This particular group is likely to
undergo the most calibration, the process of determining the true distance between the potential seen during recruiting and the immediate court time.
The freshman class could have the most impact of any group of newcomers since perhaps 2000, when Kim
Willoughby, Lauren Duggins, Maja
Gustin and Melissa Villaroman appeared in Rainbow Wahine uniforms.
The focus knob will be in use when studying who plays where and how much. Tiffany Westerberg (British
Columbia, Canada) and Braelyn Akana (Hau’ula/Kamehameha) showed versatility during their high school careers, playing middle and outside.
Akana injects Wahine DNA into the mix; her mother, Joselyn Robins-Akana, was a teammate of head coach Robyn Ah Mow and assistant Angelica Ljungvist (1993-96). Akana is the third second-generation Wahine, joining
Tehani Miyashiro (mom Joey Akeo
Miyashiro) and Chanteal Satele (mom Lee Ann Pestana Satele).
There’s also a bit of immersion oil in use with the addition of Hanna Helvig (Stockholm), a six-rotation player with international experience with the Swedish senior and junior national teams. She is the fifth player from Sweden to make the long trek to Manoa, and joins the most heralded Swede in Hawaii program history: Ljungvist, the 1996 National Player of the Year and four-time All-American.
When viewed through achromatic objective lenses, Westerberg and
Amber Igiede (Baton Rouge, La.) give Hawaii height — both are 6 feet 3 — and are among the heaviest hitters in the gym. The 6-foot Riley Wagoner (Dublin, Ohio), another six-rotation player, was given one of the highest compliments from Ah Mow when she signed: “Her volleyball IQ is one of the highest I have ever seen.”
This is the first full freshman recruiting class signed by Ah Mow and staff in their three seasons.
“This class fills a lot of our needs. They have a chance to contribute right away,” she said.
That microscope analyzer will get plenty of use through the season.