Kathy Rinaldi was impressed by Hawaii’s first turn as a Fed Cup host.

She’ll return to the islands in February hoping to make a similarly successful debut.

Rinaldi, a top-10 player in the 1980s and one of the United States Tennis Association’s leading coaches, brought a group of junior players to the Big Island last February to train and work with the U.S. Fed Cup team prior to its match with Poland.

The local reception for the two-day event contributed to the USTA’s decision to bring a first-round match to Maui in 2017, and Rinaldi will be back as well, this time as U.S. Fed Cup captain.

“It was an amazing experience,” Rinaldi said Tuesday in a phone interview from Florida. “A sold-out crowd, beautiful venue. People were really warm and welcoming, and they were extremely patriotic and behind the team.

“I think the players really felt that it was really a special week.”

The U.S. played its way into the Fed Cup World Group, the top tier of the “World Cup of Tennis,” with last February’s win over Poland on the Big Island and a sweep of Australia in April.

Rinaldi will lead the yet-to-be-named U.S. team into a first-round matchup with Germany — expected to be led by world No. 1 Angelique Kerber — Feb. 11-12 at the Royal Lahaina Resort on Maui, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.

“We’re hoping to build off that success and hoping to put a great team (together), because we’re going to need one,” Rinaldi said.

As a player, Rinaldi reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1985 and peaked at No. 7 in the world in 1986. After transitioning to coaching, she helped the U.S. to junior international titles and rose to Lead National Coach for Team USA, focusing on helping U.S. pros break into the Women’s Tennis Association top 100.

She was announced as U.S. Fed Cup captain on Dec. 8, after Mary Joe Fernandez stepped down in October, ending her eight-year run with the team.

Rinaldi said she’s been in contact with players to “start building our relationship and building our team and seeing who’s available and who’s interested, and so far it’s been a great response.”

Among those Rinaldi still plans to meet with are Serena and Venus Williams. Venus Williams made the trip to Hawaii for the match against Poland. Serena, the world’s second-ranked player, last played in the Fed Cup in 2015. Whether they’ll be available for February’s match remains to be seen, with the four-player roster to be announced no later than 10 days before the event.

“They’ve been such great role models ­— not just for our American players, but for the sport of tennis,” Rinaldi said. “It’s great to see them supporting Fed Cup, and that really makes a big statement to the young girls coming up that when you are called, you serve.”

Much of Rinaldi’s work in assembling the team will be done Down Under in January with players convening for the Australian Open.

Along with the Williams sisters, the pool of U.S. players could include No. 8 Madison Keys, No. 35 Sloane Stephens and No. 36 Coco Vandeweghe. Bethanie Mattek-Sands is sixth in the WTA doubles ranking and teamed with Vandeweghe for this year’s Fed Cup matches.

“We’re in a good position because we have so many great players now in the top 100,” Rinaldi said.

Tickets for the U.S.-Germany match are available at usta.com/fedcup.