Simply said: Ahuna making dad proud at Eastern Washington

By KEVIN JAKAHI

Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Eastern Washington University sophomore outside hitter Ka‘iulani Ahuna’s apprenticeship served her well, considering she’s not only starting but also earning conference weekly honors.

The 2015 Kamehameha graduate was recently named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after lifting the Eagles over South division leader Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last week.

EWU (9-6, 4-2) is in the Big Sky’s North division, behind North Dakota (13-8, 5-1), which beat the Eagles in four sets on Sept. 30. Ahuna had a double-double with 10 kills and 20 digs.

After that loss, Ahuna had a double-double (18 kills and 19 digs) in a four-set win against Northern Arizona, also the outright defending champion, last Thursday at home, handing the Lumberjacks their first conference loss.

Then last Saturday she was even better in a three-game home sweep over Southern Utah. Ahuna hammered 15 kills on a career-high .406 hitting clip and added 11 digs for her fourth straight double-double.

“This past week our play was super intense,” Ahuna said. “It took us a while to get our rhythm and confidence together, but as soon as we did it was easy to handle business because we just played how we know how to play.

“I’m super honored to have received the offensive player of the week award. It’s the first time in three years that an EWU volleyball player was granted one. And defeating the No. 1 team in the conference really helped.”

Ahuna currently ranks eighth in the Big Sky in kills per set at 3.10 and leads the Eagles with 149 kills and is second with 2.71 digs per set.

Last year, Ahuna didn’t play much. She got in 16 matches and had 33 kills; the 5-foot-10 outside hitter already has 149 kills through 15 matches.

But while on the bench, Ahuna turned into a sponge. Education, she found, doesn’t only come in a classroom.

“My second year at EWU has been going great. It’s not as new as last year so I feel comfortable and settled in,” she said. “My team is amazing, and I’ve got a great support system.

“Last year I didn’t get a bunch of playing time as a freshman, but it really allowed me to observe how the game was played at this level in order to prepare for when my time came.”

Like most BIIF players who land scholarships to college, one of the most important lessons Ahuna learned is time management. She also quickly discovered the difference between BIIF and college ball.

“Compared to high school, college volleyball is a much bigger commitment with much higher pressure, whether it be to your academics, your body and health, and especially to volleyball itself,” she said. “If you’re on scholarship, volleyball is your job, and you must be healthy and able to perform.

“Another thing in college is everyone is amazing, rather than just five or six players so it’s a much bigger competition for playing time. From 6 a.m. weights to double days to constant film on the opponent, the difference between high school and volleyball is huge.”

Last year, the Eagles took a road trip and played the UH Rainbow Wahine before 6,603 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center and took a four-set loss. Ahuna got in briefly, took four swings, and put down one kill.

Last season, EWU finished 14-14 and is 62-115 over the last six years. The last winning season was in 2009 with an 18-11 record.

All that losing is foreign to Ahuna, who was a co-pilot with Zoe Leonard during the great Kamehameha run (BIIF titles from 2011-14).

In one way, Ahuna hasn’t changed at all. She’s still goal-driven and ambitious as ever.

“My goal for this season is to make it to the NCAA tournament and to do that, we need to win our conference, and I know it’s doable,” she said. “We just have to prepare and perform how we know how to. My goals for the future at EWU is to help my team as much as possible as best as I can.”

Dad’s message

Ahuna also got another double-double with the Tribune-Herald Athlete of the Week honor.

For the question of favorite song, there’s one song that’s the best in the world to her: “Simply Said,” by her dad Kuulei Ahuna.

Here’s the link to his song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu6dnkU9vr8

Kuulei Ahuna passed away from cancer in April 2005. He was 51 years old, a stevedore, musician, and songwriter. He also gave his youngest daughter a life lesson she’ll never forget.

“My dad was my first teacher when I was playing sports, and he would always tell me to aim when I hit the ball. He would also tell me to never give up what you want,” said Ka’iu Ahuna, who was 8 years old when her dad died, in a feature story in 2014.

“It was hard on my mom (Leslie). She had an early burden, raising me and my sister Mailani (six years older and now a nurse at Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu). My mom tells me to work hard all the time to get what you deserve. Anything can happen. You have to cherish every moment.”

“Simply Said” is more than just a song to Ahuna. It’s a loving message to remember for a lifetime and a reason to have high goals that reach heaven, where her dad keeps a watchful eye.

Zoe’s idol/coach

Leonard, also a 2015 Kamehameha graduate, is a sophomore setter for Dartmouth (6-9, 0-5 Ivy League).

Gilad Doron was named as the Big Green’s new coach in April, coming from the University of San Francisco.

His assistants are Eyal Zimet and Tara Hittle. If their names sound familiar, that’s because both played at UH-Manoa.

In the campus newspaper, The Dartmouth, which is America’s oldest college newspaper founded in 1799, Leonard is profiled.

Growing up, her inspirations were Wahine setter Kanoe Kamana‘o and outside hitter Hittle, who was hired as an assistant in August.

Her dad Chris Leonard talked in the article about the passion everyone in the state has for the Rainbow Wahine.

“For little girls growing up in Hawaii, who play volleyball, you certainly look up to the Wahine volleyball team,” he said. “They are rock stars. They play in front of 8,000 to 9,000 people a night and are on live television statewide.”

For a link to the article visit: http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2016/10/big-green-volleyball-brings-player-and-coach-full-circle.