There are options
There are answers.
The problem? There are questions.
Many of them.
The Hawaii volleyball team concluded its preseason practices on Saturday with a revolving door of a scrimmage that had players exchanging positions along with high-fives. There were glimpses of the potential starting lineup that may be … might be … could be … used in Friday’s opener against Marquette at the Stan Sheriff Center.
And, then again, as new Rainbow Wahine head coach Robyn Ah Mow-Santos likes to say, “Things could change.”
Senior middle Emily Maglio, senior libero Savanah Kahakai, junior hitter McKenna Granato and sophomore setter Norene Iosia appear to have secured starting roles, retaining the positions played when fans last saw the Wahine on their home Teraflex. But the other three spots — a second middle and two outside hitters, including one who would play predominately on the right — will continue to be open auditions likely beyond the coming week.
What was evident to the 100 family members and boosters were the fundamentals that had been drilled into the players for nearly two weeks. While the passing wasn’t up to the coaching staff’s standards — yet — the defense was solid, something that spoke volumes as much as the increased vocal communication on the court.
“I can tell, the whole team can tell, the difference from when we started with that first practice to today,” Iosia said. “Everything that we practiced in double-days really showed.
“We have a lot of options. ‘Mags’ (Maglio) and ‘Mac’ (Granato) are always my go-to hitters, but we have a lot of hitters, and that’s a good thing.”
Hawaii likely will use all of them in its search to replace graduated second-team All-America opposite Nikki Taylor and her 490 points (386 kills, 52 aces and 97 blocks) from a year ago.
It could be senior Kendra Koelsch, the backup setter of the past three seasons; or junior Casey Castillo, who has been used on the left, the right and the middle during her career; or sophomore McKenna Ross, recruited more as a defensive specialist. It could be one of the freshmen, two of whom are recruited middles — Sophia Howling and Skyler Williams — or true right-sider Shaney Lipscomb.
Nothing was settled on Saturday. But there has to be a decision made by the time Ah Mow-Santos turns in the lineup card Friday against the Golden Eagles.
“It’s a good thing and a bad thing to have all these options,” Ah Mow-Santos said. “The bad thing is saying, ‘Let’s do this. No, let’s do this.’ We’re just trying to find the one that works.
“There are practice players and there are game players, and sometimes you don’t know until the lights come on who is who. I thought Skyler did pretty good out there, was better in the scrimmage than in practice. Castillo can go either right or middle — it’s why we had her out there at both. And I won’t put Koelsch in at the right or at setter.”
The 6-foot-1 Koelsch and 6-2 freshman middle Howling put up an impressive wall playing in the front row together. No official stats were taken in the Green-White Scrimmage, but unofficially the pair teamed up for seven blocks.
The Green team won the first two sets 25-21 and 25-21, and the White team won Set 3 25-17.
Granato was credited with 14 kills, sophomore hitter Kirsten Sibley added 10 and Williams six kills to go with three blocks. Maglio finished with seven kills and four blocks, Castillo had six kills, four blocks and an ace, and Kahakai and freshman defensive specialist Rika Okino two aces each.
“We got to look at a lot of different people, maybe the starting six,” Kahakai said. “It was fun to showcase what we’ve been working on in front of people.
“We’ve been letting our freshmen know that when we get a big crowd it’s going to be different in here. I thought they handled playing in front of people today pretty well.”
Several players were not cleared to participate in the scrimmage: senior hitter Kalei Greeley, sophomore middle Natasha Burns and Faith Ma’afala, a defensive specialist who has been working as the backup setter.