HONOLULU – As they walked off Western Washington University's Carver Gymnasium floor at the NCAA West Regional last November, their season having ended to No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino just minutes earlier, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team set their sights on 2019.
Nine-and-a-half months later, the arduous hours of spring and summer conditioning and weight-room workouts are about to be revealed.
In what might be the most anticipated season in program history, the Silverswords on Friday will embark on what they hope is a four-month journey back to the postseason and ultimately, a trip to Denver, Colo., site of this year's NCAA Championships.
The 'Swords face Sonoma State at 2:30 p.m. in the Hawai'i Challenge at McCabe Gymnasium followed by West Virginia State at 7:30 p.m. AT&T is the match sponsor for the WVSU match with prize giveaways during the contest.
Getting a taste of NCAA postseason pageantry and going toe-to-toe with CSUSB in the regional is motivation for the team which returns 10 letterwinners from a year ago.
After the abrupt end to the year, the returnees put themselves through months of conditioning and strength training in preparation for this season.
"They trained really hard over the summer," eighth-year head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke said. "They came into the season with grueling physical fitness tests that pushed their bodies to the limit. Now with some recovery time, we're seeing some big improvement on the court and is the most physically fit team in my eight years."
Despite fierce practices that began in mid-August, Kabalis Hoke still sees room for plenty of improvement. However she feels that the squad is on the right track.
"I believe we will see some big gains in the next two weeks as we become more familiar with our lineups, defensive and offensive systems and our rotations," she said.
The Challenge concludes Saturday with matches against Minot State (12:30 p.m.) and Chico State (7 p.m.). Fellow Pacific West Conference rival Hawai'i Hilo is also in the field. The tournament begins Thursday when Sonoma faces WVSU.
Not only do fans have high expectations for the 'Swords, so do others. Last week Chaminade was picked second in the Preseason PacWest Coaches Poll and received 25 points in the AVCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Preseason Poll. However their goal is much higher than second place; they want the conference crown, something that has eluded them since 1996, the program's last – and to-date, only – PacWest title.
"We've worked very hard over the years to earn this opportunity to compete for a conference title and we are doing our best to prepare each day for that chance to earn a place among the best in the nation," Kabalis Hoke said.
Four starters return from last year's squad which won a school-record 23 matches and the program's first NCAA postseason bid since 2004. Two of Chaminade's returnees, senior outside hitters
Emma Tecklenburg (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) and
Alana Handy (Burlington, Wash./Bethune-Cookman Univ./Burlington-Edison), were named to the preseason all-conference team, after ranking No. 1 and 2, respectively, in kills in 2018.
Junior right-side hitter
Rachel Reedy (Arcadia, Calif./Arcadia), a PacWest Third Team selection in '18 is back after being one of just two players in the conference to rank in the conference's top 14 in kills and hitting percentage. And under-heralded junior outside hitter
Claire Zanon (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit) returns to help solidify one of the conference's – and one of the nation's – top attacking squads. A year ago, the 'Swords put down 14.63 kills per set which was sixth-best in the country. The addition of freshman
Annah Rivera (Granada Hills, Calif./Bishop Alemany), one of the state of California's top high school hitters, adds to the depth of an already deep rotation of attackers.
Meanwhile there is a fierce battle for the top spot at setter. Junior
Danielle Wiley (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) was a part-time starter the last two years but she is being challenged by
Natashya Enos (Kahalu'u, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Saint Francis) who is back for her senior year after sitting out the last two seasons. Enos, who last played in 2016, ranks eighth in career assists with 1,427 and seventh in career service aces with 85. Freshman
Alecza Abary (Fontana, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga HS) was her high school league's most valuable player while junior
Riley Lynch (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kalaheo) provides depth.
There is also competition at middle blocker. Gone are PacWest Second Team member
Brooke Bell and
Terezie Cernosek, although
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hills, Calif./Oakwood) returns and has shown marked improvement at practices. Chaminade has two first-year blockers in junior college transfer
Jacqueline Wolfe (Laguna Hills, Calif./Irvine Valley CC/Mater Dei HS), who played at Hawai'i Pacific in 2015, and freshman
Rae Montrose (Cedar Hills, Utah/Lone Peak).
In the back row,
Nina Torio (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) is the incumbent at libero while fellow senior
Isabella Tessitore (San Diego/Torrey Pines) and sophomore
Tate Lutu (Honolulu/Sacred Hearts) are returnees. But a pair of newcomers even further adds talent to an already deep unit.
Leka Kiner-Falefa (Honolulu/UNLV/Mid-Pacific Institute) and
Tatiana Toleafoa (Union City, Calif./Cal State Fullerton/James Logan HS) are hoping to follow in the footsteps of impact-making transfers – notably Handy and Keani Passi – that Kabalis Hoke has managed to bring in recent years. Kiner-Falefa, the sister of Texas Rangers' catcher and third baseman Isiah, joined the 'Swords last summer but redshirted in 2018 and has already taken the hold of the libero role. Toleafoa spent last season at Cal State Fullerton and also has the ability to attack with nearly 1,500 career kills in high school.
Following this week's tournament, the Silverswords will travel to Pomona, Calif., for the annual D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase. The 'Swords will be tested right off the bat, facing Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason favorite and No. 3 Western Washington on Friday, Sept. 13, followed by host and 20th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona later that evening. The 'Swords conclude the Showcase against Seattle Pacific and Cal State Monterey Bay which was picked third in the California Collegiate Athletic Association North Division Poll.
Chaminade opens PacWest action on Thursday, Sept. 19 against in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University at McCabe Gym. Following a match at UH Hilo on Sept. 21, the Silverswords head to the conference's Northern California section where they currently own a 10-match winning streak.
The Silverswords then return home for eight consecutive matches at McCabe Gym including key meetings against Biola (Oct. 9) and PacWest favorite and defending champion Azusa Pacific (Oct. 25).
The team heads to Southern California where they will look to reverse a down trend in the area. The 'Swords are just 1-11 in SoCal the past three years including a 1-3 mark last season.
Chaminade returns home to close out the regular season with two matches including on Senior Night on Nov. 23 against Holy Names.
"We have a group of like-minded young women who understand the importance of community and know that talent alone does not equate to wins," Kabalis Hoke said. "They know it will take more than that and they are putting in the work to reach their goals."
