When Sarah Mason was preparing to come to Oregon, she knew she’d be stepping outside her comfort zone.
The Hilo, Hawaii, native had no idea what she’d be stepping into.
Along with the usual difficulties that come with being a freshman in college, Mason has had to adjust to the drastic culture discrepancies between Eugene and Hawaii. Experiencing everything from the cold, damp weather of Oregon to a general lack of compassion she feels people treat each other with, Mason usually finds herself in a foreign situation every day.
“Hawaii is a totally different culture than over here,” Mason said. “Over here, if someone honks their (car) horn, people think they’re doing something bad, like they ran a red light. In Hawaii, if you honk the horn someone leans out of the window and says, ‘hey, what’s up?’”
Fortunately for Mason, there’s someone who has been able to relate to her struggles every step of the way.
Head coach Carl Ferreira hails from Hilo as well and attended the same high school (St. Joseph’s) as Mason. Ferreira has also held a 37-year friendship with Mason’s high school and club coach, Rachelle Hanohano. These similarities not only helped Ferreira lure Mason away from national-power Hawaii, but help him make life easier for her.
“You don’t understand the difference (in Hawaiian culture) because initially, you’re born into it,” Ferreira said. “You start to learn once you separate from it, how different it actually is. It’s a diverse accepted culture. It doesn’t matter what race you are, you’re an equal member of a community. They share the food, they share the arts and they share the language, and they blend all of it into a mixed culture. Your neighbor is like your relative.”
Ferreira said he knew Mason was an individual rich with cultural pride the first time she called him “Uncle Carl.” In Hawaii, people often refer to their elders as “auntie” or “uncle.”
“In the history of coaching, I’ve never had anyone call me Uncle Carl,” Ferreira said. “I laughed the first time she said it because she said it out of pure culture. I thought it was awesome, and it was just her being her. It’s a special relationship, and I have to provide her with a great deal of empathy and reassure her that she’ll be OK.”
Despite experiencing cultural inconsistencies, Mason’s play on the court has been anything but. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter has evolved into the Ducks’ top attacker. She leads the team in kills (242), kills per game (3.10) and hitting percentage (.270), while making a strong push to be on the Pacific-10 Conference All-Freshman team. She has become a go-to attacker for the Ducks while gaining the respect of her teammates.
“I know that she’s an amazing athlete and an amazing volleyball player and whenever I set her, I know she’s going to put the ball down,” sophomore setter Jodi Bell said. “There’s not doubt in my mind that she’s a go-to hitter of mine, and I know she’ll make a kill for me.”
Though impressive, Mason’s statistics may not be her most valuable contribution to the team. Mason brings a passionate and fiery attitude to the court that she doesn’t attempt to hide. She attributes her intense style of play to old high school and club teammate Lindsey Lee. As a 5-foot-5 middle blocker, Lee taught Mason to play with emotion no matter what the score was.
Mason has taken Lee’s words to heart. After putting away a kill, Mason routinely shows her “island fever” by yelling across the net.
“I like to intimidate (my opponents),” Mason said. “Make them think twice before sending the ball my way and just kind of get in their heads and shut them down.
“One of my big things is I need to fire my teammates up and bring intensity out.”
At times, Mason’s intensity has been a little too much for referees to swallow. Mason has been issued several yellow cards during the season, which is a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. Despite the warnings, Ferreira said Mason’s intensity has worn off on the rest of the program and she shouldn’t tone it down.
“She has a no-fear mentality, and she just goes for it,” Ferreira said. “I’m never going to handcuff that emotion. It’s a cultural thing, and it can be very infectious. I think her teammates feed off it.”
Off the court, Mason becomes a self-proclaimed goofball who is usually engulfed with laughter. Mason and roommate Heather Madison combine to make quite the comic duo.
Monday “night for example, we put on music in our room, and we danced like grandmas,” Madison said. “I don’t know how to explain (Mason) other than she’s a riot.”
During her limited free time, Mason can often be found hanging out with her freshmen teammates in HP Barnhart Hall, or relaxing at teammate Kim McNally’s house where Mason said McNally “cooks for me and takes care of me.”
Entering tonight’s match against Arizona, the Ducks are still looking for their first conference win of the season. Despite this, Mason’s enthusiasm has helped the team continue to stay upbeat.
“Sarah’s awesome,” assistant coach Rhonda Rust said. “She plays with her heart and soul every day. It’s a joy to watch her and a joy to coach her. She’s been very special to the entire team, and we enjoy her enthusiasm.”