Rainbow Wahine start over

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	Exhibition women's WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center WHEN: 7 p.m. tomorrow WHO: University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine vs. Nittaidai University of Japan TV/RADIO: None TICKETS: $5 general, $25 courtside PARKING: $3

The only familiar face among the Hawai'i starters will be setter Kanoe Kamana'o, the 2003 AVCA Freshman of the Year. The seven seniors who helped put UH in three of the past four final fours have used up their eligibility.

Even the Rainbow recruits won't be available this week. Tara Hittle (6-foot hitter), Jessica Keefe (6-2 hitter) and Nickie Thomas (6-3 middle blocker) are still in high school.

Keefe recently suffered a knee injury that could force her to red-shirt as a freshman. UH coach Dave Shoji expects at least one more player to be added before the 2004 season.

For now, the Rainbow Wahine are a few days into their spring training and looking for a lineup. Their history with Nittaidai goes back to 1979. The teams have played more than 20 times.

"Nittaidai is much smaller and quicker than most of the college teams we see," Shoji says. "Our teams in the recent past overpowered them. I don't know if that will be the case this time. Their ballhandling may be enough to keep them in the game."

Kamana'o's first season out of Iolani School was impressive enough to make her one of 10 setters invited by USA Volleyball to try out for the Women's National Training Team next month. She and Cayley Thurlby, presently a second-year freshman setter, will be Hawai'i's focal point in the fall.

It will be a very different look for a team that hasn't lost a WAC match since 1998.

"We have to out-finesse people this year," Shoji says. "Kanoe is a good place to start. We've got a setter who can do what we need to do. Everything will run around her. Both she and Cayley are players we can build around."

Shoji starts the six-week training period with lots of options at libero, Susie Boogaard and Alicia Arnott on the left side and HPU transfer Teisa Fotu taking swings on the right. A bunch of young middles are chasing Melody Eckmier, next season's only senior.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.