cannon of an arm."

Just ask Cincinnati libero Jaime Frey, who was sent reeling after being hit by Cubi-Otineru's blast that ended Sunday's match.

"People underestimate her because of her size," Mafua said of Cubi-Otineru, generously listed at 5-foot-11. "But she can hit the ball really hard. She's one of those players who can create her kills. She knows what to do with the ball."

As much as she enjoys hitting, Cubi-Otineru knows her future is as a libero. If the situation dictates it, she could be playing that position as early as this week's Chevron Invitational.

With junior defensive specialist Jayme Lee out (shoulder) and Elizabeth Ka'aihue just coming back from a knee sprain, Cubi-Otineru is the likely backup to senior Tara Hittle. Libero is what Cubi-Otineru played when trying out for the U.S. National Team in 2007.

"I want to play overseas when I'm done here," the All-Western Athletic Conference selection said. "I'm too small for a hitter at the international level.

"I really want to go to the Olympics. It was awesome to see all the Wahine on the team, especially Robyn (setter Ah Mow-Santos) being from here. You have to love the sport, you have to want to live volleyball to make that team."

Last season, Cubi-Otineru was part of the "Polynesian Triangle" that included Mafua and Ka'aihue. This year, it's a rectangle with the addition of freshman hitter Kanani Herring.

"I know I love being back playing in front of the fans," she said. "I think it's great for the community that there are so many local girls playing."

Cubi-Otineru was six months old when Hawaii won its last national title in 1987. She has two shots at being able to walk off the court again with a championship trophy at the end of the season.

That's the feeling she wants to experience again.