Should anyone ever think to revive those "Happiness is ..." posters of the 1970s, they'd need to look no further than Hawai'i Pacific defensive specialist Tricia Yoshimura for inspiration.

As in, Happiness is ... returning home to friends and family after a year in Oregon.

Or, Happiness is ... bringing a year of high-level Pac-10 experience to the PacWest and helping a group of relative strangers come together for a run at the conference championship.

Or, Happiness is ... leading the PacWest in digs per game after a year away from the game.

"The nicest thing is to have a local player who has gone away come back home and enjoy every minute playing in Hawai'i," says HPU head coach Daryl Kapis. "With Tricia, it shows every day."

Yoshimura, as local volleyball fans may recall, was a standout volleyball player for Hawai'i Baptist Academy, earning Interscholastic League of Honolulu honorable mention honors from 2003 to 2005.

After graduation, Yoshimura joined Oregon State, for whom she contributed 2.4 digs per game in 2006, her first and only season under head coach Taras Liskevych.

"The competition was tough, but it was a good experience to play at that level," Yoshimura said.

Still, the Waipahu native missed playing in front of her parents and missed being in Hawai'i.

Yoshimura had met Kapis years earlier at a couple USA Volleyball camps. When she learned that he had taken over the Sea Warriors program, she knew what she wanted to do.

This season, Yoshimura is one of 14 new players on Kapis' third HPU squad.

As expected, the team suffered some early-season growing pains. But it came together during a crucial 3-0 road trip that sparked a five-match winning streak and put the Sea Warriors in the thick of the conference race.

The streak ended with a 3-1 loss to Dixie State last week, but the Sea Warriors remain fourth in the standings with a 4-4 conference record (7-11 overall).

"There are so many new girls on the team that to think how far we've come from where we were to where we are now is incredible," Yoshimura said. "It was gradual, but we came together at the right time."

Yoshimura has been a steadying force throughout, digging seemingly sure kills for crucial HPU kill opportunities. Through this weekend, Yoshimura was averaging a conference-best 5.62 digs per game.

Yoshimura has also clicked well with fellow sophomore Kelly Balanay, a potent middle hitter.

"We have a little signal," Yoshimura said, laughing. "We'll look at each other and we both know, 'I'll pass and you'd better get the kill.' "

For Yoshimura, however, the satisfaction goes well beyond the stat lines.

"I love being home and playing in front of my parents," Yoshimura said. "It was a good experience to go away, but I'm happy that I was able to come back home and play."

On the court, Yoshimura leads by example. Kapis hopes that influence will extend to the farthest reaches of the state as a beacon for other talented local players looking to compete in front of friends and family.

"I hope she's a draw for other higher-level Hawai'i kids who might not be ready for the Mainland, or who just want to stay home and play," he said. "The problem is, unless they're going to play for (the University of Hawai'i), these kids are being told by club coaches, high school coaches and academic advisors to leave for the Mainland.

"We have a good school, and Chaminade, Hilo, BYUH are all good schools, too," he said. "I'd rather see these players stay and play for another school rather than go away if they're not ready."

The Sea Warriors play a pair of home matches with Grand Canyon today and Thursday.

TUILEVUKA HONORED

Brigham Young-Hawai'i outside hitter Agnes Tuilevuka hit .417 with 47 kills and two block assists as BYUH extended its win streak to nine conference matches last week.

For her efforts, Tuilevuka, a native of Suva, Fiji, was named the PacWest volleyball player of the week.