It’s OK to make limited references to Chaminade in Kaila Lizama’s presence, but it’s best to deal with one rival at a time.
Mention of Chaminade and Punahou in the same sentence is almost enough to make UH-Hilo’s senior volleyball libero lose her cheerful tone.
“Ugh, Punahou, oh God,” said Lizama, a proud alum of Kamehameha-Kapalama on Oahu.
Between the Silverswords and Buffanblu, who does she dislike more?
“Honestly, Chaminade, at this point in my career, Chaminade,” she said. “I’ve grown from high school. I would send my kids to Punahou.”
Lizama just wants to send the Silverswords back to Honolulu with a loss.
The Pacific West Conference contenders and cross-state rivals clash at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Vulcans’ conference and home openers, and, frankly, this how they should want everything to start off.
It’s never too early for the Vuls (5-3) to think about making a statement, nor is it too late for them to forget that they were swept by Chaminade (7-2, 1-0 PacWest) last season, including a winner-take-all, season-ending road loss that extinguished UHH’s postseason hopes.
“So annoying,” Lizama said. “Personally, I have a vendetta against Chaminade. We still have grudges about that.
“We just have so much to prove.”
If the transitive property carried over to sports – unfortunately, it rarely does – UHH will win this one.
In one of the Vuls’ most spirited efforts of the season so far, they led Western Washington, now ranked No. 2, last weekend before losing the fourth and fifth sets at the D2 West Region Showcase in Pomona, Calif. The Silverswords, meanwhile, were swept by Western Washington, a team that UHH interim coach Chris Leonard is happy to use as a barometer entering conference play.
“The biggest takeaway of the trip was I told them in the locker room, “I hope you guys now understand what I’ve been saying all long, that we can play with any of these teams,’ ” Leonard said. “We were that close to knocking out a national power, we know we can play at that level.”
He also knows his team can be resilient. Each of its three losses has been followed by a victory. After its upset bid fell short, UHH swept then-No. 20 Cal Pomona later in the day.
“We talked about having a short memory for the bad stuff and a long memory for the good stuff,” Leonard said. “Be able to let mistakes go and let a loss go. Learn from it and move on.”
Win or lose Saturday night, UHH will make a quick turnaround and host Hawaii Pacific (4-5, 0-1 PacWest) at 3 p.m. Sunday. Chaminade got the extended rivalry weekend off to a start Thursday by sweeping the Sharks behind 10 kills from all-conference outside hitter Emma Tecklenburg.
The Silverswords were picked to finished second in the PacWest, garnering a first-place vote behind Azusa Pacific, and it’s no secret the Vuls were miffed to be tabbed fifth. Each went 17-5 last season, though Chaminade may notice more has changed about this Vulcans team than just Leonard, who took over for Gene Krieger.
“We have a pretty balanced attack,” Leonard said. “Middles are blocking well, but they also are hitting in most of our matches. We’re getting good production from our outside hitters (all-conference junior Bria Beale leads the team with 97 kills), we’re getting nice production out of our opposite (Alexandria Parisian has 69 kills and 23 blocks), and I think on any given night we have the ability to change our look.
“Some nights our matchup might be favorable in the middle, another night on the left side or right side we feel we have really solid players in place. It makes you less predictable and keeps your arms fresh.”
While Beale continues to be a six-rotation player, outside hitters Amber Tai (88 kills) and Taira Kaawaloa have primarily held down three, Tai in the front and Kaawaloa in back.
Thanks to middles Ashton Jessee (53 kills, 33 blocks), a junior, and true freshman Emily Wade (71 kills, 33 blocks), the Vulcans lead their conference foes in blocks by a wide margin.
Lizama has seen them come and go during her career — coaches and players — and the 6-foot-3 Wade has been quick to make an positive impression.
“Emily, is tall and fast and quick,” Lizama said. “I wouldn’t expect it from somebody so skinny and lanky, she’s really good.
“My middles get me excited. Any time I pass the ball and I know it’s a good pass and I get it to my setter (freshman Kendall Kott), I’m like, “Set the middles, they are going to kill this ball.’ ”
Lizama, a native of Kauai who walked-on to UHH, is in her first season as starter after sitting behind Mina Grant, the program’s all-time digs leader. Lizama filled in admirably when Grant missed playing time last season with an injury, and she picked up 87 digs in four matches last weekend in Pomona.
That was only part of her value, according to Leonard, who credited Lizama with getting to balls, saving points and making the plays that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.
Lizama flirted with giving up the game after her sophomore season to go to dental school, but she’s stuck with it, even while others, including two coaches, haven’t. The psychology major is set to get graduate in the spring and go graduate school at UHH.
Of course, the Vulcans volleyball experience has been an education in itself. Her first coach, Tino Reyes, was dismissed after her freshman season and Krieger quit in March.
“It’s been a roller-coaster, honestly,” she said, “dealing three different coaches who have three different styles, three different ways they want you to play, three different ways of motivation.
“It’s been difficult, but I feel this is such a good way to prepare you for real life. Things are going to change, you’re going to have to adapt to different situations, different people.”
