Five newcomers add talent and depth to Wahine

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

They have come from far (Karin Lundqvist) and near (Ashley Watanabe), and left volleyball hotbeds (Susie Boogaard), volleyball factories (Cayley Thurlby) and the swallows in San Juan Capistrano (Megan O'Brian).

You might not know them now, but the unfamiliar faces for the fourth-ranked University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine will catch your attention long before the season ends. Possibly as soon as the Aug. 30 opener against ninth-ranked Ohio State.

Walk-ons Watanabe and O'Brian red-shirted last season, while Lundqvist was blocking the bejeezus out of her Big Sky opponents. Boogaard and Thurlby, the hammer and setter of postseasons future, are Volleyball magazine Fab 50 recruits.

So far, all they've shared with the 2002 Rainbow Wahine are draining two-a-day workouts and a 3 a.m. fire drill Thursday. The team lives at Stan Sheriff Center, literally, for the two-week preseason practice. After the alarm went off, all 15 players ended up sleeping at coach Dave Shoji's house.

It was, all five rookies admit, their most memorable moment thus far. Others have come close.

Watanabe was ecstatic when every player beat 7 minutes in the mile run on the first try.

O'Brian is regularly awed watching All-Americans Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku launch volleyballs. Thurlby takes it a step further, insisting Willoughby "can practically jump over me when she spikes the ball out of the back row and I am standing upright."

But what strikes the first-year players most is the atmosphere enveloping the team. They feel excitement and encouragement coming from every angle. And there is humor, particularly in the forms of Hedder Ilustre and Nohea Tano.

Here's an idea of what to expect from the new players, and what Shoji expects of them:

(pronounced BOW-guard)

• Grade: Freshman

• Height: 6-2

• Position: Hitter

• Previous school: Valley Christian High School

• Hometown: Bellflower, Calif.

• Personal: Worked with a "certified strength and conditioning specialist" past four years to increase endurance, strength and power. ... All-league and California section four years and league MVP two years. Had 50-plus kill match. ... All-California section in basketball four years. ... Aspires to be a firefighter. ... Sister Sarah plays for Biola. Sister Sadie, a dancer, has a 3-year-old daughter "identical to me." ... Projected on left side in 2004 and 2005 but will play right side now.

• Shoji's hope for 2002: "That she can be a starter on the right. She is a very powerful player."

(pronounced KAR-in LOOND-kwist)

• Grade: Junior

• Height: 6-3

• Position: Middle blocker

• Previous school: Montana State

• Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden

• Personal: Two-time all-Big Sky second team for Montana State. ...Averaged 2.13 kills, 1.97 digs, 1.49 blocks and hit .310 last year, when she ranked 18th nationally in blocking. ... Played with former Rainbow Angelica Ljungquist, the 1996 NCAA Player of the Year, on Swedish National Team this summer. ... Started playing volleyball at age 10, took up beach game in 1997 and won Swedish Beach Tour last year. ... Named best defensive player in Sweden in 1998. ... Aspires to be a doctor after playing professionally. ... Played with sisters Anna and Asa for Sparvagen club team. Team announcer was their father.

• Shoji's hope for 2002: "Karin is very accomplished and experienced. She'll have every opportunity to start in the middle. She doesn't have a real dynamic jump, but she's just a real solid player, and a very good back-row player."

• Grade: Freshman

• Height: 5-10

• Position: Hitter

• Previous school: Dana Hills High School

• Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

• Personal: Played four years of volleyball and two years of track in high school. ... Top scholar-athlete two years, and named to honor roll three times. ... Came to UH for Oceanography program and to try and make the team. ... Lists being on the team last year as her biggest athletic thrill.

• Shoji's hope for 2002: "She's the type of player you need on the team because she'll do anything. She's got other things she helps the team with rather than just contributing on the floor. She's been a very positive contributing member of the team. She helps everybody get better."

• Grade: Freshman

• Height: 5-10

• Position: Setter

• Previous school: Naperville Central High School

• Hometown: Naperville, Ill.

• Personal: All-conference and all-city three years, all-state as junior and senior. ... All-American at AAU nationals. ... Played for Sports Performance Club, known for its tough workouts and producing collegiate players. ... Achieved honor roll status academically all four years of high school.

• Shoji's hope for 2002: "Cayley understands she needs to spend time in our system and she knew she had (seniors) Jen (Carey) and Margaret (Vakasausau) ahead of her. ... She's a tough kid. She'll do anything, run through a wall. She comes from a program where the training is probably more difficult than ours. Nothing is going to faze her when it comes time to work hard."

• Grade: Freshman

• Height: 5-6

• Position: Libero

• Previous school: 'Aiea High School

• Hometown: 'Aiea

• Personal: Won two OIA West titles and was three-time all-conference selection. ... Honorable mention OIA West basketball player. ...ÊFavorite athlete is former UH All-American Robyn Ah Mow.

• Shoji's hope for 2002: "After this year, Ashley will be No. 2 behind Melissa (Villaroman). It's just a matter of being patient for her. She's got some good skills and she works very hard. It's just her wanting to be on the team and making it happen."