More than 10 teams featuring volleyball players with Hawaii ties will open play in the 2015 NCAA Championships this week.
Three of those teams will host first- and second-round matches, with UCLA one of them.
Senior Rachel Inouye, a 2012 Punahou alumna, will try to lead the Bruins the furthest they have gone in her four years at the school.
UCLA is coming off an appearance in a regional semifinal last season and finished this regular season 23-7, with key wins over Hawaii and USC.
UCLA beat the crosstown-rival Trojans last week in five sets, knocking USC from its No. 1 spot atop the AVCA rankings.
The Bruins also handed the Rainbow Wahine their only loss of the season early in the year in a tournament played in Hawaii.
“We’re all really excited and pumped for the tournament, but anything can happen in the tournament,” Inouye said. “Like Coach (Mike) Sealy says, it’s one game at a time.”
Inouye is one of four Bruins to have played in every set this season and is third on the team with 253 digs.
She was high school teammates with current Texas senior Kat Brooks and Missouri junior Carly Kan and was surprised to hear how many players with Hawaii ties have made it this far.
“I guess you don’t realize how many teams make the tournament,” Inouye said. “It’s a big tournament and a long road, so it’s cool to hear so many (Hawaii) kids representing. It says a lot about Hawaii volleyball.”
UCLA is seeded 14th overall among the 64 teams and would host the winner between Michigan and Santa Clara in the second round if it gets past Lipscomb on Friday.
A potential showdown with No. 3 overall seed Texas in the regional final is a possibility, meaning Inouye would play Brooks, a libero for the Longhorns.
Brooks has played in 89 of the Longhorns’ 91 sets and is third on the team in digs (188), assists (45) and aces (15).
“We keep in contact and Facebook and stuff and send each other things from time to time,” said Inouye, who was extremely cautious about looking ahead.
UCLA hosted the first two rounds when Inouye was a freshman and a junior but hasn’t gotten past the Sweet 16.
The Bruins were swept by eventual national champion Penn State last season.
“Every team is different, but I really like the chemistry of this team and I feel like we’re hitting our stride at the right point of the season,” Inouye said.
Kan, the other Punahou alumna in the tournament, was named to the All-SEC team for the third straight year last week and will lead Missouri in the first round on Thursday against Missouri State.
Harvard freshman Anna Uhr is one of three ‘Iolani graduates playing in the tournament after helping the Crimson advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.
Uhr played in all 25 matches this season and is third on the team with 181 digs.
Only two mainland schools have multiple players from Hawaii:
>> Arizona, with All-Pac-12 honorees Kalei Mau (Kaiser ’13) and Penina Snuka (Kahuku ’13), both juniors, and freshman Riley Killeen (‘Iolani ’15).
>> Brigham Young, with sophomore Alohi Robins-Hardy (Kamehameha ’14) and freshman Kiani Tuileta (Punahou ’15).
The tournament kicks off Thursday, with the final four scheduled for Dec. 17 and 19 in Omaha, Neb.
13 PLAYERS WITH HAWAII TIES IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
(Excluding University of Hawaii)
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
>> Hoakalei Dawson, (‘Iolani ’14) 5-10, So., S/L vs. Kentucky, Friday, 11:30 a.m.
ARIZONA
>> Kalei Mau, (Kaiser ’13) 6-1, Jr., OH
>> Penina Snuka, (Kahuku ’13) 5-6, Jr., S
>> Reilly Killeen (‘Iolani ’15) 5-4, Fr., D/LS vs. Western Kentucky, Friday, 2 p.m.
BRIGHAM YOUNG
>> Alohi Robins-Hardy, (Kamehameha ’14) 6-2, So., S
>> Kiani Tuileta, (Punahou ’15) 5-10, Fr., S vs. Ohio, Friday, 2 p.m.
HARVARD
>> Anna Uhr, (‘Iolani ’15) 5-8, Fr., OH vs. Nebraska, Friday, 3 p.m.
JACKSON STATE
>> Markayisha Masani, (University ’15) 5-9, Fr., OH vs. Minnesota, Friday, 2:30 p.m.
MISSOURI
>> Carly Kan, (Punahou ’13) 5-9, Jr., OH vs. Missouri State, Thursday, noon
NORTHERN ARIZONA
>> Kayla Guerrero, (Maryknoll ’14) 5-3, So., DS vs. San Diego, Thursday, 3 p.m.
OREGON
>> Chelsey Keoho, (Kamehameha ’12) 5-3, Sr., DS vs. Wisconsin, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
TEXAS
>> Kat Brooks, (Punahou ’12) 5-4, Sr., L vs. Fairfield (Conn.), Thursday, 3 p.m.
UCLA
>> Rachel Inouye, (Punahou ’12) 5-6, Sr., DS/L vs. Lipscomb, Friday, 6 p.m.
