Posted on: Thursday, February 3, 2005

Flu bug takes big bite out of Rainbows

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

A flu outbreak on the University of Hawai'i women's basketball team has affected eight players, including one who was briefly hospitalized, in what head coach Jim Bolla is calling the worst team illness he's seen in his career.

One of the worst cases involved starting forward Amy Sanders, who was admitted to The Queen's Medical Center Monday and released later that day.

"She's actually feeling a lot better right now," Bolla said yesterday. "They gave her a bunch of (intravenous fluids) and stuff."

The Rainbow Wahine returned Sunday night from a two-game Western Athletic Conference road trip where the flu outbreak apparently started, Bolla said. The team did not practice on Monday and Tuesday, and worked out for the first time yesterday.

Hawai'i (8-8 overall, 4-5 WAC) hosts San Jose State (13-6, 6-3) in a WAC game on Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center. Bolla said he wasn't sure how many players would be available to play. Hawai'i has 18 players on its roster.

"That's to be determined," Bolla said. "Right now, it's going to be day to day. If we had to play (today), we would be in trouble."

Hawai'i reserve post player Tanya Smith was the first player to become sick last Friday in Tulsa, Bolla said. On Monday, some players started feeling flu symptoms, he said.

"In my 20-something years of coaching, this is the worst I've ever seen hitting this many people," Bolla said. "It comes real fast, and when it comes, it's real bad. We actually had players go up to the student health center a second time and get shots to stop the nausea and vomiting."

Six players — Smith, Sanders, reserve center Callie Spooner, starting guard Milia Macfarlane, starting forward Jade Abele and reserve guard Trisha Nishimoto — became ill, and reserve forward Amber Lee and reserve guard Bryony Crouch have "some symptoms, but not full blown stuff," Bolla said.

"We're trying to keep our kids away from as many people as possible," Bolla said. "The doctor said it was a three- to five-day incubation period. So the people who have it, have it."

Players who traveled on last week's road trip received medication this week, Bolla said. Some of those players did not attend classes on Monday because they were too ill, Bolla said.

"I'm starting to get it now," Bolla said. "I'm starting to get achy. I had a headache. I've got a cough. For me, it started (yesterday) morning. I started to feel not good."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.