seasider wrote:Wahine's 2nd stringers: Thurlby, setter; Arnott/Houston/Keefe, OHs; Gregory/Thomas, MBS.
The publicized status of the Wahine's 2nd stringers:
FAB 50s: Thurlby, Arnott, Houston, Thomas
Senior Ace top 100: #52, Jessica Keefe, Iowa's HS POY
Senior Ace next 150: Kari Gregory
Top Recruiting class
2002--#9. Hawaii -- Cayley Thurlby (RS in 2002), Suzi Boogaard
2003--#7. Hawaii -- Alicia Arnott, 5-11 MB, La Pietra (Honolulu HI); Kari Gregory, 6-3 OH, The Meadows School (Las Vegas NV); Kanoe Kamana’o, 5-8 S, Iolani (Honolulu HI)
Comment: The Wahine picked up three superb athletes in the Early Signing Period. JNT libero Kamana’o is the name, but the highly competitive trio should all make an early impact in Honolulu.
2004--#8. Hawaii – Tara Hittle, 6-0 OH, Doherty (Colorado Springs CO); Jessica Keefe, 6-1 MB, Ames (IA); Victoria Prince, 6-0 MB/RS, transfer from Washington State; Nickie Thomas, 6-3 MB, Westwood (Round Rock TX)
Comment: This class could hit big for the ‘Bows, but there are a lot of “Ifs†here. Hittle oozes athleticism and could be a stud now that she will be a volleyball-only player for the first time in her life. Keefe is a great athlete rehabbing a torn ACL, while Thomas has the size and lateral ability to be an impact middle. The key to the class may be the transfer Prince, who should give Hawaii two solid years once she knocks the rust off after a long layoff.
2005--#16. Hawaii -- Jamie Houston, 6-2 OH/MB, Huntsville (AL); Aneli Cubi-Otineru, 5-10 OH, Punahou (Honolulu HI)
Comment: The Rainbow Wahine graduated only one and she wasn’t an impact player and they added 6-3 Oregon transfer Sarah Mason, making it problematic that the Class of 2005 will shine right away for a team that was ranked No. 1 nationally for much of 2004. Houston is the biggest name of the two, a supreme athlete capable of playing anywhere along the front row who could, with time, develop into one of the finest terminators in the country. Otineru, a home-grown product, may not have the size to be a go-to attacker at this level, but her tremendous back row skill should land her on the court early in her Hawaii career.
NOTE: Top recruiting class for 2006, along with the FAB 50 listing, will most likely be posted sometime in the 1st quarter of next year.
The Wahine's recruiting class for 2006: Amber Kaufman, Dani Mafua, and Careena Onosai. Maybe another one if 13th scholarship passes legislation.
Senior Ace for 2006:
27. Danielle Mafua, 5-10 S, Mid-Pacific (Honolulu HI)
Jammers -- Hawaii
Mafua took a roundabout path to being the future at setter for the Rainbow Wahine. She was a basketball star for most of her young life, following in the footsteps of her father, Daniel. And when her attention turned to volleyball, it was as a hammer on the left side. Mafua began setting a year ago and has blossomed into one of the nation’s best. She is very athletic, jumps well, demonstrates soft hands and good set location, knows how to defend and has benefited from having played for years as an attacker. She will benefit some more once she enrolls at Hawaii, because she will have a year to watch and learn from All-American Kanoe Kamana’o.
25. Amber Kaufman, 6-1 MB, Branham (San Jose CA), Vision 17 – Hawaii
A breathtaking athlete, Kaufman gives new meaning to the term “quick middle.†She is a flash laterally and jumps explosively. A track star, Kaufman finished among the state’s top 10 last year in the high jump and long jump and plans to pursue those in college as well. Off of one foot, in front of or behind the setter, she simply cannot be stopped. Kaufman has worked hard the past couple of years to refine her skill set and knows there’s more work to do to reach her stratospheric ceiling. She should be ready to contribute immediately when she gets to Hawaii, where she has committed.
The next 150: Careena Onosai, 6-0 MB, Word of Life (Honolulu HI), Jammers -- Hawaii
Just a little tidbit: Juliana Sanders was recruied by North Carolina of the ACC, but choose to walk-on to the Wahine. She's now on scholarship.
Sarah Mason accepted a scholarship to Oregon State. I believe the Wahine had no scholarship available, and was asked to walk on. She would have been in that same class as Arnott, Kamana'o, and Gregory.
Hawaii's POY last year Tamari Miyashiro is a back-up setter for the Washington Huskies, backing up AA Courtney Thompson. If she had walked on to the Wahine's program, methink, she would be that starting Libero next year, or fight it out with Dani Mafua as the starting setter in 2007.
Aneli Cubi-Otineru was not eligible to enter UH. She's doing quite well on the JC route (Southern Utah). Methinks she'll be a Rainbow Wahine in the fall of 2007.
Careena Onosai, like Juliana, will be walking on to the Wahine. As a listed Senior Ace, I'm sure there were schools waiting in line with a scholarship in their hand.
Mona Ah Hoy (Kahuku), also listed in the Senior Aces, next 150--she took a recruiting trip to Nevada--mostly likely she'll be receiving a scholarship from Coach Scruggs.