Kahumoku achieves district academic honors
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Lily Kahumoku has the opportunity to go where only one Rainbow Wahine volleyball player has gone before after being named Academic All-District Tuesday.
By being named to the six-player first team, the Hawai'i senior advances to the national ballot along with first-team honorees from the seven other districts.
KAHUMOKU
Angelica Ljungquist is the only Rainbow Wahine to earn national Academic All-America status. That came in 1996, when the four-time All-American was also national Player of the Year.
Kahumoku, a Kamehameha Schools graduate, has a 3.44 grade-point average in psychology. The two-time All-American has helped Hawai'i to two final fours and ranks third on the career kills list.
Kealani Kimball, Kahumoku's high school teammate, was named to the third team. The Loyola Marymount senior, who is from Kaunakakai, has a 3.34 GPA in business administration.
Tomorrow's Senior Night match against San Jose State sold out yesterday, about the same time signed commitments were received from two of the the three Mainland recruits who will help replace the seven seniors.
Tara Hittle, a 6-foot hitter from Doherty High School in Colorado Springs, and Jessica Keefe, a 6-2 hitter for Ames High School (Iowa), confirmed the verbal commitment they made earlier.
WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center WHEN: Tomorrow —7 p.m., No. 2 HAWAI'I (26-1, 12-0 WAC) vs. San Jose State (8-16, 6-6 WAC) TV/RADIO: Live on KFVE (5) and 1420 AM TICKETS: Sold out PARKING: $3 SENIOR NIGHT: Kim Willoughby, Melissa Villaroman, Nohea Tano, Karin Lundqvist, Lily Kahumoku, Maja Gustin and Lauren Duggins will be honored after the match.
Nickie Thomas, a 6-3 middle blocker from Westwood in Austin, Texas, also told The Advertiser she would come to Hawai'i and returned her letter of intent, but not her scholarship agreement, so UH coach Dave Shoji cannot comment on her.
WAC Volleyball
Castle graduate Juliana Sanders, a 6-2 middle, is on the roster now as a walk-on redshirt, and will be on scholarship next year. Shoji believes she could be the "surprise of the bunch."
Melody Eckmier will be the sole senior in 2004 and freshman setter Kanoe Kamana'o the only returning starter. Shoji has "penciled in" Alicia Arnott and Susie Boogaard to replace All-Americans Kim Willoughby and Kahumoku.
He hopes "one or two" of the recruits can start next year to supplement his 11 returning players.
"This is a class that needs to develop into a good class," Shoji says. "It has the potential to be a good class. There are no players who are slam-dunk All-Americans. They all have to work hard and we have to coach them hard. ... They are going to have to play down the road."
Sanders and Thomas will join Eckmier and redshirt Kari Gregory in the middle. Thomas' high school team plays in Texas' 5A semifinals today.
Shoji calls Hittle the "most advanced" of the recruits, with dynamic physical skills. Her high school team won Colorado's 5A state title last week and she was named tournament MVP.
Keefe's best quality is the comprehensive nature of her skills — Shoji compares her to former Rainbow Jessica Sudduth — and her ability to play outside and middle. She was just named all-league and all-area in Iowa.
Hittle and Keefe are also all-league basketball players.
QUICK SETS: Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku bobble-head dolls went on sale last night, for $19.99, at the Ward Centre RainbowTique. They will also be available at the Stan Sheriff RainbowTique and UH bookstore beginning today.
Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043
