Ex-Clark star hopes sore wrist won’t kill her dream

Steve Addy

Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000 | 10:52 a.m.

Charlene Tagaloa's wrist is killing her, in the wrong place, at the worst possible time.

After a lifetime of preparation, the ex-Las Vegas resident is hoping the injury won't end her dream of playing in the Sydney Olympics for the USA women's volleyball team.

The former Charlene Johnson, a standout at Clark High in the late '80s, is the starting setter for the 12-member Team USA, whose first Olympic match is Saturday against China.

But it's still a mystery whether Tagaloa will take the court. She hasn't suited up in nearly a month because of wrist tendinitis, which sidelined her for the final three weeks of the FIVB World Grand Prix in Southeast Asia.

After not making the Olympic team in Atlanta in 1996, Tagaloa said she will do whatever is necessary to ensure her participation in Sydney. Her rehab has consisted largely of rest.

"For a setter, your wrist is a pretty tricky place to get tendinitis," she said. "There's a little fear that I won't be able to play, but I'm determined. If I have to play with pain, I will. I've done that before.

"When it comes to the Olympics, you do what you have to do."

One of the team's elders at 27, the 5-foot-10 Tagaloa is also fighting knee tendinitis. If she is unable to play, her starting spot will be taken by Robin Ah Mow, a two-time All-American setter at the University of Hawaii.

Throughout the team's Olympic preparation, Tagaloa maintained her status as the top setter despite a parade of newcomers including 1999 NCAA player of the year Misty May. To give up the job now because of an injury would be heartbreaking.

"Charlene never really gets the respect she deserves," Team USA coach Mick Haley said in an interview with NBColympics.com. "Somebody is challenging her every day in practice for her position. But every time the smoke clears, Charlene is still our setter. She has gotten steadily better over the last 3 1/2 years."

Tagaloa locked down the starting job in January at the Olympic qualifying tournament, the Nike Americas Challenge in Lakeland, Fla., where she was chosen Best Setter after Team USA beat Canada for the championship.

"I've been here this long, and I've had to keep fighting off new players," Tagaloa said. "It always seems to fall back on me. But I think the coaches have a lot of faith in me."

There's no reason they shouldn't, because Tagaloa's talent has been exceptional for nearly two decades. Shortly after her family moved to Las Vegas from Phoenix in 1983, she started playing volleyball in coach Bob Kelly's Nevada Juniors program.

At Clark High, also under Kelly, then-Johnson played three seasons and sparked the team to the 1989 state championship. The next year, her family moved to Utah, where she played her senior year at Pleasant Grove HS and made the Mizuno prep All-American team.

In four years at Brigham Young (1991-94), Tagaloa became the Cougars' career assist leader and helped them to a 109-16 record, including three Western Athletic Conference titles and an NCAA semifinal appearance. The American Volleyball Coaches Association named her a second team All-American as a senior.

Tagaloa failed to make the 1996 Olympic team, then had a brief professional stint in Switzerland before joining the U.S. National Team in 1997. She quickly assumed a leadership role, not only because of her age, but because she is the only parent on the team. Tagaloa is married to Saofaiga (John) Tagaloa and they have a 7-year-old son Kaipo.

"A lot of the younger girls look up to me as sort of a mother figure," Tagaloa said. "I tend to be kind of motherly. Logan Tom (a 19-year-old Stanford sophomore) is like a little sister or daughter to me. I've tried to take her under my wing, and some of the other younger players."

That youth is being viewed as a drawback in Sydney; Team USA isn't regarded as a medal favorite. Only two players, Danielle Scott and Tara Cross-Battle, have Olympic experience. However, the U.S. has a favorable draw that could help its chances.

There are two round-robin pools, each sending four teams to the medal round, and Pool A is clearly easier. Australia (ranked 27th in the world) and Kenya (29th) are in the pool, along with Brazil (3rd), China (4th), Croatia (8th) and the U.S. (10th). Pool B is loaded with strong teams, including Russia (1st), Cuba (2nd), South Korea (5th) and Italy (6th).

"We have the ability to come out of our pool," Tagaloa said. "We have beaten China and Brazil before, so I think we have a very good chance. I'm not going to say we're going to win a medal, but I think we'll play our best in Sydney, whatever happens."

Win or lose, Tagaloa has her immediate future planned. She will move from Colorado Springs to Europe next month to begin playing for an Italian professional team. Five Team USA teammates will also join the league.

"With so many top players going over, Italy is definitely the place to be next year," Tagaloa said. "The competition is going to be great."