The chess piece that is Casey Castillo is poised to make those final moves. The Hawaii senior has been all around the board during her four-year volleyball career … middle, right-side and left-side … whatever it took to help the team and get herself on the court.
“I think versatility is super important, it’s being that ‘Hawaii girl’ who is well rounded, able to do everything,” said the 6-foot-3 Castillo, who settled in on the left for much of this season. “It’s not just about height out there. It’s about ball-control and blocking.
“Being thrown in every position helped me do that. I think I’ve proven that I have the ability to do everything. That was my goal when coming here, to become the best volleyball player I could be.”
Until late last month, Castillo had been a stabilizing presence in an often-rocky season. She left early in Set 1 of the Oct. 26 upset of Cal Poly with an injury and missed the next two, breaking a streak of 48 straight starts.
The California native is expected to make her final two starts in the Stan Sheriff Center as Hawaii (16-8, 12-2 Big West) clings to an outside chance of making the NCAA tournament as an at-large team. The Wahine must win both, against UC Irvine (16-11, 10-5) today and UC Davis (16-11, 8-7) on Friday, to have any shot.
Will two wins be enough for Hawaii to avoid missing the postseason for just the second time in program history? Is it checkmate?
“I don’t know,” said Castillo, one of seven Wahine seniors who will be honored after Friday’s match. “We can only focus on what’s ahead of us this week and take care of business.
“Has it been a disappointing season? Not at all. We all got better individually, got stronger as as a team. Big strides were made and that’s what sports is all about.”
It hasn’t been lost on Wahine coach Robyn Ah Mow-Santos.
“She didn’t know where she was going to be playing,” Ah Mow-Santos said. “I told her she’d be outside … at least that was the plan … but maybe it would have to change, depending on what we needed.
“We hammered her about passing and she worked her butt off. For her not to have done any of that (passing) before I think she has shown big improvement.”
Castillo said that passing was a challenge but “it was exciting to take it on,” she said. “It’s something that you can see yourself getting better. It’s exciting to see the progress I’ve made in the time that I’ve been here.”
Castillo had thought about playing beach for the SandBows this spring but decided to concentrate on graduating with her psychology degree in May. The hopes are for a professional playing career overseas, at whatever position.
“I think middle is really fun, it comes to me more naturally,” she said of the position she played in high school and club. “But I like passing so I like the outside, too. I can’t decide. Maybe in my next life I’ll be a setter/libero. Who knows?”
Hawaii’s recent trip to Pepperdine puts things in perspective. The Rainbow Wahine left the Malibu campus just days before the devastating fires broke out in the area, fires that continue to affect friends, family and former teammates of Castillo.
Her brother Alex played for Pepperdine (2005-08) and was a senior when fires ravaged Southern California in 2007, including Malibu and the San Diego area where Castillo’s family lived.
“It was really scary,” said Casey Castillo, who was in elementary school at the time. “We were about to evacuate, had gathered up all our valuables.
“It was surreal when we were driving up last week, looking at the area that was on fire a couple of years ago. Then, deja vu, there were fires again right after we left. We know people who are being affected.”
NOTE: Friday’s match against UC Davis is a designated white-out night with fans encouraged to wear white apparel.
