Before playing the first match of the season in its home pool, the University of Hawaii water polo team got an education on the facility’s namesake.
Team bonding activities during spring break included a screening of “Waterman” — a documentary on Duke Kahanamoku — and UH coach Maureen Cole could sense the impact of his story on an international Rainbow Wahine roster.
“They were blown away just to have that perspective,” Cole said. “They just learned so much more about who he was and what he was all about, and it was really inspiring for the girls from around the world. … It’s so much more than him just being an Olympic swimmer and great surfer. He’s just so inspirational in bringing aloha to the world.”
The fifth-ranked Rainbow Wahine, who have eight countries represented on the roster, will welcome fans back to the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex for the first time in two years when they play host to No. 3 Southern California today to open a four-match homestand. The third meeting of the season between UH (10-4) and defending national champion USC (12-2) is set for 7 p.m.
The Wahine will close the weekend with a Big West match against No. 25 Cal State Northridge at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Cole said of the home opening weekend.
UH was initially scheduled to open the season at home in mid-January with the Rainbow Invitational. But the three-day series featuring San Diego State and Loyola Marymount was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols among the visiting teams.
So the Wahine have played all of their matches on the road so far this season.
That span included a 9-7 loss to USC on Feb. 13 and an 11-8 defeat in the third-place match of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational on Feb. 27. The Trojans lead the all-time series 47-3 and UH hasn’t earned a win in the series since 2006.
The Wahine threatened to end the skid in this season’s first two meetings and take another shot today.
“I think in past years we may have been outmatched,” Cole said, “and I think we’re really evenly matched right now and it’s figuring out how to break through in the critical moments and execute.”
Sophomore Lara Luka and senior Elyse Lemay-Lavoie lead the Wahine with 28 goals each, and six more UH players have at least 11 this season.
“Anyone in the water can score and pass, and that’s a really fun way to play water polo,” Cole said. “They’re selfless, and if it’s their shot they take it and if it’s not they know how to look for each other. It’s pretty water polo.”
Lemay-Lavoie was a second-team All-American in 2019 and missed the past two seasons while training with Canada’s national team in advance of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which were postponed to 2021.
“She has a massive presence at center, which creates opportunities for everybody else and she changes the game,” Cole said.
Luka, originally from Serbia, scored 17 goals last season and was named to the Big West All-Freshman team. She has scored on 55% of her shot attempts this season and is second on the team with 10 assists. Along with the scoring production, Cole said Luka “plays both sides of the ball and can be really great defensively.”
“She’s worked so hard to get where she is and she’s transformed as a player in the last couple years.”
After this weekend’s matches, the Wahine will have home games against UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine the next two Fridays. They will also have an opportunity to defend their Big West championship at the DKAC when the tournament returns to Manoa on April 21-23. UH was scheduled to host the the tournament in 2020 before the season was canceled.
Rainbow Wahine water polo
At Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex
No. 3 USC (12-2) vs. No. 5 Hawaii (10-4)
>> When: Today, 7 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
