By BILL O’REAR Tribune-Herald sports editor ADVERTISING Senior leadership is often a key on successful teams. Just ask University of Hawaii at Hilo women’s basketball coach David Kaneshiro, whose Vulcans are enjoying their most successful season yet in the program’s
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
Senior leadership is often a key on successful teams.
Just ask University of Hawaii at Hilo women’s basketball coach David Kaneshiro, whose Vulcans are enjoying their most successful season yet in the program’s six-year history.
Heading into Thursday’s Pacific West Conference game against talented Hawaii Pacific University, the Vulcans are 13-11 overall and 10-6 in the highly competitive conference. A win against the Sea Warriors (16-10, 10-6) would guarantee a better than .500 season for Kaneshiro’s squad and give it a league sweep of the visitors.
The Senior Night game will be played at 5 p.m. at the UHH Gym. The four Vulcan seniors — Hillary Hurley, Hotia Vaaimamao, Sheena Pio and Dayna Jandoc — will be honored before the local fans in their final home game.
“This has been a really good group of seniors, we’re going to miss them,” said Kaneshiro, in his second year as the UHH women’s coach.
“They’re a big reason why we’ve done well this season, especially in the last month. It’s not just what they’ve done on the court, but it’s their leadership, hard work and positive attitudes.”
The streaking Vulcans are coming off a 3-0 road trip last week in Northern California. But Kaneshiro has already put that perfect record behind the team and set his sights on HPU.
“HPU did the same thing on their trip up there,” Kaneshiro said. “HPU is really hot right now, especially offensively, and they’re playing as well as anyone in the conference.
“For us to have a chance at winning, we’re going to have to really play well.”
Both teams have won five straight games in the PacWest.
The Sea Warriors, under first-year coach Reid Takatsuka, have their own group of solid seniors in Mana Hopkins-Vandenakker, Paris Gravely, Taiyande Huskey and Nicole Fenumiai. The 5-foot-10 Hopkins-Vandenakker, an all-conference player, is a former Konawaena High School standout.
The Vulcans upset HPU 53-50 on Jan. 3 in Honolulu and that victory should give the hosts added confidence going into Thursday’s contest. But Kaneshiro always respects his opponent and sees the game against the Sea Warriors and Saturday’s regular-season closer at Chaminade University (1-21, 1-15) as big steps for his program.
“We’d like to finish up with two wins this week,” he said before practice Tuesday. “But we realize how hard we’re going to have to play and that we’re going to have to play really well to pull it off.”
Senior Night and an appreciative home crowd may provide an additional boost for the Vulcans.
Kaneshiro would like to send his seniors out with a win, but regardless of the final outcome, Hurley, Vaaimamao, Pio and Jandoc have helped lead the way.
Hurley, a 6-2 power forward from Anderson, Calif., was a first team all-PacWest selection last year. This season, she is averaging a team-leading 14.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in 18 games.
“Hillary has been a really valuable contributor for us,” the 5-6 Kaneshiro said. “We like everything about her except her jokes about short coaches.
“But for what she has done for our program, it goes without saying that she is the ultimate competitor, a vocal leader and a key contributor in so many different ways.”
Hurley led the UHH volleyball team to a strong season this year and berth in the NCAA Division II West Regional. She earned first team all-conference honors and due to the Vulcans’ postseason play, joined the basketball team late.
“This year, Hillary has had to battle through some injuries coming right off volleyball,” Kaneshiro said. “But she just comes to compete every night and has come up big for us again this year.”
The 5-10 Vaaimamao, from Kahului, Maui, is averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds this season in 19 games. Her coach calls her one of the most improved players on the team, especially in the Vulcans’ successful play the past month.
“Hotia has stepped it up,” Kaneshiro said. “She’s really focused on rebounding and low-post scoring. That’s helped take some pressure off Hurley and opened up our perimeter shooters when they doubled up down low.
“Hotia has done some nice things for us and she’s showed a lot of leadership.”
Pio, a 5-8 forward from Anchorage, Alaska, has fought injuries during her UHH career. This season, she’s only played in three games. But she’s weathered the storm and has helped contribute in other ways.
“Sheena has worked really hard to overcome a serious knee injury,” Kaneshiro said. “She’s gotten better every day and although she hasn’t played much in the games, she’s always practiced hard and led by example. She has been a positive example for our program, on and off the court.”
Jandoc, a 5-6 combo guard out of Iolani Schools on Oahu, hasn’t seen much court time during her three-year career. But she’s been a positive example like Pio, behind the scenes, in practice and cheering on her teammates from the bench at the games. She’s also top student.
“Dayna has been slowed down by injuries, but she’s contributed in some really positive ways,” Kaneshiro said. “I’m very happy to have had her in the program.”
And when Hurley, Vaaimamao, Pio and Jandoc are honored on Thursday night, the soft-spoken UHH coach will look on proudly, knowing that each player contributed in their own way to this year’s rise in the PacWest standings and successful overall season.
“As a group, they’ve been great for the program,” Kaneshiro said. “I feel fortunate to have coached them.”
