Watanabe sidelined by hand injury

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Ashley Watanabe left Hawai'i needing seven digs to tie the Rainbow Wahine season record of 437, set by Olympian Teee Williams 16 years ago.

Watanabe

Watanabe, Hawai'i's starting libero, broke her right hand at practice Tuesday. After diving, she jammed it into the back of Victoria Prince's shoe and suffered a spiral fracture of the fourth metacarpal — the bone below the ring finger.

Watanabe wore a cast — covered with Christmas designs — up to her elbow yesterday morning. Trainer Renae Shigemura said Watanabe will have to wear it four to six weeks.

Watanabe hopes to heal in fast forward.

"Everything happens for a reason. I go through my downs, but all in all, God's got his hands on everything and I'm looking forward to playing again," she said. "I see our team going to final four and I want to play, want to touch the ball again. It's a good goal. I don't want it to end here."

Senior Teisa Fotu, who has taken Watanabe's place a few times this season, will start at libero today against Colorado. Ironically, the switch hurts Hawai'i most in the front row.

Fotu and Watanabe are both extremely effective servers. Watanabe, averaging a UH-record 4.22 digs a game, is a more spectacular defender while Fotu is a more consistent passer.

The 6-foot Fotu is also a solid blocker and hitter who has been coming in for WAC Freshman of the Year Tara Hittle when she gets in trouble. Last week, Fotu had 10 blocks at Utah State.

As a libero, Fotu cannot play front row. Yesterday in practice, senior middle blocker Melody Eckmier worked behind Hittle as an "emergency" substitution on the right side.

"It hurts our depth at the hitting position," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "I don't think we'll have much of a drop-off at libero, but we lose Teisa's blocking and hitting.

"If anybody else has a problem we really don't have another hitter to go in. We're banking on Hittle to have a good match and stay in there."