The Italian Olympic Committee says former University of Hawai'i All-American volleyball player Kim Willoughby has tested positive for a steroid.

The committee said yesterday that Willoughby tested positive for nandrolone after her Italian club Perugia played Cesena on April 5.

The Perugia club's Web site reported that Willoughby returned to the United States immediately after the team was eliminated from the league playoffs last month, citing a family emergency. Willoughby is from Napoleonville, La.

The USA volleyball Web site said Willoughby returned to the Puerto Rico Super League after her season was done in Italy and competed in the playoffs at the end of last month.

Willoughby was a reserve on the American team that won the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. She played for the Rainbow Wahine from 2000 to 2003, earning first-team All-America honors her final three years. She was AVCA National Player of the Year in 2003, when she led Hawai'i to its third final four in four years. Willoughby is the Rainbow Wahine career kill leader.

A UH official said Willoughby never failed a drug test while she was attending Manoa.

Willoughby pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony assault here in September. She is charged with causing serious bodily injury in December of 2006 at Pipeline Café. Willoughby posted bail and was allowed to return to Italy before trial in the case, now set to begin May 25. However, a change of plea hearing has been scheduled for May 18. It is not known if the steroid finding will affect that hearing.