UH dreamed big from start

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

For those peering in from the outside, Hawai'i rolls into Reno, Nev., for this week's Western Athletic Conference Tournament living out its wildest dream. Despite losing seven seniors from last year's final-four team, it is unbeaten and ranked second — the stunning feel-good story of the volleyball season and toast of the extreme left coast.

The Rainbow Wahine, however, have been wide awake all season. They did envision this sort of success last spring. It was never their wildest dream.

"They expect this," says Brenda Prince, whose daughter Victoria transferred to UH this season to be part of the remarkable rebuilding. "I made a comment one day about how surprising the team was and Alicia (Arnott) said, 'Well, we work hard.' I almost felt like I offended her."

From the first day they regrouped in January there wasn't a doubt in the 'Bows' collective mind that they could be this good. They didn't know any other way.

It is not the same as in the recent past. This Hawai'i team rarely rolls over opponents, but it knows when to drop the hammer. Even its coach isn't sure why. He speaks of endless repetitions and execution, instinct and an innate confidence buoyed by success.

And then he takes a guess.

"I think because we're confident in our skills they don't break down," Dave Shoji says. "They had nothing else to fall back on. Tradition can carry you a little, but these kids didn't have that going for them. They just went and did what they know best, and that's pass, set and hit. They've just kept doing it."

That type of execution can be traced back to a team that didn't wait until February to get back together after last year's final four. Its work ethic was ingrained last spring and nothing changed in July, when all but the Mainland freshmen showed up for every voluntary practice.

The team has its share of workaholics — Melody Eckmier, Ashley Watanabe, Arnott and Cayley Thurlby come to mind — but no more than other teams. What is rare is that not one of the 17 on the roster has ever questioned anything the coaches have asked.

"They just do what we tell them to do," Shoji says. "They don't know any other way. Once we set the precedent, then everyone has to adhere to a higher standard. ... You buy into something and put your all into it. It's contagious if you get that leadership from the top."

Arnott insists the team has never imagined it any other way.

"In practice Dave is not going to accept it if you don't go for a ball," she says. "You have to go hard after every ball."

It was natural to want to explore the intangible sources of this team's success early. The players were all responsible and eager. They like one another immensely and share an unshaken faith. There is no unnecessary drama or conspicuous star: Hawai'i's best player rarely buries the ball and, if Kanoe Kamana'o has an ego, it would take a massive search party to find it.

Shoji even suggested the team "simply had good karma."

But by the time all that was out there — figuratively and literally — the Rainbows had already constructed the foundation of their success in the weight room and gym. Not only did they work exceptionally hard, but with All-Americans Lily Kahumoku and Kim Willoughby gone, scrimmages became ultra-marathons

"Now, because no one can put the ball away on each other, they're just huffing and puffing in practice," says fourth-year manager Ryan Tsuji. "Maybe that's partly why our endurance is better. Last year, the longest rally we had was three balls over the net. Now, it's not always pretty, but it's just the way we are and we're used to it."

It might help explain why Hawai'i has been the best team on the court in every fifth game it has played. Its skills seem to improve as matches go on, and tight matches are nothing new.

"A lot of it is mental," Shoji says. "Their legs are tired, but they're pushing mentally to overcome it. You look at someone like (Susie) Boogaard and she's struggled during some matches, but she's always there at the end. She's in the best shape of her life. There's a correlation there."

Without the work, someone like senior transfer Teisa Fotu would never have seen the court this season, let alone play four positions. And someone like Kamana'o — listed at 5 foot 8 but closer to 5-6 — would not be averaging more blocks per inch (1.12 per game) than anyone in the game.

It is all part of the process.

"This season is a huge stairway and each little practice and each little game is taking a step up," says Eckmier, the captain. "We worked really hard and certain people have stepped up and made crucial plays at crucial times.

"It's not luck. It's people stepping up, reaching down inside themselves and saying we're not going to lose this. We have this fighting spirit."

And will to win. It's all in a day's work.

NOTES

First serve: Hawai'i opens the WAC Tournament tomorrow, at 10 a.m. Hawai'i time, against eighth-seeded Southern Methodist.

Radio/TV: Oceanic Ch. 16 will broadcast UH's matches live on Friday (10 a.m.) and Saturday (3 p.m., if UH advances). The WAC championship will be broadcast live nationwide on CSTV (Oceanic Digital Ch. 247) on Sunday at 1 p.m. KKEA Sports and Talk Radio (1420 AM) will broadcast all UH matches.

SMU spark: Since she launched 30 kills and hit .463 at SMU a month ago, Alicia Arnott has averaged five kills a game. She leads UH with an average of 4.17.

Fast forward: The Rainbow Wahine have reached the championship match of all six WAC Tournaments they have played, winning the last four. Since the tournament was revived in 2001, they have swept every match but one, going four games in the final against Nevada two years ago.

Streaking: Hawai'i has the longest streaks in the nation in consecutive victories (23), regular-season wins (51), conference regular-season wins (91), consecutive wins against all conference opponents including postseason (103), and home victories (38). It has also won its last 195 against unranked opponents.

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