The women of the Outrigger Canoe Club watched their boyfriends and husbands play volleyball and it wasn’t long before they were playing right alongside them on the beach in front of the Clubhouse. Their first official competition came in the Kane-Wahine Tournaments begun in 1949 where a mixed team, usually husband-wife, teamed up to play against another mixed team. The Kane-Wahine tournaments were very popular. Special rules were implemented for the contests: kanes could not slam the ball and service had to be underhand.
Front: May Borthwick, Anita Berg, Anne Ackerman, Barbara Dorsam. Standing: Pat Barker, Jane Wylie, Coach Jack Ackerman, Eva Hunter and Carol Muirhead.
In 1951 a 6-wahine indoor volleyball tournament was sponsored by the girl’s club Hui Hauoli. The OCC women finished in fifth place. A written report of the tournament reads,”Great enthusiasm was shown in this first year of participation and next year should produce a team of championship potentialities.” The Outrigger team included Pat Barker, Jane Wylie, Eva Hunter, Carol Muirhead, May Borthwick, Anita Berg, Anne Ackerman and Barbara Dorsam (Del Piano). They were coached by Jack Ackerman.
The OCC girls returned to action in 1952 in the Kui Kahi six-wahine tournament under Coach Bill Barnhart. The seven teams competed at the Waikiki Fire Station courts. Outrigger finished fifth again. Our team included Billie Neal, Eva Hunter, Gwen Davis, Joan Martin, Anne Ackerman, Melva Johnson, Rusty Thomas, Anita Berg and Cissy Watt.
The girls came back for the Kui Kahi League again in 1953. The team included Barbara Cooke, Billie Neal, Gwen Davis, Melva Johnson, Ginger Charlock, Rusty Thomas, Anne Ackerman, Cissy Beardmore, Yvonne Boyd, Pat Barker, Jane Wylie, Eva Hunter, Ivanelle Mountcastle and May Borthwick.
In 1959, the OCC Wahine entered a Novice team in the citywide outdoor hard-court Parks League and finished in third place. The team included Lynn Heilbron, Ruth Campbell, Billie Baird, Cynthia Hemmings, Alice Cross, May Balding and Aggie Quigg. Their coach was Tom Haine.
In later years, the women competed in the Haili Volleyball Tournament in Hilo.
However, most of the women continued to play on the sand courts at OCC with their families for fun and recreation, and against each other in women’s tournaments, as well as the Kane-Wahine.
Kane-Wahine Champions
OCC Women’s Double Champions
Junior Women’s Club Champions
Women’s State Volleyball Champions