Their classrooms, their uniforms, their athletic equipment and a lot of memories went up in smoke nearly two months ago. But athletic life goes on for students at University High.

Since the June 13 fire that gutted some of the buildings that made up the lab school in Manoa, the Junior 'Bows are slowly but surely returning to some sort of normalcy.

It begins this week when the UHS girls play in the annual Ann Kang Invitational Volleyball Tournament at Iolani School. The 20-team tournament, which also includes teams from the Mainland, starts tomorrow with pool play. It will be a UHS team's first public appearance since the fire.

"Volleyball helps us forget about the fire," said senior Lauren Tau. "You have to move on, keep going forward."

While the campus gym was a casualty, it wasn't the primary practice venue for UHS teams. The school's varsity, junior varsity and intermediate teams, both boys and girls, still vie for practice time across the street at UH's Klum Gym or the athletic complex's Gym I. So, in that respect, life hasn't really changed. But it's not to say there weren't trying times.

Students went through phases after the fire, said junior Brittni Woodward, who has attended the school since kindergarten.

"When I first saw it, I was sad," she said. "Then when we heard it was arson, I was angry. It's hard to believe the place I grew up in was gone."

SUPPORT SYSTEM HELPS

In time, their spirits improved.

"Coach assured us that we'd get through this," Woodward said.

What helped some of the players is that they were playing in a summer basketball league. Therapy came in talking about the fire.

"We had a support system," Woodward said. "It was good that we could talk about the same thing."

Also easing some of the pain was the compassion and help from the community, alumni and other schools.

Through a mutual friend of UHS athletic director Jim Bukes and Punahou girls' volleyball coach Peter Balding, volleyballs were donated to UHS.

The O'ahu Interscholastic Association donated credits from a wrestling mat company, as well as money, for a new mat, which costs from $8,000 to $14,000, Bukes said.

The Honolulu Quarterback Club made a monetary donation and some of the Pac-Five schools donated their proceeds from the Kraft Shop & Score program.

Bukes said the school appreciates the donations and help.

"A bad experience has turned into a good experience," said UHS girls' volleyball coach Walter Quiton.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Despite the losses in the fire, classes and extracurricular activities were not in jeopardy of being canceled, Bukes said. Still, there might be some adjustments. Woodward said school musical instruments were destroyed, including a violin that she played, as well as the school's only piano, which she also enjoyed playing. She said her orchestra class might change to a music appreciation class.

"It's going to be a challenge for us the first semester," Bukes said. "But we never questioned starting school on time and that we weren't going to be able to field athletic teams in the fall. We're forging forward."

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