Hawaii’s Tiffany Westberg returns to the heart of the action

Tiffany Westerberg is back where she started in terms of her role on the court.

Westerberg, who served as a middle blocker as a freshman at the University of Hawaii in 2019, switched to widening a year ago and made seven starts for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team.

The 6-foot-3 Canadian, now entering her junior season, is back working hard at center as the Wahine prepare for Friday’s season opener at Texas A&M.

While Westerberg has returned to her original position, UH coach Robyn Ah Mow marvels at the distance she’s come since joining the program.

“She has definitely developed into a great young woman in every way, not just as a volleyball but as a person,” Ah Mow said after practice on Friday. “She got it. She got it.”

Westerberg appeared in 21 games as a freshman at center and right flank. Following the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown, she moved outside full-time last season and provided a spark in the second half of the Big West schedule as UH raced for the conference title.

As summer began, she focused on preparing for the possibility of playing a dual role, working alongside All-Big West Middle Amber Igiede during much of UH’s two-week training camp.

“I’m still trying to pick things up again because I’ve had a season off,” Westerberg said. “So I’m watching Amber a lot and trying to get my momentum back on track.

“Coaches thing is that you always have to be prepared for everything. So I was always ready to go back to middle, but I didn’t necessarily expect to go back to middle. I’m fine wherever Coach Rob tells me to be.”

To stay ready, she had to adjust her summer training regimen “because[playing in the middle]with the quick bursts requires a little different level of fitness,” Westerberg said. “Our strength trainers helped us a lot in the summer.”

Westerberg racked up 10 kills in UH’s first 20 games last season before working her way into the starting lineup as the Wahine cycled through a string of right-hitters. She then put down 53 in the final eight contests of the regular season to help the Wahine retain the Big West Championship.

Westerberg said playing and practicing on the outside helped develop her ball control skills and her versatility adds depth in both positions for Ah Mow and the UH coaches.

“Tiff fell right back in,” Ah Mow said. “Going from the center to the outside is much easier than going from the outside back to the center, the whole game is different. But she takes it like a champ.”

Westerberg saw time center and right during Saturday’s open practice at the SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center, which marked the end of camp. When the Wahine players and coaches introduced themselves to fans after practice, Westerberg classified her position as a “hitter.”

“I like being the player I am now and how I’ve developed since first year,” she said.

A fresh face shines

Freshman Caylen Alexander made quite an impression on her first appearance with fans at the arena on Saturday.

With nearly 300 participants, the 6-foot winger/Georgia opponent scored kills from both pins during the six-on-six periods of open practice.

“I kind of struggled in the first week (of camp) – it was quite difficult going from club to college,” Alexander said. “But I looked up to some of the older racquets like Riley (Wagoner) and Tiff and all of them and I was taking really high, aggressive, deep swings and aiming my hands for spikes and that really helped.”

As well as showing a series of shots, Alexander was a defensive presence at net and Ah Mow noted her play from the back row as the coaches freely shuffled combinations on either side of the court.

“We’re all moving around, that’s the whole point,” Ah Mow said. “Move everyone around and see what they can do and how good we can be.”

After completing two weeks of two exercises a day, the Wahine will take time off today and return to the gym on Monday with the start of the fall semester at Manoa campus. They are scheduled to leave for Texas on Tuesday.