Jason Kaneshiro (@jasonkaneshiro) Tweeted:
Rainbow Wahine volleyball is back. #HawaiiWVB on the court in Gym 1 for the second session of Day 1 of practice. @staradvertiser
t.co/k6UUNIiS5Zwww.staradvertiser.comWahine volleyball players ‘super excited’ to practice after being shut down 20 months by the pandemic
By Jason Kaneshiro
By the time Robyn Ah Mow walked into the gym ahead of a 6 a.m. practice, the Hawaii volleyball coach found the Rainbow Wahine already ahead of schedule.
“I looked at the other two coaches and I’m like, ‘We have to adjust our practice plan,’” Ah Mow said. “Because we had them warming up (on the agenda), but they were already warm, they ran, they ball-handled, and it was amazing.”
After waiting close to 20 months for a chance to work together as a full team, many of the Wahine didn’t need alarms or a strong cup of coffee to provide a jolt of energy heading into their first day of official practices.
“A lot of my teammates were saying, ‘I just got up at 4 a.m. and I couldn’t even sleep,’ ” middle blocker Amber Igiede said. “We were just all super excited to even get into the gym.
“We woke up around 4:15 and got to the gym at 5:15 and it didn’t even fee like early morning because we were so excited.”
With the preliminary work complete, the Wahine could get to the business of preparing for a season opener now 17 days away.
The Aug. 27 match against Fairfield at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center will be UH’s first since a loss to Nebraska in the NCAA regional in Madison, Wis., on Dec. 13, 2019. The Big West canceled fall sports for the 2020-21 season while other conferences competed in the spring, fueling the Wahine heading into the season.
“Long overdue, but here we are,” senior outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle said. “It’s definitely a blessing.”
The Wahine jumped straight into two-a-day practices on Monday with the early-morning session then weight training in Klum Gym prior to another practice in the afternoon.
Ah Mow noted the Wahine reported for their 2021 camp in better shape than in 2019, which was not a knock on the previous team but a testament to the current group’s efforts over the extended break.
After the year off, Ah Mow said she might have a more patient approach compared to previous years. But her attention to detail remains sharp, as evidenced early in the afternoon session when she stopped warm-up drills to correct technique.
Along with skill work, the Wahine will integrate nine players making their UH debuts this season as they develop their on-court chemistry, an aspect reinforced when the U.S. claimed its first women’s volleyball gold medal over the weekend in Tokyo.
“Team chemistry is definitely a big piece of how teams can go far in the tournament,” Van Sickle said. “(Team USA) just won and everyone keeps saying that’s the closest they’ve ever been. … We have a really good group of girls and I think everyone will fit in easily. I don’t have any worries.”
While nine players will make their UH debuts this season, the opening practices were also an introduction for five newcomers to the roster, including a group of international players the coaches hadn’t seen play in person prior to Monday. Martyna Leoniak, Ilayda Demirtas (who is awaiting her visa before joining the team), and Annika De Goede add height and depth to the outside hitter competition, each standing at least 6 feet 3.
“We have to check out their ball-handling skills. Obviously, we saw them hit, that’s why they’re here,” Ah Mow said. “For me, I like all my outside hitters to pass, play defense, block, serve, everything. We’re going to try to incorporate that in the next two weeks and see where everyone’s at.”
The start of camp was particularly significant for junior defensive specialist Janelle Gong, who was awarded a scholarship on Sunday during a team meeting.
“Everyone was pretty much crying,” Van Sickle said. “She’s done everything right. She did great in school. She’s always the most positive person in the gym. I’m super proud of her, she deserves it for sure.”
