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When Lewis & Clark hosted Pacific Lutheran on senior night, it could have been mistaken for club volleyball night on Oahu.
More than half of the 23 combined players who got playing time in the match graduated from high school in Hawaii.
There has always been a strong Hawaii connection to the Northwest Conference in women’s volleyball, but Pacific Lutheran has taken it to another level this year.
The Lutes have nine players from Hawaii on their roster, which is the most for coach Kevin Aoki in his 25 years in charge of the program.
Aoki, an ‘Iolani graduate, has guided the Lutes to a top-two finish in conference play in 14 consecutive seasons.
He’s poised to do it again this year, as Pacific Lutheran (13-8, 10-2) is two games head of third place Puget Sound with four matches remaining.
Of the five players who have appeared in every match this season, four are Hawaii high school graduates.
“On a whole, PLU has reached out to the 808 kids more,” Aoki said Tuesday. “When you think about it, there’s no Division III schools on Oahu, and so it’s a great opportunity for our student-athletes to play.”
Junior libero Halle Hetzler is one of those five players to appear in every match for the Lutes.
She was named the NWC Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this year on Monday and leads the conference averaging 5.5 digs per set.
Hetzler, who prepped at Le Jardin Academy, is one of five ILH alumnae on the roster. The Lutes also have players from Moanalua, Pearl City, Kauai and Waiakea.
“It’s nice to see everyone from home,” Hetzler said Tuesday. “It’s always a friendly competition, but it’s always nice to have girls we can relate to and have more of a connection with (from Hawaii).”
Starting setter Emily Dulaney is a 2018 Moanalua alumna who will play her final two home matches this weekend.
She said her parents will fly up for the final homestand, which has her head coach excited.
“One of the best things about having all of the Hawaii kids is when the parents come they always bring omiyage,” Aoki joked.
Dulaney, who leads the conference averaging 9.6 assists per set, is one of six seniors on the roster.
“It kind of didn’t really hit me yet that it’s actually my last season,” Dulaney said Tuesday. “When you’re in high school, you know you have four more years of college if you get to play at that level, but now it really feels like I’m actually at the end of the tunnel. I really enjoyed the ride and am going to make the most of it.”
Pacific Lutheran’s final home match is Saturday against Whitworth (Wash.), which leads the league at 12-0.
Middle blocker Jazz Alston (Waiakea ’18) and libero Kristin Moniz (Hawaii Baptist ’18) are also seniors.
Alston has started nine matches and is hitting .282 averaging 1.93 kills per set.
Moniz has appeared in eight matches.
It’s been a long year for the Lutes. The COVID-19 pandemic kept Pacific Lutheran from playing matches in 2020, but they did fit in a 12-game schedule in the spring.
All matches were played without fans.
“It took time to adjust, but you know, it was still very fun and we were thankful we just got to play and made the most of it,” Dulaney said. “It just made me appreciate volleyball 100 times more because COVID really restricted a lot of social aspects for us. Classes were remote, so the only time that really brought us together was volleyball, and that really made me appreciate and be thankful for it.”
Hetzler, who has a season remaining, said it will be a lot different her senior year without Dulaney on the court.
“Emily is literally our quarterback of our team. We wouldn’t be able to function without her and I don’t know how we are going to function without her next year,” Hetzler said. “She’s a quiet and kind leader of our team and she’s a great teammate and the kindest soul.”
PACIFIC LUTHERAN PRIDE
Pacific Lutheran has 9 players who graduated from high school in Hawaii:
Sydney Aoki, 5-2, Fr., DS, Punahou ’21
Jazz Alston, 5-9, Sr., MB. Waiakea ’18
Emily Dulaney, 5-8, Sr., S, Moanalua ’18
Noelani Feliciano, 5-7, Fr., OH, Pearl City ’21
Halle Hetzler, 5-7, Jr., L, Le Jardin Academy ’19
Hailey Iha, 5-11, Jr., MB, Kauai ’19
Kristin Moniz, 5-5, Sr., L, Hawaii Baptist ’18
Callie Simmonds, 5-9, Fr., OH, Maryknoll ’21
Torie Takeuchi, 5-6, So., DS, ‘Iolani ’20
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