Kim Willoughby, a member of the silver medal-winning U.S. volleyball team at the Beijing Olympics and a former star for the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine, pleaded not guilty yesterday morning in Circuit Court to a charge of felony assault.

Willoughby, 27, is charged with causing serious bodily injury to Sara Daniel on Dec. 16, 2006, at Pipeline Cafe on Pohukaina Street in Kaka'ako.

Willoughby originally was charged in the case in June 2007, but that case was dismissed and a new indictment was issued Sept. 1, 2007, according to court records.

"The charges were upgraded due to the seriousness of the injuries," Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sherri Chun said yesterday morning.

Chun declined to provide further details of the case.

Willoughby, who was playing professional volleyball in Italy when the indictment was returned, was informed of the criminal charge and agreed to return to Hawai'i. She retained defense attorney Richard Hoke to represent her in the case.

Hoke declined comment on the case yesterday morning.

Willoughby has posted $50,000 bail, and a trial in the case is scheduled for May.

Willoughby was charged in a domestic abuse case here in 2001, eventually entering deferred guilty pleas to one count of abuse of a household member and one third-degree assault count. Both charges are misdemeanors.

After completing court-ordered community service and and writing a letter of apology to the victim in that case, the charges against her were dismissed.