On paper, Hawaii looked to be very solid at outside hitter, anchored by senior All-America opposite Nikki Taylor. The reigning Big West Player of the Year led the conference and was fifth in the NCAA in points (kills + blocks + aces) at 5.48 pps. She also led the Big West in five other categories: kills per set (4.46), points (575.5), aces (44), aces per set (0.42) and total kills (468), and was second in total blocks (116) and fourth in blocks per set.
DEPTH: 3
What Hawaii has is very good, but injuries have cut into the position. Senior Nikki Taylor, who spent part of the summer representing the U.S. at the Pan American Cup, will miss at least the first week of the season with an injured left elbow. Junior Kalei Greeley is on the mend (shoulder surgery) and McKenna Granato will try to step into the shoes of graduated senior and two-year team captain Tai Manu-Olevao. Freshman Kirsten Sibley should be able to contribute.
STRENGTH: 3
The most dynamic player is Taylor. The key will be not to overuse her when she returns. Greeley is trying to regain her hitting pop. Granato has the power but is a little undersized. Junior setter Kendra Koelsch will move into Taylor’s position for the foreseeable future.
But tear that paper up, as well as some of the Rainbow Wahine’s most potent attacks. Taylor injured her left elbow in Saturday’s Green-White scrimmage and has been ruled out for at least this week’s tournament. It is the second time in three years she has missed the season opener; in 2014, she was out for the first seven matches with an injured right elbow.
Enter junior Kendra Koelsch, who is making a Fast Change move. She had five starts at setter last season and often was used as a blocking sub. She replaces Taylor at starting opposite, a position she also played in high school and at the club level. Koelsch is not the Tank that Taylor is but is more of a Special Sweeper who can do damage. For sure, no one has scouting tape on her yet.
Taylor isn’t the only Wahine Cleric in search of an injury cure.
Junior Kalei Greeley, one of the steadiest players the past two seasons, is coming off a shoulder surgery and was only cleared to practice in July. The all-conference honoree is key in the passing rotation and was fourth last season in kills (214).
Sophomore Casey Castillo had been penciled in as Taylor’s back-up at opposite and trained last year also on the left and in the middle. But Castillo now is battling for a starting middle role and will Baton Pass to two contenders in sophomore McKenna Granato and freshman Kirsten Sibley.
Granato, the Hawaii State Prep Gatorade Player of 2014, had four starts in her 25 match appearances. Her best SubPunch attack is her power tooling off the block.
Sibley was the Diablo Foothill Athletic League’s Player of the Year as a senior, finishing with 325 kills, 73 blocks and 241 digs. She had an excellent fall camp and showed the potential for HO (Heavy Offense) and HB (Heavy Block).
