Roberts, Lee reunited, but as opponents
3/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
March 24, 2005
WAILUKU, Hawaii - On Maui, and playing volleyball. Kaimana Lee and Lecca Roberts had been there before.
Never, however quite like this.
When they stepped on the floor at Baldwin High School gym on different sides of the net - Lee's George Washington University team against Robert's Pepperdine Unit. That was different for the former Seabury Hall teammates who combined to win three straight Maui Interscholastic League Player of the Year awards.
Pepperdine won the preliminary two-game match 25-15, 25-23. Pepperdine won the championship match of the four-team tournament 30-14 over Hawaii Pacific., Brigham Young-Hawaii was also in the tourney.
"I saw Kaimana and I was really stoked," Roberts said. "I haven't seen her forever. We still have that same bond, same friendship and I am really stoked to play with her here in Maui."
They almost saw each other last month at Colorado Springs, Colo., for the USA Volleyball national team tryouts, but Roberts had to turn down her invitation because of a sprained ankle.
The key members of Seabury Hall's state final four team in 2002 are home giving back to the youngsters following in their footsteps. On Wednesday, 76 youngsters took advantage of the free two-hour clinic put on by GW and one night later 89 youngsters were there with the Waves.
"The turnout, we didn't even think there would be that many people," Roberts said. "It's awesome. I live it. It is just great to see all these kids who are eager to play, listening to us, thinking we are so, like, great. But we are just players, just like them - love the game."
Roberts, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker who will be a sophomore in the fall, is not healthy and playing well as the Waves prepare for the 2005 season. The Colonials are doing the same thing behind Lee, a starting setter who will be a junior in the fall.
Lee was rated as the eighth-best setter of the 20 who were invited to the national team tryouts and is on a watch list for possible future national team consideration.
Both former Spartans hope to be in Colorado Springs next year.
This week, they just enjoyed being home with a little volleyball mixed in. If they wanted to change majors to the tourism industry, both have gotten an internship in tour-guide duties over the past four days.
"You know everyone here," Lee said. "I got off the plane and I knew so many people just in the airport. My teammates are having a blast. They are pretty happy to be out of the snow and cold in Washington, D.C. It was about 30 degrees when we left and it was supposed to snow. All my teammates have been calling friends saying, `We are going to the beach after practice.'"
Roberts echoed those sentiments.
"It is kind of weird because I can't actually go home, but I am seeing everything that I know and I am doing the tour-guide kind of thing, showing everybody what everything is," Roberts said. "I get to come home for volleyball, which is really great."
Lee said that facing her prep teammate stirred old memories and competitive spirit.
"We both hold each other to that higher standard," Lee said. "When I think of Lecca, I think of that 6-3 middle blocker who can put everything down. Hopefully, when she thinks of me she thinks of that good setter who can get her the ball."
Robert Collias can be reached at rcollias@mauinews.com
