After watching his team win the Outrigger Invitational last weekend, Hawaii women's volleyball coach Joshua Walker pointed to the mental aspect of the game more than the physical.
"We have a smart team," Walker said. "All these teams we played this past weekend were very different styles. Our ability to adapt quickly, learn quickly and be able to execute was very impressive."
The Rainbow Wahine improved to 4-2 for the season without their leading hitter, Cha'lei Reid, who averaged 3.00 kills in her first three matches before being sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Senior outside hitter Panna Ratkai, who competes with Reid for playing time when Reid is in on the left side, stepped up in her absence.
She averaged 4.00 kills per set among her 52 in the tournament and was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

#reid #walker #team

As a young girl growing up in Hungary, Panna Ratkai learned to dream big by going to the movies.
American movies, in particular, would always grab Ratkai's attention. Visiting the United States, which were always depicted on screen as the cool place to visit, was something she became enamored with early in life.
The best movies, she said, were always filmed in Hawaii with the warm, sandy beaches and blue sky.
"Hungary is in central Europe and so we had no water bodies around us," Ratkai said. "Hawaii was definitely a place for me that I learned I always wanted to live by the beach after seeing it in movies. I can also hike, so those are like my two favorite activities I always like to do."
As an active child not afraid to try out multiple sports, Ratkai first excelled in track, in the long jump and 400-meter hurdles.

#always #ratkai