Bad omens loom for upcoming UH season

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

As fall training camps go, this was supposed to be one of the more tranquil ones for the University of Hawai'i Wahine volleyball team.

With few new faces and even fewer spots in the starting lineup up for grabs, this camp looked to have all the excitement of, well, another Western Athletic Conference season.

But when the Wahine assemble a week from tomorrow at the Stan Sheriff Center, even the taking of the roll, that most routine of tasks, will have an element of drama to it.

In one swoop, head coach Dave Shoji could be without his only returning All-American, a national high school player of the year and a top assistant coach.

The news of the mere possibility of one or more happening quickly circulated around the WAC yesterday within hours of the official announcement.

The Wahine will be without their best player, hitter Lily Kahumoku who, it was announced yesterday, is taking this season off for what have been described as "personal reasons."

There is also the likelihood they will be without Jennifer Saleaumua, who had 57 kills in the California high school championship game. The chances of her gaining admission in time for this season are said to be "not very good" at this point, according to UH officials.

Then, there is the possibility that either Charlie Wade, UH's associate head coach the past six seasons, or Kari Anderson, an assistant for four years, could be gone. Both have had preliminary interviews for the vacant head coaching job at the University of Washington. The Huskies, whose coach of 10 seasons, Bill Neville, resigned two weeks ago, would like to name a replacement by next week.

Clearly, this isn't the way it was supposed to be for the Wahine. As they walked out of the Richmond (Va.) Coliseum and the NCAA final four in December, they were looking forward to a seamless transition back to being a final four contender.

At that point, the only starter they were losing for sure was Jessica Sudduth although there was an inkling Veronica Lima might not be back.

But now, with the State Farm Women's Classic just three weeks away, there are questions to be answered and a lineup to be juggled. The 4.5 kills a game that the Wahine could almost take for granted from Kahumoku, whom Shoji has come to characterize as "wind-up toy" consistent, must now come from someone else.

Meanwhile, in the WAC, coaches were trying not to get their hopes too high about what this might mean. "The road to the WAC Championship has traditionally gone through Hawai'i," said Fresno State coach Lindy Vivas. "With the talent they have, I'm not sure things will be any easier; they'll just be different."