Return to Play June 2020
(when City and County of Honolulu gives approval)

Today I am happy to announce the release of USA Volleyball’s Return to Play Guidelines. These guidelines will be effective May 15 and will supersede the previously announced ban on sanctions that was scheduled to expire on May 22.  

Like you, we are looking forward to getting back on the court but only in a safe and measured way.

   Congratulations to Class of 2020-Daniella Miranda-Johnson
               Le Jardin Academy /Team Jarrett
On her commitment to the Park University Buccaneers 
 Arizona

                                            Congratulations to Class of 2020-Jazlyn Quenga
                            Mililani High School Trojans/Team Jarrett
     On her commitment to the South Puget Sound Clippers
Washington

Hana Hou Class of 2018 and Pride of Roosevelt High School
Prescription for Success -Rx

VOLLEYING THE PRESSURE: SIERRA SAGUCIO'S STORY

Volleyball | Wed, Mar. 25, 2020 at 4:40 PM

This story was written by STLCOP Athletic Communications Intern Dylan Pert-Smith, a student at Webster University, for a class submission in October of 2019. It has been edited for publication.

As Sierra Sagucio (SO/Honolulu, Hawaii) entered the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Student Center on Friday afternoon, she had a surprising amount of energy considering the rigorous schedule of the school's student athletes. Sagucio had two volleyball games in Columbia, Mo., as well as two in Arkansas within the past week. Nonetheless, she bounced around the student center with the same energy that has made her a standout performer on the STLCOP volleyball team through her first two seasons.

 Sagucio chose St. Louis College of Pharmacy after attending Roosevelt High School, 4,000 miles away, in Honolulu, Hawaii. At Roosevelt, Sagucio captained the Rough Riders to the state championship game as well as being twice named to all-conference teams. "Going to the finals was great," she recalls. "Even though we lost, we gave it our all." 

Many student-athletes of this caliber have used athletics to drive their college search. Sagucio chose to take the academic approach, searching for pharmacy schools as the primary target of her recruitment process. Realistically thinking, Sagucio's approach remained, "If volleyball fails, I've got to have my career." A problem occurred as many of the schools that offer a pharmacy program did not have competitive volleyball teams. Sagucio nearly had to make a decision between academics and athletics.

"Volleyball is my passion. I grew up with it from fourth grade so I couldn't give it up," Sagucio recalls on the difficult decision. A proactive Sagucio maintained the search for a school that would allow her to follow both of her passions. She learned of STLCOP and stayed in contact with the coaching staff years before her high school graduation.  St. Louis College of Pharmacy coaches attended one of her tournaments in Las Vegas and, not long after that, she was committed.  

Sagucio joined a STLCOP team that consisted of many students from Missouri and bordering states. Despite describing herself as "not a big social person," she fit in extremely well on the team, and finished her freshman season with the second-most kills on the team. Her coach, Katie Payne, has also taken notice of how her personality affects the team. "Si is the lone sophomore on the team this year, but that never seems to bother her," Payne said. "She always has a positive attitude and has a great relationship with all of her teammates. I love seeing how fired up she gets on the court. It can really shift the momentum in our direction when she gets going."

Even when being asked if she struggled adjusting to St. Louis, Sagucio paused, looked at her white Crocs, and then looked up to wave at a passing group of friends. If there is any struggle, it certainly does not show. After more thought, Sagucio remembered: the St. Louis winters were a bit of a shock for her, initially. Coach Payne confirmed, "I am not sure she will ever get used to the weather. We often catch her blowing into her hands to try and warm them up."

Sagucio has taken a strong role on the team, as well. She has started consistently for the Euts, and can also be seen leading the team's communication - an essential part of volleyball, as players have to remain on the same page at all times. 

Since Sagucio joined the STLCOP volleyball team in 2018, the program has had two of its most successful seasons to date. 2018 and 2019 are the only seasons in the program's history in which the team qualified for the AMC conference tournament. This success is kind of new to STLCOP, as it is primarily known for its strong academics. But, recent investments in athletics have seen a major turnaround in STLCOP's production.

This athletic production has not come at the expense of academics. The school's athletic department is proud to point out that student-athletes have achieved a higher grade point average than that of the total student body. Sagucio confirms that she and her teammates work very hard on the court, but find time to study together wherever and whenever they can. "My team is very 'school-first.'  We study on the bus, study in the hotel rooms…"

Sagucio's personality has helped her become a leading character at the College of Pharmacy. She is already a leader on and off the court. She has managed to adapt well to the challenges of being a student-athlete at a school that is so challenging.  She has also managed to remain positive and optimistic about the whole process. Sagucio keeps a smile on her face, usually light hearted in conversation. She then turns up the intensity when she steps on the court. This dedication and focus has made her an asset to both the team and the College. With two more years of eligibility on the volleyball team, Sagucio only hopes to improve and lead her team to even more success.

Videos courtesy of Prime Volleyball Club of California

                   NCAA Division 2 and NCAA Division 3   Championships for   Punahou Players

                         Undefeated   ( 33-0) and ( 35-0) 

Honolulu-New Editor

Congratulations out to the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes on winning the Division 2 National Championship in Volleyball against Nebraska-Kearney at the Auraria Center in Denver. They end the season undefeated 33-0 . Punahou Class of 2018 Mehana Ma’a is a setter on the team. This represents the second Hawaii player with Hawaii connections to win a National Championship this season.

Here are the numbers

Division 2 –National Championship
College: Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes ( 33-0) - Undefeated
Hawaii Player: Mehana Ma’a
High School: Punahou Class of 2018

Division 3 –National Championship
College: Johns Hopkins Blue Jays ( 35-0) – Undefeated
Hawaii Player: Nicole Hada
High School: Punahou Class of 2017

Team Spotlight  - 16u-Kealii

Kakaako – News Editor

Hana Hou Volleyball C lub welcomes our newest team –16u-Kealii. This team is lead by veteran and highly experienced coach Kealii Parker. With an extensive resume of accomplishements at the ILH level and previous club success we welcome the talents of this young coach. The logistics of the team are guided my team mom Laura who has the effeciency and dedication that serves as the perfect compliment to the team. In this short time since the season has started, the unmatched commitment has transtioned to success not only on the court but off the court as well.

Recently the girls participated in the a community service event at the “ Gift of Giving Hawaii”  this past weekend, wrapping gifts, serving food and helping with kids. The commitment of all the players plus the support of great parents serves as a perfect model team with more great things to come in the future.

Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays

Cedar Rapid, Idaho-News Editor

Congratulations to Hana Hou Class of 2017 Nicole Hada and her team the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays on winning the NCAA Division III National Title this past weekend against the reigning national champions the Emory Eagles. The eagles were in the process of their fifth trip to the final four since 2010. A proud accomplishment for Hawaii and the Hana Hou Volleyball Club. In the first season of club volleyball for Hana Hou ( 2016 -2017) and her last season of club volleyball she was under the guidence of coach Lynden Keala.

Johns Hopkins becomes just the third team in Division III history to be crowned undefeated National Champions ( Washington University , 40-0, 1992 ; Central ( IA) , 41-0 1999).

By the numbers

First National Title
JHU vs Emory 25-23,25-22,25-18
Season: 35-0 ( undefeated)
Roster Size : 10 players

Odds and Ends

Matt Troy and Staff 1st year returning back to Johns Hopkins from William and Mary

Team (in every definition of the word)

Emotional win propels Hopkins to National Title Match

Blue Jays knock off Trinity in four to set up one final match for perfection

Cedar Rapids, IA – Matt Troy  walked into the post-game locker room as usual expecting to find a celebration. Why not? The Blue Jay volleyball team (34-0) had just punched its ticket to the program's first-ever National Championship match.
 
What he walked into was far from what he envisioned.
 
See, for a team that doesn't have enough players to practice six-on-six – one injury, or one sickness – could be all it takes to derail a fairytale season. And on this Friday night, nearly everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for Troy's group.
 
But as they have done all season, the Blue Jays continued to fight.
 
It started at the opening of the match. A fluke lineup miscue forced Hopkins into a rotation error to dig themselves into an early hole against Trinity (Tx.). For most teams, this may cause some early nerves or uneasiness. Not this group. This impressionable bunch of Blue Jays laughed it off,

regrouped, and returned to business as usual.
 
Exchanging blow-for-blow with the Tigers in a back-and-forth opening game, Hopkins scored on three consecutive blocks to close out the first set 25-22, extending its streak to 39-consecutive frames without dropping a set.
 
From there, in a blink of an eye, the Jays had dominated their way to a 25-16 second-set victory and were firmly in control with a 12-6 advantage in the third.
 
Then it happened.
 
Diving after a ball in front of the Blue Jay bench, junior libero Nicole Hada let out a cry that would flip the match, and potentially Hopkins' entire season, on its head.
 
Hada was helped off the court with an apparent shoulder injury – the same injury she suffered in the season opener that sidelined her for the next 15 matches – and the Blue Jays turned to junior Morgan Wu to replace her. The same Morgan Wu that had been dealing with flu-like symptoms since arriving in Iowa on Tuesday.
 
With momentum on the side of the Tigers, Trinity would claw its way back to hand Hopkins its first dropped set in nearly seven weeks.
 
We all know where this story is headed next.
 
Wu ditched her white top for a fresh black one to fill in as the new libero to open the fourth set, and all of a sudden the Blue Jays once again found their form. Troy turned to his All-American duo of Louisa Kishton and Simone Bliss to reignite the Jays attack, and boy did they deliver.
 
The pair of outsides combined for 13 kills in the fourth frame, and Lauren Anthony chipped in a pair of her match-high five aces to lead Hopkins to a commanding 25-17 victory.
 
This leads us back to the post-game locker room. On a night that was a mini-microcosm of the entire season, these Blue Jays weren't thinking about their remarkable 34th-straight victory, nor did they grasp the historical significance of becoming the first Johns Hopkins women's team to advance to a Division III National Championship game.
 
Instead there were tears. Not tears of joy, but tears of knowing that 10% of their team was absent from that post-game locker room.
 
Troy looked around the room and debated whether to perform the team's normal ritual of going one-by-one and having each player give their thoughts on the match.
 
"It's tradition, we can't get rid of it now," said Troy.
 
With nearly every player fighting back tears, the thoughts were widespread. Praise for Wu, who could barely muster any words afterwards; shout outs for Bliss, Kishton, Hannah Korslund and Natalie Aston, the veterans who have been the teams leaders all season long; recognition for Annelisa O'Neal and Rachel DePencier for keeping up the team's morale; and big kudos for Anthony, who turned in one of her best performances of the season.
 
But one message was uniform – tomorrow's championship match would be for Nicole.
 
All season long, the motto has been "1-0". Now, Hopkins will have one final opportunity to go "1-0". One last chance to finish off a perfect season, and one more time to show the volleyball world what a group of ten young women can do when they have each other's backs.

Presently in the volleyball world, the recruitment process has become a part-time job for athletes, parents, coaches, and club staff. It takes time and resources to record and break down video to make highlight reels, tally statistics, and then devise a plan to send this information to college coaches in an organized package. At the same time, high school and club volleyball programs are becoming more sophisticated in searching for an advantage in training and against competitors.

Hudl, a sports video analysis and software company, is revolutionizing the way coaches and athletes prepare for and stay ahead of the competition and addresses the needs of the growing sport. What began as a football product, Hudl has now developed programs specific to ten unique sports, including volleyball. Its top priority is to give athletes feedback and tools to help them improve as a player every day.

Glenn Hada, a Hudl user and director of Hana Hou Volleyball Club in Hawaii, said, “Our club cannot function without Hudl. In volleyball, we have a ball, a net, and a court. Hudl is the other component of volleyball that we need. We use Hudl to do our highlights and for coaches to use it as a tool to improve player development.”

Hudl has been giving athletes a platform to shoot and display video for various uses. Once a club or team has purchased the program, there is no limit to who may have access to the the account. Not only does this mean that multiple users can view the video simultaneously on a computer, phone, or tablet, but it also means that only one parent now has to record the match and upload it to Hudl. Gone are the days that there are ten video cameras set up behind the same court to get the same film.

Once the film is uploaded, users can go into the interface to take statistics, view technique for player development, scout opponents, and make notes within the program. Players can also use Hudl to choose their best clips to showcase individual highlight reels for recruiting, social sharing, and to feature at end of the year functions.

Within the Hudl application, a player can add music to and edit the video, and use highlighting features such as circling which player a scout should be watching. Within the team subscription, the club or high school program has a website and individuals also have their own page to send off to collegiate coaches in an easy-to-view package. Hada calls Hudl’s user websites “a concise, professional representation of our players.”

For Hada, being in the middle of the Pacific presents challenges to his athletes who want to play in college. Luckily, though, the current landscape of college recruiting almost requires athletes to send video before a coach watches a player live, due to strained time and financial resources.

Hada said, “We’re not like California and Texas, for example. We don’t have college coaches who can come into our gym to watch us. We only travel twice to the mainland, so Hudl is instrumental in our development. All of our players are recruited, 100-percent because of Hudl.”

Additionally, club directors such as Hada at Hana Hou see the benefit of Hudl because he doesn’t have the ability to staff full-time recruiting personnel. Because many athletes come to Hada’s club to compete as well as be seen and recruited, a service such as Hudl is a simple and effective resource to allow players to find a good fit in college, and for Hana Hou to retain club players year after year.

Hudl has taken its services to another level with Hudl Assist, an add-on to the Hudl subscription. Hudl Assist removes the time it takes to upload video from a device, break down statistics, and search for specific film bites. That “part-time job” that coaches once had to analyze film, on top of perhaps his or her day job and coaching, has a solution with Hudl Assist.

In Hudl Assist, you can send your match or opponent’s video to Hudl with a click of a button. Then, Hudl breaks it down statistically (based on the NCAA volleyball required statistics) for both sides of the net. Within 12-24 hours, it’s ready to view. The statistics then can be filtered by player, rotation, team, set, and match. Coaches and players can see trend charts, the box score, overall statistics, and set goals within the Hudl Assist program.

Dan Mader, Associate Club Director at VCNebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska where Hudl is headquartered, mainly uses Hudl for scouting, statistics, and player development.

Mader said, “To us, it makes using film way more efficient. We use Hudl Assist and we’re able to go through scenarios, skills, and rotations, and it makes it more efficient to say, ‘Here’s the area we struggled in and why,’ instead of flipping through film for a long time.”

Mader and other coaches at VCN use Hudl Assist to tag players when they see a valuable teaching moment on film. When this happens, the player will get a message directly to their phone. Mader also uses it to bring lessons to life and to assign homework to his players off the court.  

He said, “I’ll give them homework such as, ‘Look at five of your hitting errors and tell me what you need to change.’ And, it’s all outside of the gym on their time. They can do on their phone or at home… that’s where they are usually anyway, on their phone.”

With the breakdown of statistics, an attacker, for example, can now filter a match to view their own plays including kills and hitting errors, while setters can see which plays are successful in each rotation, and liberos can watch opponent hitting tendencies. Mader notes that it’s been proven that kids succeed more when they take the initiative and teach themselves, rather than being told what to do.

The benefit for scouting may be geared more for high school and college programs who face teams multiple times each year, but Mader sees the benefit for club, too. 

He said, “We use Hudl Assist against some local teams we play often. In general, I use it to look for themes, like if we play a team that’s really fast, or more physical than us. Maybe we’ve played a team already that reminds me of them and I can remember what worked against them. At the end of the season, it’s useful because we’ll see teams again.”

In the five years Hana Hou has been using Hudl, Hada says it has progressively gotten better and the support is “unmatched” with staff following up with him constantly, performing webinars, and sending season reports.

Hada said, “They set you up with everything. They just don’t supply you the finger to press the ‘Play’ button.”

Not only is the product useful for development and recruitment as a juniors player, but it translates to a skill all players will have to learn at the collegiate level because at most programs, scouting occurs before each match. Since Hudl’s recent acquisition of VolleyMetrics, it has expanded its video and statistical programs from just the high school and club levels, to now being used at the collegiate level as well. Think of Hudl as getting a head-start.

“Hopefully in the future, it’s all seamless for the athletes,” said Mader. “When they learn how to watch film when they’re young, they don’t have to relearn anything. So, in college, the learning curve is faster.”

The cost of Hudl and Hudl Assist has not been a barrier to Mader or Hada because of the payoff. While both clubs subscribe as a program, users can also use Hudl per match in a pay-as-you-go format.

Hada said, “If I spend a certain amount for about 30 matches and all players get recruited, what is the return on investment? Really, really high.”