Jun Hernandez’s debut as Rainbow Wahine tennis coach in 2006 was noteworthy mostly for its futility. Hawaii lost its first 15.
This week, the Wahine are in their first NCAA championship, after winning the program’s first Western Athletic Conference title. They open against 20th-ranked Notre Dame Friday in Evansville, Ill.
Aglae Van den Bergh:
UH’s only four-year
player
Hawaii set three goals in September that sounded absurd for a program that took years to get past the first day of the WAC tournament:
» Earn a ranking;
» Go 13-6;
» Win the WAC.
Check, check and check.
Hawaii hit the national rankings in February and is now 52nd.
The Wahine finished the regular season 12-6, with a rainout and all the losses coming against ranked opponents. Lucky win No. 13 came with freshman Martina Kostalova’s gut-wrenching rally in the decisive match — delayed overnight by a wind storm — in the WAC tournament’s opening round on April 27.
Aglae Van den Bergh, the team’s only four-year player, clinched the conference title the next day when she rallied to win the final set of the final match of the championship against perennial WAC power Fresno State.
"When Coach told me it came down to my match I got really, really nervous for a few seconds," Van den Bergh said. "I had to take a moment and breathe. After that I kept playing my game, thought about how it was my last season. I really wanted to have fun on the court, try not to focus on winning or losing. I had a lot of fun playing and I could tell my opponent was getting tired so that gave me confidence. I was really enjoying the moment."
The Wahine have enjoyed every moment since. They came home to TV cameras at baggage claim, sophomore Kelsey Daguio shaka-ing through every shot with a huge smile.
"When I saw the bright lights, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh,’ " recalled Daguio, now videoing her team’s trip for hawaiiathletics.com. "I told myself do whatever, be myself, show aloha pride."
The Sacred Hearts graduate is Hawaii’s only home-grown player, transferring to UH after earning ITA Division II West Region Rookie of the Year and Pacific West Conference Freshman of the Year last season at Hawaii-Hilo.
The rest of the roster looks like almost every other team at nationals. Van den Bergh is from Belgium. Barbara Pinterova, Katarina Poljakova — both first-team all-WAC — and Kostalova hail from Slovakia, and Rebecca Faltusz and Xenia Suworowa are from Germany. Star recruit Jamie Pawid’s parents were born here, but the Wahine’s first WAC Freshman of the Year grew up in Northern California.
Hawaii has won its past nine since falling to the Fighting Irish 6-1 here in March. Van den Bergh got the only win on the No. 6 court, which she shares with Daguio. Pinterova lost 7-5 in the third to 34th-ranked Shannon Mathews at No. 1. Van den Bergh and Hernandez insist the other matches were winnable then and Notre Dame is "beatable" now.
Which brings the Wahine to their new goal: Win two matches this weekend and reach the Sweet 16.
"They’ve come through so far, so I like our chances," said Hernandez, whose team also has a combined GPA of 3.5. "I always emphasize to the kids we want to win, but we’ve got to make sure to go in with mental discipline and a great attitude and just go for it."
