In the cement area outside of the Alexander Waterhouse Training Facility, University of Hawai'i softball player Tyleen Tausaga and student manager Kristi Yoshizawa played an animated game of one-on-one volleyball.

Tausaga was able to successfully dig each of Yoshizawa's powerful swings.

"Not bad for someone with one leg, huh?" Tausaga said.

Tausaga also is skillful on the softball field, having hit .412 to lead the Rainbow Wahine to a 5-1 record in the season-opening Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic. Three of the victories were against nationally ranked opponents.

Tausaga, a senior from Kaimuki High, yesterday was named the Western Athletic Conference's Hitter of the Week.

Teammate Justine "Juzzy" Smethurst, a sophomore from Australia, was selected as the WAC's top pitcher.

In the tournament's third-place game Sunday, Tausaga, playing on a twice-injured left knee, powered the go-ahead, two-run homer to defeat then-No. 15 Nebraska. She was used at first base.

In the two weeks leading to the four-day tournament, "I wasn't practicing my defense," Tausaga said.

Last summer, she underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. Two weeks ago, she suffered a torn meniscus in the same knee.

"After I got hurt again, I was kind of down for a little bit," Tausaga said. "But I realized I had to be a leader for everyone. I couldn't be sulking in my own problems. The team really picked me up. The team helped me get through my second injury, telling me, 'Everything will be all right.' I realized it would be OK. I have a knee injury. I'm not dying. There are other people suffering more than I am. When I finally came to that conclusion, I was over being hurt."

In UH's first six games, Tausaga leads the team in hits (seven), home runs (three), RBIs (nine), total bases (16) and slugging (.941).

"I trusted what I could do, and went with that," Tausaga said.

Smethurst said: "That's Tyleen. She steps up every time. Her mentality is to do whatever it takes for the team to win. I kind of knew she was going to come through. That's who she is. That's how she plays. She plays for the team."

Tausaga will be eligible for a medical hardship if she does not play in more than 10 of the Rainbows' first 30 games this season.

"I'm taking it day by day," she said. "I'm playing. As of right now, everything is going really good for me and the team. I want to keep it at that. If I can go, I'll go."

Smethurst has embraced the role as the pitching staff's ace. She opened the season with a five-inning shutout, striking out 10 of 15 batters. She allowed an unearned run in a 2-1 victory over then-No. 24 Auburn.

Smethurst, who pitched for Australia's 23-and-under team during the offseason, said she has a new approach.

"I focus on going out there and playing my own game," Smethurst said. "If I concentrate on outside influences, it's only going to put my mindset on something else. I concentrate on what I can do, and how I can help the team out."

She also tries to contain her emotions.

"I want to go into every game, no matter who we're playing, and pitch the same way," Smethurst said. "That's what we did this weekend. We treated every team the same.

"I think we came out with some extraordinary good wins that everyone is really proud of," she added. "We have so much more left in the tank."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.