If ever there was a little girl destined to be a Rainbow Wahine volleyball player it was Aneli Cubi-Otineru.

Her grandmother played the game on the beach with big wave surf legend Eddie Aikau. Both parents played as well as aunties and all four sisters. Her babysitters went by the name of Robins, a family that keeps popping up on Rainbow Warrior and Wahine rosters. Niece Darian Kalulu Sugai, whose mom Babes played for the University of Hawai'i in 1989, is jump-starting the next generation at Kahuku.

Cubi-Otineru, 22, was born as Hawai'i won its fourth national title. She grew up with the team as it transitioned from the hardcore-fan-only heydays of stifling Klum Gym to the NCAA-record crowds that followed at spacious Stan Sheriff Center. She recalls watching Joselyn Robins from the top of the Big Manapua at age 6 or 7. She was hooked.

"We sat in the nosebleeds, literally the last seat," Cubi-Otineru said. "It was so crowded. I just loved the environment and energy. More too, I wanted to play here because what a perfect place. My family can come watch me play."

Today at 5 p.m., Cubi-Otineru will play her final home match when the Rainbow Wahine take on Utah State. She and senior teammates Catherine Fowler, Jayme Lee, Stephanie Brandt and Amber Kaufman will be honored after the match.

Cubi-Otineru's volleyball quest started in Hale'iwa and "the oldest house" in Pupukea. It passed through Kuhio Park Terrace, where her grandma helped raise her, to an All-State career at Punahou cut short by academic problems. Club volleyball was a constant and College of Southern Idaho a blessing in cold-weather disguise.

It was there that Cubi-Otineru found herself, and her way home. Without the grades to get into UH, she dominated at the junior college level her first year. When the CSI program ran into problems, she studied her okole off to get the AA degree that could unlock the dream back home.

Her learning curve was not restricted to class and court in Twin Falls, Idaho. Cubi-Otineru grew up. She graduated from Mänoa last May, taking up to 19 units a semester. She has been an All-WAC Academic selection every year since she came home.

"There was a point where I thought I lost my opportunity," Cubi-Otineru said. "I just trusted in God and prayed. God always has a plan no matter what. So I did it and it worked out for me. I only played one year at CSI, but I got three here when I only thought I'd have two. It helped me mature, let me see the real world. The Mainland is so different. We're all so laid back here and whatever. There, you're an adult now. You've got to take care of business. Time goes by really fast.

"I made sure school was taken care of, used every opportunity I could up there. I had a few friends that didn't finish school. They were in the same predicament I was and didn't make it for whatever reason. Quite a bit of them went down the wrong path. I just thought you can't go down that path. You've been on that path. This is my opportunity. God gave me a second chance."

INTENSE HEAT

Three years ago, Cubi-Otineru matriculated to Mänoa, where she knew she would play from the time she was 7. She brought home a game that is quintessential Hawai'i volleyball.

At 5 feet 11 she is a little too small. She doesn't have the hops of sophomore Kanani Danielson or the drop-dead quickness of Lee. But Cubi-Otineru has absolutely everything else.

She hits the ball with intense heat and has mastered every shot. Her serve is flat-out frightening and ranks as the fifth-best in the country. Cubi-Otineru is a primary passer and exceptional defender. Her instincts are practically perfect and she knows only one speed — absolutely everything she has got.

"She just plays her tail off every night," says UH men's coach Charlie Wade, who was Dave Shoji's assistant when they were recruiting Cubi-Otineru at Punahou. "She's like Robyn Ah Mow. You can never really tell when they are having a bad day. Everyday she shows up and what you see is what you get. And what you're getting is both barrels.

"Coaches love that. She has great emotion. She plays hard, and she's a lot of fun to watch no question. She is one of my favorite players to watch."

He is not alone. Cubi-Otineru, who has played practically every second of every set since she came back home, inspired a following early. She is so intense and emotional — "soft on the inside but pretty tough on the outside," Shoji says — she is even popular with opponents.

LINEBACKER INSTINCTS

When The Advertiser did a survey of all the WAC players at last year's conference tournament, Cubi-Otineru's name came up in nearly every category, but she was the overwhelming favorite in two: Most Fun to Watch and Best Player per Inch.

She plays volleyball with the instincts of a linebacker and has been known to bark at teammates to keep them in check, but she never tries to intimidate opponents and the Rainbow Wahine characterize her as "a motherly soul." She is outgoing and funny, wants the ball all the time and has an innate ability to make good things happen.

"She doesn't get rattled and she makes the game look pretty simple," Wade says. "You can just tell there's not a lot of extra stuff going on. Some make it look real difficult and she makes it look easy. And it's not that easy."

Cubi-Otineru is, by far, the most vocal of the Rainbow Wahine and they thrive on her emotions and versatility. Opponents can't help but like what they see, even if Cubi-Otineru is beating them in every conceivable way.

"Aneli has been described by our team and staff as the glue to Hawai'i's team," Nevada coach Devin Scruggs said. "She is the best all-around player on that team. She is a phenomenal passer, hitter, blocker, digger, server what more could you ask for in a player?"

Each year, Cubi-Otineru has brought more. The serve has grown more scary by the semester — she should finish among the top five in UH career aces in her three-year career — and her passing more pure. Her attack percentage has gone up 50 points each season. She is hitting .300 now, extremely high for an outside hitter.

Part of her inspiration goes back to her struggles out of high school. When she came to Mänoa, Shoji, looking to motivate her, told Cubi-Otineru she "had a lot of doubters out there." He was one, but not for long.

"I definitely used that as motivation," Cubi-Otineru said. "To show those people and others who were going along the same path I had that you can still do it. As long as you put your mind to it, anything can happen. Just trust in God."

'NO HOLDS BARRED'

After her college career, Cubi-Otineru is ready to take on the professional game in Puerto Rico or possibly Europe, and has talked with Shoji about playing for the national program as a libero. She plans to play volleyball as long as she can, with all the emotion she can muster. She knows no other way. It is in her blood.

"She's fun to watch because she's no holds barred," UH associate coach Mike Sealy says. "She's one player who can be hitting negative .500 or positive and you can't tell the difference. She doesn't get overly up or down. She is the consummate 'professional' who just enjoys competing. She enjoys the process of playing.

"Any time you see someone who has mastered their craft it's inspiring. She can inspire a lot of people. She's not a 6-4, long, lanky outside hitter. She's a warrior and she battles."