There’s no NCAA Division II championship to chase for the UH-Hilo volleyball team, which looks loaded for its first PacWest title run since 2009.
Those sports canceled in the fall (cross-country, soccer, volleyball) by the coronavirus pandemic and now playing in the spring don’t have conference titles to chase either.
On the bright side, the Vulcans do have 16 matches in what are technically exhibitions. Stats will be kept and the PacWest will recognize all-conference performers, such as player of the week and an all-PacWest team.
UHH athletic director Pat Guillen, whose job is to look for silver linings under dark clouds, put it into perspective.
“We’re fortunate to be able to play a developmental season and get an extra year back. They’ll be good,” he said.
The Vulcans will play Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific seven times each in a round-robin of matches or if you want a glorified title, call it a battle for Hawaii’s unofficial championship to replace any postseason aspirations.
To double down on the fun UHH opens at Chaminade on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. then has a fast turnaround and plays Hawaii Pacific at 7 p.m. at the Shark Tank.
On Sunday, the Vuls play Chaminade at 10 a.m. and later HPU at 2:30 p.m.
The Vulcans host the merry-go-around the next weekend. The Silverswords are 11-10 all-time against the Vuls, and the Sharks hold a 13-7 edge.
Alaska Anchorage is braving the cold and a long flight to Hawaii to play the three Hawaii schools in late April.
“Our sister school UH-Manoa Rainbow Wahine, they’re not playing, and the Ivy League is not playing,” UHH coach Chris Leonard said. “We haven’t played a match in 15 months. We’ll be stronger this year, but it remains to be seen when we put a team on the floor.”
It’ll be like old times again with daughter Zoe Leonard and her Kamehameha teammate Kaiulani Ahuna on the bench as assistants.
“Zoe moved back to Hawaii and took a job with Kai Kahele,” he said. “Kaiu is between seasons of pro ball in Europe, and they shut down the season due to COVID. Fortunately, we have them in the gym with us.”
So how do you get a horse to chase something with no carrot dangling in front?
“Historically for all of the Hawaii teams, and it goes for all sports, have always had a natural Hawaii interisland rivalry,” Leonard said. “One thing we’re excited about is the number of kids on our roster, and we’re excited to see what they can do.
“We’ll play four matches in two days and have to aware of the level of fatigue. We don’t have a pitch count, but that’s a lot of jumps and swings.”
Freshman Tani Hoke, from Maryknoll, will get a shot at replacing libero Kaila Lizama, who had to wait for Mina Grant to graduate. Grant set the gold bar as a defender, leaving as the school’s career digs leader.
“She works hard and has shown a maturity beyond her class standing,” Leonard said of Hoke. “She’s competitive and has made some great plays on defense. She’s coachable and has made a lot of progress.”
As good as Grant? She has a developmental year and returns as a second-year freshman in 2022, so we’ll see.
Imeleta Ale, a 5-foot-11 freshman from Carson, Calif., could see minutes at middle blocker. Her father Arnold Ale played for the Kansas City Chief and San Diego Chargers.
The Vulcans still have senior hitters Bria Beale, Amber Tai, who is injured, and Taira Kaawaloa, middle
Ashton Jessee, who’s back healthy from her knee injury, setter Kendall Kott and opposite Alexandria Parisian.
There are 18 players on the roster, and all are eligible to keep their current class standings. But next fall, there needs room to be made for Leonard’s prized recruit, 6-3 middle Sydney Gott from Feather River College. She’ll have three years of eligibility.
She led the Golden Eagles to the California Juco state championship. Gott, who’s from Quincy, Calif., was named first team all-conference and the state tourney team as well.
“When I looked at film of her, the more I watched her the more I liked her,” Leonard said. “She’ll be a great fit with her personality with the team’s culture.”
Leonard is unsure if she’s the daughter of Jim Gott, a right-handed reliever, who pitched 14 years in the major leagues, including the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Whether she’s related or not, I think she’s a pretty good right-hander,” he said.