Hawaii senior middle Annie Mitchem will be out for approximately six weeks with a fractured left pinkie finger, the same injury she incurred last season on her right hand. The two-time AVCA National Player of the Year at the two-year college level will have surgery next week.
The injury occurred during the final drill of Tuesday’s second practice at the Stan Sheriff Center.
“I was late on the block and it just happened,” Mitchem said. “It’s very frustrating. But it’s my non-hitting hand, so it might be six weeks at the most.
“I’m bummed but glad it happened now instead of in the middle of the season. What makes it more frustrating is I never thought it would happen again, the same exact injury.”
Mitchem fractured the pinkie on her right hand against UC Irvine last Oct. 17 and missed the final 12 matches of the season. She was at opposite against the Anteaters, replacing Nikki Taylor, who sat out the match due to concussion protocol.
“It’s just sad,” associate coach Jeff Hall said. “She was going to be our most physical player. I don’t want to speak about it in the past tense because the hope is she’ll be able to come back and contribute this season.”
Tom Pestolesi, Mitchem’s coach at Irvine Valley College, is a volunteer coach for the Rainbow Wahine this season.
“I’m heart-broken, I think everyone is,” Pestolesi said. “She’s in the best shape of her life, put herself in position to be a major contributor.
“She is so sturdy except for two stinking pinkies. I’ve already looked up bone-healing protocol. We’ll do everything we can to get her back healthy.”
With Mitchem out and 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman Natasha Burns not cleared to practice yet, Hawaii is down to one true middle in 6-3 junior Emily Maglio. Casey Castillo, a 6-3 sophomore, has moved to the middle; the left-side hitter was the backup opposite for Taylor last year and also saw brief action at middle.
