The Lady Sea Warriors started slowly and the unforced errors
committed by the team were one of the reasons it lost the
first game.
In game two and three, the teams exchanged points closely
before Roberta Robert started to pound the ball down, closing
both games. In the last game, the Lady Sea Warriors showed
their true selves, keeping a five-point lead throughout the
rest of the game and never allowing St. Martin room to breath
or make a challenging run.
Despite the loss of last year key players, Andrea Wean, this
year’s first-string middle blocker, thinks there is good hope
for the team. “This game showed us what we need to improve,
and I think the team will keep getting better every game and
every day” Wean said.
“Its great to open the season with a team like St. Martin’s,
they played excellent defensively,” said coach Tita Ahuna.
“They showed us what we can do to improve our defense and
passing.” Ahuna also stated that the team needs the seniors
to step up this year, especially Tuitele and Robert.
Tuitele did step up to the challenge for this match. “I am
ready to lead, and it’s challenging because this is a brand
new team,” Tuitele said. “There are a lot of people who don’t
believe in us this year since we have lost three key players,
but we will use that as our motivation and prove ourselves
on the court.”
Robert, the only Brazilian on the team, stated that she misses
her Brazilian friends, but realizes the potential of this
year’s team. “Everybody is new and we are still trying to
put things together and we haven’t had time to practice that
much either.” Robert feels comfortable having Tuitele leading
the team, and she thinks Wean and Teisa Fotu will gradually
become more aggressive.
Ahuna expects Teisa “the crouching tiger” Fotu, a sophomore
transfers from Eastern Arizona, to have an immediate positive
impact on the team. The Laie girl moved to Arizona to get
away but quickly realized how much she missed home. “It’s
a good feeling to play for HPU, my home, family, and who I
represent. There wasn’t anything to play for when I was on
the mainland, since nobody knows my background,” Fotu said.
Commenting on her performance, Fotu said, “I know I wasn’t
too noticed tonight, because I was nervous; but I will definitely
be more aggressive as the season progresses.”
Despite some miscommunications and the struggles experienced
by any new team, the Lady Sea Warriors survived the fear and
managed to roll over St. Martin and run its winning streak
to 29 matches. “ I will take a win anytime over a loss,” said
Ahuna.
