Makana Recca

[Aikea]

starbulletin.com/2006/10/22/sports/story04.html

Rainbow Wahine look to the past
By Cindy Luis
[e-mail]
It felt just like old times as the Hawaii women's volleyball team revisited its history yesterday.

With men's basketball practicing in the Stan Sheriff Center and men's volleyball in Gym 1, the 16th-ranked Rainbow Wahine were back in the recently refurbished Klum Gym for a morning practice. However, a few things were missing for both -- no bleachers in the gym that had been the team's home for 20 years, and no Kanoe Kamana'o or Jamie Houston scrimmaging.

Both starting senior setter Kamana'o and starting left-side hitter Houston were on the sidelines for the second consecutive practice session, a "planned recuperation," according to UH coach Dave Shoji.

"Both Jamie and Kanoe need the rest," he said. "We wanted to give them four to five days off."

Hawaii has had two practices since last playing on Tuesday against Notre Dame. The win against the Irish capped a seven-matches-in-12-days schedule that saw the Wahine go 6-1, and an end to the longest current conference winning streak (114) with the loss at New Mexico State on Oct. 13.

Hawaii will try to start a new Western Athletic Conference winning streak Friday when hosting Idaho. The Wahine have today off and will resume practice tomorrow.

With the absence of Kamana'o and Houston yesterday, practice was a little ragged, with creative lineups. Setting one side was redshirt freshman Dani Mafua -- a candidate to replace Kamana'o next season -- and several back-row players saw some front-row time, including defensive specialist Rayna Kitaguchi.

Also absent yesterday was sophomore defensive specialist Elise Duggins, who arrived as practice was winding down, some 2 hours late. Shoji said he planned to speak with her but wasn't announcing any decision yet.

He did make one announcement at the end of practice regarding a roster change for Friday's match with Idaho. Walk-on sophomore libero Makana Recca will suit up, although technically there is no uniform for her.

Recca, a Kamehameha Schools graduate, was assigned No. 19 for the year, but that numbered jersey is not in the uniform inventory.

[tito99]

i wonder whether recca's suiting up because someone is being punished (like duggins) or if recca has been stepping it up in practice and is being rewarded...

on another note, who is the other setting candidate for next year? mafua is the only one on the current roster and i don't remember hearing about any of the new recruits being brought in for the setter position...

[bowman]

i'll speculate... either raceen or elise. they need something or someone to shore up the passing.

[freeballer2]

could aneli cubi-otineru set?? im asking more than speculating?
first off, will she even be a rainbow wahine next year?

[jr67]

You're right that Mafua will be the only true setter UH has next year but it was mentioned that Liz Ka'aihue besides being be libero would also receive train as a setter. And Aneli Cubi-Otineru can also set.

[cbrown1709]

Didn't Aneli run part of the 6-2 at that cheating JUCO? lol

[5100]

How can Makana suit up when there's no uniform for her? Will she be wearing someone else's uniform?

[bowman]

ong & blood,
you may have answered your own question......

[pope]

ericplim said:

How can Makana suit up when there's no uniform for her? Will she be wearing someone else's uniform?

Dave could make Recca wear both Blood's and Ong's uniforms at the same time, since both of their numbers add up to 19.

[5100]

pope said:

ericplim said:

How can Makana suit up when there's no uniform for her? Will she be wearing someone else's uniform?

Dave could make Recca wear both Blood's and Ong's uniforms at the same time, since both of their numbers add up to 19.

Too funny!

[Wolfgang]

I must admit that, at first, I thought this thread was going to be about some DII or NAIA player with Hawaii roots. The name sounded familiar. So, I didn't bother to click on the link. But thread after new thread of Ruffda's complaints about how Minnesota is not getting the respect they deserve and how there's a riot in the streets of Minneapolis, well, I had no other choice but to reluctantly click on this link.

Whoa! I'm glad my puny efforts were rewarded.

[Rus Socoli]

wolfgang said:

But thread after new thread of Ruffda's complaints about how Minnesota is not getting the respect they deserve...

Oh, how some people exaggerates.

[pineapple]

yeah, even his name is an exaggeration; he stands alone, so it should be wolfman, or even werewolf, looking at his avatar.

[blob]

Is this a real name? C'mon......She Makana Recca the other team?

One of the better sports names I've heard. If this has been discussed ad nauseum on other threads, then my apologies.

[kepakai]

Makana has three choices of uniform numbers, all three of the players who are out for the season: 3 (Hittle), 6 (Keefe) and 9 (thomas). she has chosen No. 9, the number I believe she wore in high school.