Recent Waiakea graduates Casi Gacusana and Brianna Ridgway got a nice bonus when they decided to play volleyball at William Penn, an NAIA school in Iowa.
Recent Waiakea graduates Casi Gacusana and Brianna Ridgway got a nice bonus when they decided to play volleyball at William Penn, an NAIA school in Iowa.
They weren’t a package deal but signed at the same time at the Warriors Gym, and both received recruiting help from Jenny Block, whose daughter Maxine plays at Dakota Wesleyan.
The William Penn Statesmen (same nickname for the men and women’s teams) play the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers on Sept. 10 at the Saint Mary Tournament in Omaha, Neb.
The BIIF reunion tour continues when William Penn hosts the Peru State (Neb.) Bobcats, who feature two recent Pahoa graduates in Jordyn Tagalicod and Shyla Kutzen-Ribordy, on Sept. 24.
William Penn and Peru State are members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, so they’ll battle every year.
Tagalicod, Kutzen-Ribordy, and Gacusana are all back-row defenders while Ridgway is a 5-foot-7 middle blocker.
Kutzen-Ribordy didn’t play club ball. Tagalicod plays for Kendall and Zelda Kelson’s Keaukaha Cuzins, Gacusana for Jodi Kalawe and Lyndell Lindsey’s Haili Juniors, and Ridgway for Laura Thompson with the Piopio Bears.
The one thing they have in common is help from Aunty Jenny, who’s made it her mission to find BIIF volleyball players college homes.
Count the mother and daughter team of Kim and Casi Gacusana as those thankful for Aunty Jenny’s help.
“I got my scholarship from the help of Aunty Jen, and I couldn’t have done it with the help of my amazing high school and offseason coaches and parents,” said Casi, who’ll major in medical biology and wants to become a pediatrician.
There are more scholarship opportunities farther away from the West coast, where the big-name programs (UH-Manoa, UCLA, Stanford) gobble up the blue-chip recruits.
William Penn University, named after the founder of the province of Pennsylvania, is roughly 4,000 miles away from Hawaii.
“It’s a great opportunity for Casi even if it’s far away from home,” Kim said. “Like I tell Casi, Hawaii will always be here but having the opportunity and chance to be away from home may come only once.”
Ridgway played at Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science and Pahoa before spending her senior year at Waiakea due to the lava flow in 2014.
“I did verbally commit to William Penn first, but Casi and I signed at the same time,” said Ridgway, who’ll major in kinesiology. “That’s funny because I consider us a package deal. We both were going to go our separate ways after high school season, but we are now a pair. I am proud that I have Casi. She is a hard worker and pushes me every day to become a better player, student, and person.”
Shoe on other foot
Waiakea has long held the upper hand against Pahoa in BIIF play. The Warriors are the defending league Division I champs; the Daggers have never won a BIIF title.
Last season, William Penn was 6-23, including 1-10 and second-to-last in conference play. Peru State (25-13, 8-3) received votes in the final NAIA coaches poll for the first time in 15 years.
Ridgway was once a Dagger and can’t wait for the BIIF reunion tour.
“When I found out that I would be playing against other fellow BIIF players (Block, Tagalicod, Kutzen-Ribordy) I got so thrilled. I have this experience to play in Iowa, and now I get to play against some fellow volleyball friends.”
William Penn’s last winning season was in 2012 with a 28-15 record.
The Statesmen have a junior varsity team; Peru State doesn’t have one. It’s likely Gacusana and Ridgway will be playing somewhere to soak up experience.
“I do know there is a JV team, and they do say it’s normal for a freshmen to be on JV but not if you really put your mind to it and work hard and believe in yourself and also have confidence,” Gacusana said. “Then nothing will stop you.”
Role models
If Gacusana sounds like she’s got a tough mindset, that’s because she gets it from her parents Derick and Kim.
“My inspiration and influence throughout my entire life has been my mother,” Casi said. “She is strong, she is independent, she has an amazing personality, and she really works hard at what she wants, and when she wants something she doesn’t give up.”
Ridgway’s parents are Lerroy Ridgway and Faviola Ultreras, who gave her daughter a memorable piece of advice.
“My mother says ‘life is about choices.’ I will always remember her saying it,” Ridgway said. “Most girls knew that they wanted to play college volleyball for a while. I had that idea only recently placed in my head.
“In Hawaii, people are helpful. People care about children and our well-being. I had the pleasure to meet mothers and women interested in helping our volleyball team members further our educational careers.”
Gacusana and Ridgway make a great pair, and that’s the biggest bonus as they head to William Penn together.
For recruiting help, contact Jenny Block, email jenny_oceanrates@hotmail.com or call 966-5558.