Big signings for UH; Kahumoku may return
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i Wahine volleyball officials yesterday confirmed they will welcome an All-America player and two all-conference high school recruits next year.
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UH coach Dave Shoji said Lily Kahumoku, the 2000 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year who did not play this season, told him she now wants to return in January and play her junior season next fall. Kahumoku's academic progress is advanced enough that she could miss this entire school year and still be eligible in August.
Lily Kahumoku wants to return to UH in January and play next season.
In July, when she announced her intention to remain on the Mainland this season, Kahumoku said she had "every intention to finish my career (in) Hawai'i."
By withdrawing from school, Kahumoku relinquished her athletic scholarship. At the time, Shoji said he did not plan to award the scholarship to another player because of the possibility that Kahumoku would re-enroll in January. Scholarships cover an entire academic year.
"Everything would fit perfectly if she came back," UH sophomore Melissa Villaroman said of Kahumoku. "She'd fit right back in. ... She's a great player and brings a lot to the team."
Kahumoku told the coaches she took off this season to take care of personal issues on the Mainland. Villaroman said the Wahine players would welcome her back.
"She had important things to take care of and I support her," Villaroman said.
Kahumoku could not be reached for comment in Florida yesterday.
Shoji also received signed commitment letters from freshman recruits Cayley Thurlby and Susie Boogard yesterday, the first day of the early-signing period.
Thurlby is a 5-foot-10 setter from the Sports Performance Club in Illinois. Boogard is a 6-3 hitter from Valley Christian High School in Southern California.
The 11th-ranked Wahine (23-4) open play in the WAC Tournament tomorrow in San Jose. They have nine scholarship players on the 2001 roster (all-conference defensive specialist Hedder Ilustre is currently a walk-on). Tanja Nikolic is the only senior.
Ilustre and setters Margaret Vakasausau and Jennifer Carey will be the only seniors next year, giving Thurlby time to season. Shoji said her work ethic is exceptional and her skills sophisticated.
"The location of her sets is going to be good," Shoji said. "She gets so many repetitions with her club. That's the best quality of the kids coming out of that program. That's what makes them different from anyone else in the country — the number and quality of repetitions."
Boogard is built in the size-XL mold of Wahine Olympian Heather Bown. Shoji believes Boogard can play any front-row position, but he recruited her as an outside hitter.
"She's a terminator-type player," Shoji said. "She's big, strong and can put the ball down."
Boogard and Thurlby were heavily recruited. Boogard also considered Pepperdine and Arizona schools. Thurlby said her top three were UH, Ohio State and Wake Forest.
