Most of us tend to exaggerate the excellence of the favorite teams and athletes of our youth.

That's why I had to verify what I thought I knew about Deitre Collins. I recall the Hawaii middle blocker as dominant, the best in her sport by far. But that was 25 years ago, as seen through my plumeria-tinted glasses.

Collins (now Collins-Parker) will be enshrined in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in December. She was a three-time All-American and led UH to the first back-to-back national championships in college volleyball history.

Collins won the Broderick Award in 1983. That goes to the top female college athlete in the country. When you want to know the validity of an award, check the names of other people who have won it. How's this for good company: Candace Parker, Misty May, Mia Hamm, Lisa Fernandez, Cheryl MIller, Nancy Lieberman.

Still, the question remained. Was Collins really as good as I remember?

This was something to ask one of the volleyball experts I trust most, Chris McLachlin. If I were wrong, he'd be nice about it, but he'd tell me so. Was I right in recalling this centerpiece of a great team as powerful, but also quick and athletic?

Here's the KFVE analyst and longtime coach's take:

“;She rarely got blocked, she had finesse and power, pretty good reach. On defense, she prowled at the net and took away shots by reading the hitters, anticipating them,”; McLachlin said. “;She rarely made mistakes and always made the smart play. It's no surprise she's been a coach (now at Cornell) so many years. She's a gentle, kind soul, but with an incredible work ethic and she hates to lose.”;

Many other great athletes have made their way through Manoa. What sets Collins apart is the Wahine won it all with her leading the way - twice.

“;She had great teammates,”; McLachlin said. “;But they were the icing and she was the cake.”;

She enters the hall with Long Beach State coach Brian Gimmillaro and retired Stanford coach Don Shaw, which begs another question. Why is Dave Shoji - second all-time in wins and winning percentage - not there with them?

That one leaves us both scratching our heads.

» Word we're getting is the Hula Bowl - on life support now for nearly a decade - isn't dead yet.

The owners have reserved a January date at Aloha Stadium.

» Here's a public appearance by the Waipio Little League team where you don't have to question the motive of the organizers.

The world champs are set to appear tomorrow at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park as part of the Light the Night Walk, benefiting people with leukemia and lymphoma. Paliku, the brother of Waipio third baseman Pikai Winchester, is battling lymphoma and will be a special guest.

The team will be there to sign items from 6 p.m. for donations and the walk starts at 7 p.m. Call 534-1222 for more information.