Therese Crawford has gotten off to an ucharacteristically slow start
this season, but hopes things are looking up.
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

This year, it's a new conference and a new piece of gold finery. The top-ranked Wahine are going after bracelets to commemorate a Western Athletic Conference championship.

"We were just talking about it (Thursday)," said junior hitter Crawford, whose 10-0 team makes its WAC debut tonight against Fresno State at the Special Events Arena. "We all want another piece of jewelry.

"What's important about Fresno State is this is a game that really counts. We always play it one at a time but we start counting toward that WAC title with this one."

There is little talk about the brass ring that eluded Hawaii at the end of last season. The Wahine's 31-0 record got roofed by Michigan State in the regional final.

It was a particularly painful loss for Crawford, a native Michigander.

"I heard about it when I went home," said Crawford. "Everyone I knew had seen it on TV. They were like, 'What happened?'

"It was hard to lose because we didn't play our best. We had worked so hard all season to earn the respect and, on that one night, Michigan State was the better team. That loss is in the back of our minds. It's been a motivator, but we've all moved on. It's a new team."

And a new season after eight years in the Big West. Hawaii holds a 15-0 mark against Fresno State, which left the Big West for the WAC in 1992.

Crawford hopes it's a new season for her after a slow start. Last year, the all-conference pick led the team in kills and kill average. After 10 matches this season, she is second behind senior All-American Angelica Ljungquist but hitting just .210.

She attributes the inconsistency to spending the summer at home in Michigan after a snafu over her UH summer school tuition and living arrangements.

"I know that I'm definitely a step behind my teammates," said Crawford, the MVP of both the 1995 Hawaii Airlines Classic and Aston's Imua Challenge. "They worked hard over the summer and I regret I couldn't stay to work out with them. I did the best I could to stay in shape but it wasn't the same as being able to train with my teammates.

"It's to the point now that I know I'll be behind all the way to the end of the season. But last season I started out with excellence then didn't go any higher. I'm hoping it's the other way around."

So does Hawaii coach Dave Shoji. The Wahine need to be firing on all cylinders to prevent their national title hopes from sputtering again.

Crawford's explosive hitting from the left side is crucial. She had double-kill figures in 24 of 32 matches last year. This season, she has reached the double-kill mark just five times.

"Therese has been working hard to get her game more consistent," said Shoji, who's looking for career victory No. 601 tonight. "She has a lot of upsides to her game still that can improve. She works very hard and has high expectations of herself.

"We've always liked the way she could hit and jump. In high school, she was on everyone's list as one of the top players in the country."

Crawford wasn't originally on Shoji's list, even after her high school coach wrote of her interest to play for Hawaii. Sight unseen, she had decided she wanted to be a Wahine.

"I don't think Dave even remembers but my high school coach wrote him a letter after my freshman year," said Crawford, a three-time All-Michigan pick and first-team USVBA All-American. "We got a letter back, saying they didn't really recruit in my area. But after that, he saw me playing at (USVBA) nationals and talked to me.

"I came on a visit and really liked the atmosphere here, the people and all the support."

During her Wahine career, Crawford has ended up playing against the other four schools she had been recruited by: Florida, Long Beach State, Texas and Illinois. There have never been any regrets.

"This was the place I was supposed to be," she said. "I have no doubts about my choice."

Hawaii is a big change from Portage, Mich., which is about a 90-minute drive east of Chicago. But Crawford has embraced the multicultural aspects of living here.

"It was a huge culture shock but I feel very comfortable here," said Crawford, who is an African-American. "We have so many ethnic groups on the team. Cia (Goods) is Black-Hawaiian. Nikki (Hubbert) is Black and White. Heidi (Ilustre) is Chinese-Filipino.

"Being the only freshman (in 1994) was hard for me but the team now is very close and the chemistry is there. We're all good friends and I've learned so much from all of them."

Crawford, a marketing major, hopes to go into sports marketing or promotions. She already has made her first deal with boyfriend Eric Mayes, a linebacker on the Michigan football team.

"The deal this year is he goes to the Rose Bowl and I go to the final four," she said.

What: Western Athletic Conference volleyball
Tomorrow: UH vs. Fresno State, 7 p.m.
Saturday: UH vs. San Jose State, 2 p.m.
Where: Special Events Arena
Broadcasts: Both matches live on KCCN AM-1420. Fresno State match live on KFVE. No TV Saturday.