Among them, the three setters on the University of Hawaii roster have not touched a volleyball that truly matters in college. Then there is their new assistant coach, who has set in more crucial international matches than maybe any American setter, ever, and has an Olympic silver medal to prove it.
McKinley High graduate Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, the starting U.S. setter at the last three Games, was hired last week to replace longtime Rainbow Wahine associate coach Kari Ambrozich. Sophomore Mita Uiato and freshmen Monica Stauber and Lizzie Blake are her awed "projects."
"It is such an honor," Uiato says. "Working with an Olympic setter is a blessing. I have a great opportunity to get better with her."
Blake, an all-state player for Kahuku the past two years, is being characterized as "an emergency setter," and the staff is looking to her predominantly to help with ballhandling.
UH VOLLEYBALL
The Rainbow Wahine’s depth chart at setter:
» 1. Mita Uiato, 5-8 sophomore
» 2. Monica Stauber, 5-8 freshman
» 3. Lizzie Blake, 5-8 freshman
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That leaves Uiato — backup to all-region setter Dani Mafua last year — and Stauber. Ah Mow can already tell them where they need to start working.
Look down.
Both can take a perfect pass and turn it into a pretty kill. But, in the first week of practice, Ah Mow is emphasizing footwork above all else.
Perfect passes only happen full-time in a perfect volleyball world.
"Mita’s hands are good," Ah Mow says. "I keep telling her ‘This is OK, that is OK, it’s all OK.’ The only time it ain’t is when her feet don’t get there. If she doesn’t get her feet there she has to stretch out."
That kills consistency and quality and, along with poor passing, snuffs Hawaii’s chances of running a quick offense.
For a team that gives up inches at almost every position, that is Sweet 16 suicide.
An uptempo offense is the goal and Uiato and Stauber are comfortable with that. Ah Mow is comfortable with both of them, the skills they possess and how they work and listen.
She does worry about the sweet-natured Uiato’s "fire."
"She’s too nice and quiet on the court," Ah Mow says. "I wasn’t that quiet on the court, was I?"
Stauber has shown some fire and, as Ah Mow puts it, "spunky spunk," but she is also focused on leadership skills. Stauber has less high-level experience than the sophomore, also needs to make strides with her footwork and is not blessed with Uiato’s wonderful rhythm.
"I’m not afraid to talk," Stauber says. "I should talk more though. I need to work more on leadership, be harder on myself, definitely communicate more. It will help a lot getting to know girls off the court."
There is one more option to ponder when every setter on the roster is the same — relatively small — size as Ah Mow, a two-time All-American who helped Hawaii to the 1996 NCAA final. Head coach Dave Shoji has been talking for months about the possibility of using both setters. That way neither would have to block and the Wahine could utilize their depth on the outside.
"It’s not anything radical," Shoji says. "We have enough hitters, so it depends on the development of Monica Stauber and whether Mita can block effectively or not. We can always go to it. There’s not anything tactical we have to change."
Not that it would be simple. The reason most teams avoid the 6-2 offense is because it sacrifices consistency between the setters and hitters, who all like the ball at a certain height and speed. It also limits other substitutions. Still …
"If they can have the same delivery, trajectory and speed, then why not?" Shoji says. "We certainly have enough hitters to put in."
The Wahine have 11 days to figure it out. The season opener is Aug. 26 against San Francisco.
