Dara Tawarahara's outgoing personality doesn't allow her to think negatively.

Just days after the top-seeded Pacific (Calif.) women's water polo team came up short in the Big West Conference Tournament, Tawarahara had a different outlook on the Tigers' season.

“;Next year is the first year (the Big West) has an NCAA bid, so it's a bummer we lost this year, but then we can just win it next year when it really counts,”; she said.

Currently, automatic bids are only handed out to five conferences, including the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, which usually gobbles up all three at-large bids that round out the field of eight.

The Big West will be given an automatic bid beginning in 2011, which comes at a perfect time for Pacific.

Tawarahara, a 2007 'Iolani graduate, was part of coach Megan Thomson's first full-scale recruiting class. Thomson inherited a team that went 0-22 in 2006 and began the rebuilding process with a large 2007 class.

The Tigers were 13-52 in Tawarahara's first two seasons, but made a historical turnaround this year. They finished 23-10 overall and won the program's first regular-season Big West championship.

“;It wasn't quite what I expected,”; Tawarahara said of her first year on the team.

“;We already knew from the start that we were going to be the rebuilding class that would be the foundation coming up through the years and we lost a lot of players in the transition, but I think we're proud where we are right now.”;

Tawarahara finished third in the conference with 64 goals and was named to the All-Big West second team yesterday after receiving first-team honors in 2009.

She was the 2007 Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year at 'Iolani and won MVP honors in the state tournament.

However, her college plans didn't include water polo until her mother intervened.

“;I wasn't planning on playing until my mother wouldn't sign my UH papers,”; Tawarahara said. “;She told me I had to get off the rock so I came to Pacific.

“;So yeah, basically I got kicked off the islands by my mother.”;

Three years later, she admits it wasn't such a bad thing.

“;It's really a perfect fit, perfect size for me,”; she said. “;I think so far to this day the biggest culture shock was when we're moving in and my roommate from Chicago almost slapped me because I said 'puka' and she thought I swore at her in Hawaiian.”;

Tawarahara's optimism for next season isn't just blind faith. Pacific had no seniors on its roster this year and is poised to make a legit run at that NCAA tourney berth in her senior season.

The hard work Tawarahara will put in to accomplish such a feat already begins now.

“;I'll stay up here for most of the summer to work out then we start from pretty much the first day of school,”; she said. “;We'll start water polo practice in the fall, captains practice which I get to run, then intense training will pick up when our hours increase to 20, then we hit Christmas break for a quick rest and then right back up here for hell week to kick off our season.”;