Waihilo Chartrand spent her summer often at Hilo Bayfront, running around in the sand for volleyball drills under the guidance of her dad, Uwao. ADVERTISING Waihilo Chartrand spent her summer often at Hilo Bayfront, running around in the sand for
Waihilo Chartrand spent her summer often at Hilo Bayfront, running around in the sand for volleyball drills under the guidance of her dad, Uwao.
It’s a routine of hard work for the 2012 Hilo graduate and Chaminade junior, who’s making her homecoming when the Silverswords visit the University of Hawaii at Hilo on Saturday.
Chartrand had a partner at her summer workouts, her teammate Suncica “Sunny” Bakic, who played with her for two years at Eastern Arizona junior college.
Instead of barking orders at only one daughter, Uwao Chartrand focused on his hanai (adopted) daughter, too. Bakic lived with the family during the summer; Chartrand will spent next summer at Bakic’s hometown in Bar, Montenegro.
“Sunny is pretty much like hanai, and part of our family,” Chartrand said. “In the summer, we ran, went to the gym and worked out at Hilo Bayfront in the sand. It was like the old days, and my dad helped, of course, the both of us. And my mom (Evelyn) would wake us up at 7 a.m. to go to the gym.”
The Silverswords are the visitors, but they’ll be treated with open arms and loud cheers by the crowd.
Chartrand has a big family, and the local volleyball community always supports one of its own. It’s not just her family and friends coming, but her HI Intensity club teammates as well.
Then there’s Chaminade coach Kahala Kabalis Hoke, who’s the daughter of Carla Carpenter-Kabalis, the HI Intensity coach and UHH and NAIA Hall of Famer.
“I’ve got a big family, but Aunty Carla knows half of Hilo,” Chartrand said. “I’m happy to play in front of my family again.”
It’s also an opportunity for mom and dad to see how much their daughter’s game has grown since those summer workout days, and to celebrate two keiki o ka aina (children of the land).
Chartrand has distinction of being the first to play under the mom and daughter coaches. The communications major is on a full-ride scholarship at Chaminade; UHH didn’t offer her.
It made for an interesting case study in how the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when Chartrand, listed as an outside hitter/defender/libero, thought about playing for the two coaches.
“Kahala is disciplined, like being on time. If you’re late, there’s punishment. There’s no lax kind of thing,” Chartrand said. “It’s the same thing with Aunty Carla. It’s not lax either. Kahala and her are encouraging and believe in all of us. I know Kahala believes in each and every one of us, how good a team we are if we work together.”
Chartrand has that teamwork part down cold. The best thing about her is not her ball-handling, but her personality to connect and bond with others. That’s a great genetic gift from her mom Evelyn, who walks around with a warm heart.
It’s a lifetime thing, too, for Chartrand, who’s still in the flow with former HI Intensity pals Angel Alameda, Evalani Toledo (2014 Hilo grads at Eastern Arizona); Amanda Loeffler (2014 Hilo, Pacific Union); Chelzie Ulu (2013 Hilo, Eastern Arizona); and Randi Estrada (2012 Keaau, University of Charleston, Virginia).
“I talk to them about volleyball and school, and we keep in touch,” Chartrand said. “We want to keep in contact and make sure everybody is good and on the right track. No matter where we go, we keep in touch and don’t forget about each other.”
A funny thing happened on the way from Eastern Arizona to Chaminade’s campus in Honolulu, a stone’s throw near the University of Hawaii: the two Gila Monsters became best friends.
“What made us close was not just the fact we were roommates for volleyball, but school was our first priority,” Chartrand said. “We were always pushing each other, like with making flash cards. In volleyball, we were pushing each other for motivation.
“Sunny wanted to come to school in Hawaii, where I was. I told her to send video to coach Kahala, but it was hard because she had surgery for her ACL. She was worried that would affect her. I told her to think positive, be willing to work extra hard, and train. She had the right mindset.
“When she talked to the coaches, Kahala told her because of her academics it’ll cover that (scholarship). She has a 4.0 grade-point average and is majoring in international business.”
Chartrand hopes to work in the hotel industry or become a flight attendant. If Bakic gets a corporate gig, they might turn into traveling buddies.
Until then, Uwao and Evelyn Chartrand will be waiting with open arms at UHH Gym for their two daughters.
To submit a candidate for the Big Island College Report, email kjakahi@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
