Hawaii women’s volleyball: A Rainbow Wahine Thanksgiving story and anniversary

Thanks to islandman for a Twitter link from NCAA. On this day in 1998.

On this day in 1998, @HawaiiWVB defeated @BYUwvolleyball, 3-2 (15-12, 21-19, 13-15, 16-18, 24-22), in the longest match in NCAA DI history. The match lasted 3 hours, 38 minutes and with the win, Hawaii won its first-ever @WACsports Tournament title.#NCAAVB #TBT pic.twitter.com/yBeqousEUg

— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) November 28, 2019

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It will remain the longest match every played in the history of DI volleyball since it came under traditional scoring and not rally score. Teams ran out of subs at the ends of sets, Hawaii snuck its DS through the front row rotation (no libero) and Charlie Wade probably won the match when catching BYU in multiple overlaps, the Cougars were very confused about what lineup they should be in.
Was in Las Vegas covering at the MGM Grand Garden and we were told that the match was being put up on the Jumbotron at Aloha Stadium for football fans to watch. There were two papers then and the Star-Bulletin didn’t have a Sunday paper. Joked with Ann Miller of the Advertiser that she just might miss deadline if this went any longer.
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Hawaii spent the morning in Waimanalo, making up plate lunches and taking them to homeless in Waimanalo.
The team, coaches, staff and some family and extended family were hosted by Wahine Mahina Eleneki-Hugo (1984-87) and husband Todd Hugo on their farm in Waimanalo. Unfortunately I lost the video I took of Mahina and Todd and their very big dog Uncle Charlie so will try to recap the best I can.
(I’m sure there will be photos on social media at some point.)
>> The couple has been doing this for about 15 years, seeing the need continue to grow. They started out of their Kailua home and now in Waimanalo after moving there about four years ago. The farm is very cool with goats and sheep and geese, and the constant crows of so many roosters.
They do it because they feel they’ve been given so much and want to give back. Mahina said that to the girls before the work started. Told the Wahine that their parents had given them so much to get them to where they are, just like her parents had done for her, and not to forget that. Always remember to give back.

It was a pretty efficient operation today. Most of the players spent time shredding the kalua turkeys. They weren’t done in an imu but think Todd called it an umu … above-ground smoker. There were assembly lines that put turkey, corn, rice, poke and a brownie in each container. 77 were made.
Food wasn’t just given to the homeless who are mostly in the tents at Waimanalo beach park. There is a group that lives in the “forest” and foil trays specifically marked for them were on the side. I think that’s what hit me the most, to see the trays marked for those others who weren’t being forgotten just because they weren’t at the beach park.

Something that also was touching was what Todd said. He thanked the girls, explaining about how much interaction they might have, but also said that even though these people were homeless they knew Wahine volleyball.

I had to leave but the players and all returned to enjoy their Thanksgiving meal and the generosity of Mahina and Todd.

Happy Thanksgiving.