University of Hawai'i outside hitter Panna Ratkai has emerged as a key piece for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team this season. The senior from Hungary was named MVP of the OUTRIGGER Invitational and Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week earlier this season. She is a true six-rotation outsider hitter with all the shots in her bag. 
 
Ratkai is always striving to become a better player, and her competitiveness and composure on and off the court have helped her thrive throughout her volleyball career. She shares her story on how she started playing volleyball, the differences between playing in Europe and the U.S., and how her competitiveness shaped her as a player. 
 
When did you start playing volleyball, and what made you fall in love with the sport?
Ratkai: I was 13 or 14 years old when I started playing volleyball. I did track, tennis, and horseback riding before I started playing volleyball. One of my classmates told me that I should come down to a [volleyball] practice. I went to a practice and I was like, I love this and I want to pursue it, so I had to quit all the sports that I was doing, and then I started taking volleyball more seriously. I started late for my age. Normally people start at around eight.  
 
You've played collegiate volleyball at Purdue Fort Wayne and Dayton before coming to UH. How have those experiences shaped you to become a better player?
Ratkai: I would say my first school, Fort Wayne, it definitely was a good introduction to American volleyball and American culture. It was very different so I had to find new ways to find myself in volleyball here and the culture. Just learning from different coaches. I think I've been very good with adapting to new systems in volleyball and getting on the same page as the team and coaches. Those experiences and the standards for the teams obviously were different, but it was easier for me to adapt to a new system here just because I knew how to approach it.   
 
What are the differences between playing volleyball in Europe versus in the U.S.?
Ratkai: We have a lot of different rules for the game. For example the liberos are not allowed to serve.  In Euro you only have six substitutions a set.  The ball, if it touches the ceiling or anything else, it's out of bounds, but here if it touches the ceiling it's still inbounds, so that was a big difference for me. And then culturally, in Europe we are more direct and we are focused on the more physical stuff other than mental parts of the game. I think in the U.S. they have a big focus on the mental part of volleyball and not just the physical. 
 
What made you choose to play volleyball at UH this season?
Ratkai: When I transferred the second time I was looking for a good location for me, just because Ohio and Indiana are cold in the winter and in the middle of nowhere. I wanted a bigger change of scenario. And I was talking to Hawai'i the first time I was transferring, and I really liked them so it was between here or Dayton. I knew I wanted to come to Hawai'i just because of how the coaches represented the program and what they had to say. The location again was a big part of my decision.
 
You were named MVP during the OUTRIGGER Invitational and Mountain West Offensive player of the week.  What did these accomplishments mean to you?
Ratkai: It means a lot to me, especially recognizing the work I put in. I come in extra, do extra reps, and watch a lot of video. It's good that the extra work I put in, I can see the results of it. But it doesn't make me stop from doing more, because I know if I can achieve this, then I can achieve more. Of course, this is a team sport, so without my teammates, and coaches, and everyone that supports us as a team, it wouldn't be possible. So I don't think it's just a recognition for me, it's a recognition for the whole team, and the fans as well, like how much impact they can have on one person. 

How would you describe yourself as a player?
Ratkai: I would say I am a very competitive person and I have very high standards for myself. I'm a maximalist too, so you might come to me after a game that I did pretty good in, and to me it would be like, 'alright that's my standard and that's how I should be doing every game.' I'm gonna see the good, but also I'm more focused on what else I can improve to be even better. Just my competitiveness. I'd say for me there's never a point that counted less than another point. If it's the first point or the last point, it still is important to me.
 
Do you have any pregame rituals?
Ratkai: I do. I drink a matcha latte before every game. I make homemade. It has to be homemade because I don't add sugar, and I drink it with non-dairy milk. And then I try to wear the same sports bra, socks, underwear.  I eat usually the same food before the game. I usually eat pasta and some bananas and peanut butter right before the game starts. And I slick my hair in a bun. 
 
What was your initial impression of your first game in the Stan Sheriff Center?
Ratkai: I was very excited because I heard so much about the fans and the environment. I was very excited to see it in real life and experience on my own. I had goosebumps. I remember I had goosebumps the first time I walked into the Stan full of fans. Just everyone cheering and clapping. No matter whether you have a good game or a bad game, every fan is so appreciative of you and supportive of you. I was just very grateful for the opportunity.
 
What keeps you composed during high pressure situations on the court?
Ratkai: I try to not think of those moments as pressure situations. I think pressure can come across as a negative word. To me it's a competitive moment, and that's my environment that I strive in, so I say, 'who's more competitive?' To me it's a game again like, 'okay I wanna show that I'm the winner of this game.' That's how I try to look at those situations. And when you play enough games you learn how to compress your feelings and just stay more stable. I know that younger players might get more excited and I just know that someone might need that calming presence, and I would like to be that calming presence on the court. To me it's about competitiveness, like, I know I can beat you, and I know you're thinking about this as pressure. This is a tough situation now, but to me it's fun. 
 
Do you have any personal goals that you have set for yourself for this season?
Ratkai: Yes, I would love to be at least on the (all-conference) team. My highest goal is to be an All-American. Teamwise, I would love to qualify for the postseason championship, go to the NCAA Tournament, because I've never been a part of that throughout my career. So that would be amazing to experience. 
 
What do you enjoy doing off the court?
Ratkai: I like everything outdoors. I love to go to the beach. I love sunset walks, those are very comforting to me. Especially because in Hungary we don't have ocean or larger bodies of water. To me it's super relaxing, and again I have so much goosebumps looking at the ocean. I'm like, 'Wow, I live here, and this is my life.' I just love sunset walks and being around the ocean.
 
What has been the biggest adjustment to living in Hawai'i, and what has surprised you most since being here?
Ratkai: Just the amount of patience and how calmly people live their lives. I would say compared to my country and my culture everyone is like, 'alright this is where I'm going, you better get out of my way.' And just how people see life as like, 'oh wow, I'm stuck in traffic, it's okay I'll listen to music.' To me it's like, 'I cannot sit here any longer.' Just adjusting to that type of lifestyle, with the aloha spirit, I think it made me a calmer person in general because I used to be very quick to respond to situations.
 
One thing you miss the most from home?
Ratkai: My family. Especially my parents. I don't have a big family, so I would say my close family, grandparents, siblings.
 
What are your goals after college?
Ratkai: I'm thinking that I'd like to do my masters here. And then I'm probably going to play beach volleyball in the spring for the university, so I'm excited for that. I don't like to plan for long term, I just like to plan for half a year or a year ahead. But if it changes I'm a very Type B person, so it doesn't freak me out if something doesn't go my way or how I planned it.
 
 
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