Sharla Kliebenstein already has one triumphant finish awaiting at the end of the semester.
She’s hoping to craft another over the next few weeks.
Not exactly the most focused student when she arrived on the University of Hawaii campus, Kliebenstein will become the first member of her immediate family to earn a college degree when she graduates in May — with honors.
She’s also in the midst of a midseason turnaround for the UH softball team and will try to ride her recent surge into this weekend’s Big West series against Cal State Fullerton.
Kliebenstein, a senior catcher/outfielder, raised her batting average 43 points and hit her first two home runs of the season during the team’s 5-0 California road trip last week. UH (18-14, 3-0 BWC) returns to Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Friday to open a three-game series with the Titans (21-13-1, 2-1).
BIG WEST SOFTBALL At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
» Who: Cal State Fullerton (21-13-1, 2-1 BWC) vs. Hawaii (18-14, 3-0) » When: Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday, doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. » TV/Radio: none » Internet: video stream at Hawaiiathletics.com
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When Kliebenstein last made an appearance at RWSS, she was showing signs of breaking out of an extended hitting slump. But the zero under the HR column remained a troubling stat for a slugger who’d averaged 11 homers her first three years in the program.
"The fact that I hadn’t hit any at all, I was really starting to freak out," Kliebenstein said.
She finally unburdened herself by unloading on a pitch against Missouri-Kansas City on March 26 — 26 games and 77 plate appearances into her senior season.
Another long ball followed three days later to spark a comeback win over UC Riverside as she hit .429 with four extra-base hits during the trip.
"Everyone was saying all year, ‘It’s just going to take that one home run and you’re going to open it up,’ and I really believed in that," said Kliebenstein, whose batting average rose from .152 on March 9 to .240 over the last 11 games.
"I was super happy, because (UH coach Bob Coolen) believed in me and the team never gave up on me even though for the longest time every time I went up to bat I was a for-sure out."
Kliebenstein’s increased offensive output coincided with a return behind the plate.
Kliebenstein caught all 55 games her freshman year, then spent most of the next two seasons in the outfield. This season, she’s sharing the role with Kayla Wartner and has started the past nine games at catcher. Her arm strength has discouraged teams from stealing, and she’s developed a comfortable rapport with sophomore Loie Kesterson, who now heads the rotation.
"We have such a great connection because she’s not just my friend in softball, she’s one of my best friends outside of softball as well," Kliebenstein said.
"I walk out there and I’m just like ‘yup’ and just walk back and she knows."
As for her academic achievements, Kliebenstein is quick to credit Coolen for spurring her to pick up the pace with her studies.
"She came in and assumed what she had done in high school was good enough for her to get by in college," Coolen said. "I did have to sit down and ingrain in her mind that academics were a 50-50 proposition with being an athlete.
"I told her softball is not going to pay the bills down the road."
The message sunk in and Kliebenstein started hitting her classroom targets, including an invitation to a dinner hosted by the athletic director.
"She always wanted to be at that 4.0 dinner, that was her goal," Coolen said. "The semester she did it, and she’s done it a few times (since), it was an accomplishment for her."
Kliebenstein now carries a cumulative 3.33 grade-point average, making her eligible for membership in Alpha Kappa Delta, the national honor society for sociology.
"The fact that I’m even graduating with that is just an amazing thing because coming here my freshman year I had no priorities with school," said Kliebenstein, a Big West scholar-athlete last season. "I owe it all to Coach Bob really because he was a mentor for me in helping me stay organized with everything. I’m extremely grateful for him as a coach and a mentor because I’m graduating college with honors and I never thought I’d be able to do that."