As this Rainbow Wahine senior class prepares for its final home volleyball matches tonight and tomorrow against Loyola Marymount it is obvious there will be much to miss: Raeceen Woolford's spirituality and kolohe spirit, Caroline Blood's dedication, Kari Gregory's simple kindness.

And then, there is Juliana Sanders, a unique personality even within an immensely diverse senior pool. Sanders is a Hawai'i original, from the bottom of her board shorts to the top of her long arms, which have flapped to phenomenal success through three all-WAC seasons.

She is keiki o ka 'aina to the Nth degree and no 6-foot-2 girl from "K-Town" has ever been prouder. In the space of seconds she can scream in anger, stuff an opponent, celebrate defiantly and finally smile that gentle smile, flashing her huge eyes and suddenly looking utterly humble and every bit at home.

As 11th-ranked Hawai'i (24-5) prepares for the seniors' final postseason, its starter from Kane'ohe is all volleyball all the time. She wants to leave an indelible imprint on a program that, to her, personifies the place she loves. That imprint will be as personal as it is physical.

"I think Juliana and Aneli (Cubi-Otineru) exemplify that Hawaiian old-school style that they don't care who is on the other side," said Hilo's Ryan Tsuji, the Rainbow Wahine manager. "They will yell at the team and get riled up. A lot of things don't faze them as far as what's on the other side of the net. I guess that's local style. They're not threatened by anybody.

"Lily (Kahumoku) used to be that person, now it's Aneli and Juli, that new style. I think fans appreciate that sense of raw grittiness. They just want to go out there and battle."

And, when it's over, grin, greet and pop in at the booster potluck, talk story, plan a time to go to Sandy Beach the next day and, in Sanders' case, go home to the grandparents who have raised her. They are primarily responsible for what we see today. Her assured, no-worries demeanor and surprising volleyball success — "Nobody thought I'd be here six or seven years ago" — has roots in Alberta Sanders' gentle nudging to focus on one sport in hopes of getting a college opportunity and James Sanders' insistence on driving her to the Rainbow Wahine volleyball camp that fateful day before her senior year at Castle.

"I really didn't want to go," Sanders recalled. "My grandfather just put me in there and then they saw me and wanted me. I felt so blessed and honored, and special. It was just by luck."

Not purely. Sanders was something rare and wonderful in Hawai'i — a tall girl who could move nearly as well as the small girls, in part because of the balance brought on by her passion for bodyboarding and skateboarding.

She was a raw, athletic talent who was 6 foot 2 and willing to play through pain and fall asleep reading a gameplan if it meant catching up in a sport she started after karate, soccer, basketball, cheerleading and paddling were finally put on the backburner.

"We thought we could make a player out of her, but you never know," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "Her attitude was one that she knew how to work hard and she wanted to be a good player. There was so much upside. Recruiting her was pretty much a no-brainer."

Even Kahumoku could see it back then, and encouraged coaches to bring in the kid from Kane'ohe.

"Dave told me if I worked hard and walked on I could be part of the program and make a scholarship," Sanders said. "Ever since then it's been a goal and a dream."

She has become a talented dreamweaver. From the shy, gawky freshman she has blossomed into an independent free spirit who makes friends easily in and out of volleyball and has conquered enough of the game to earn all-WAC honors the past three years, and honorable mention All-America as a junior (2007 honors are pending).

Sanders would like to pursue the game professionally in Japan and her coaches have no doubt she is capable ... if she can be away from the beach that long.

"She has to be around the beach," Tsuji insists. "When we get back from road trips she's like, 'I'm going to the beach right now. Who wants to go to Sandy's?'

"I know she wants to play overseas, and she can continue to play but I don't know how long she'll last unless it's somewhere that resembles Hawai'i. I can't imagine her anywhere else. She'll have to make a lot of adjustments. But she can do it for a short period of time, a few years out of her life. She will definitely need a lot of care packages from home."

Not a problem. Sanders has care package providers from all parts of the island and beyond, close friends inside and outside the game, her beloved grandparents, parents, step parents, brothers, step-brothers and half-brothers.

"Lots and lots of family and love," she calls it. "My grandparents raised me since I was a little baby, before I could walk and talk. They have been my world, supported me in everything I've done throughout my life, put me through club athletics, made sure I went to school, just kept me on track my whole life. They are so amazing and supportive and just love me unconditionally."

It was her grandmother who casually mentioned when Sanders was a freshman that she should start thinking about her future after high school. "I was thinking 'College? I have forever,' " Juliana recalled.

Grandma knew best.

Now, as her real-world future closes in, and playing professionally in Japan becomes a more vivid challenge, Sanders is thinking about financial stability and possibly a career in the CIA or drug enforcement. Or ... well, what are the chances of making a living at Makapu'u?

"I like to be active," Sanders shrugs. "Nine to five is not my style."

Tsuji knows her style, and knows it is hers alone. He has no clue what Sanders will be doing in five years, or five weeks for that matter.

"There are a lot of things she wants to do ..." he said. "If she plays volleyball great, but I think she'll be happy doing whatever she decides. With Juli, you can't predict what she'll do."

Shoji is more worried about how to replace Sanders than her future. He is pretty sure that whatever Sanders decides, she will succeed. After watching her enormous progress in volleyball the past five years, why would he have any doubts?

"She's pretty much got her life in order and knows what she wants to do," he said. "She's real settled in her life. ... I love her enthusiasm and personality. She's always got something good to say everyday."

Probably in pidgin. Sanders will bleed Hawai'i's colors — whatever they may be — the rest of her life.

"Overall, I just want people to know I'm a good person," Sanders said, "that adds a little local flavor wherever I go."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.