Looking far into the future, the University of Hawai'i has received a verbal commitment from volleyball player Kaela Goodman, a junior at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School who plans to play for the Rainbow Wahine in 2010.

Goodman earned second-team South Coast League honors as a sophomore. She is a member of the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club, run by Michael Soylular, who also coached current Rainbow Wahine Stephanie Brandt and Olympian Dusty Dvorak. Goodman is 6 foot 1 and plays left-side and right-side hitter and middle. She is projected as a hitter in college and her ballhandling skills are good enough now that she plays every rotation.

"It's done," Soylular said last night about Goodman's commitment. "She is very versatile. Her athletic ability at this point is good. She touches 10 foot 2 or 3, which for a junior is pretty good. Our goal is to get her stronger, with more range, make her more accurate and more powerful.

"By the time she arrives in Hawai'i she will be a great fit. ... She will be an impact player. I have really high expectations."

Soylular said Goodman and her sister Kyra, an eighth-grader, were born in Hawai'i and Kaela "is very excited about going home." She talked to UH coaches during an unofficial visit and committed at the same time. She had also drawn interest from schools such as Cal, Colorado and Arizona.

UH coaches cannot comment on recruits until they sign a letter of intent their senior year. The early signing period for the 2009 class is next month, and prepvolleyball.com Senior Ace Kristiana Tuaniga, from Carson, Calif., is expected to sign with UH after verbally committing months ago.