There are four listed liberos on the UH men’s volleyball team, including Waiakea graduates Evan La Rochelle (2011) and Mamane Namahoe (2014), who each traveled different journeys.
Larry Tuileta, a 2014 Punahou graduate and USC transfer, receives the bulk of the minutes and leads the Rainbow Warriors with 155 digs and 2.42 digs per set in 20 matches.
La Rochelle, who spent four years in the Air Force, has played in two matches and has two digs. In seven matches, Namahoe, who redshirted in 2015, has 20 digs for a UH volleyball team that is 20-2 and riding a 15-game winning streak.
It’s sort of a rivals turned teammates deal with Tuileta and the former Warriors, who felt the sting of Punahou beating them in the HHSAA tournament.
The Buffanblu swept Waiakea in quarterfinal straight sets in 2012 and ’14. Both times Namahoe had a close-up view of Tuileta, who was a good outside hitter, too.
La Rochelle is too busy to be bothered by a lack of playing time.
In fact, the Pacific Island Studies major with a 3.61 GPA, is appreciative just being on the team.
“Being on the UH volleyball team is a dream come true, but the feeling gets better when you’re able to give credit to the people who got you there,” he said. “Giving credit to my coaches, Ecko Osorio, Chris Leonard, Clayton Morante, Jay Hanagami, and Jonah Kalima, is the best aspect of being on the squad.”
Besides the full-time job as a Rainbow Warrior volleyball player, La Rochelle is taking 19 credits and also in the Air Force reserves as a staff sergeant.
Most freshmen learn on the fly the valuable tools of discipline and time management. As an older freshman, La Rochelle already had that in his backpack.
“The discipline, particularly self-discipline, has been the biggest benefit of joining the military,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like it, but the big picture develops from each pixel, just like the big things in life develop from the little.
“It was hard to sit at the start, but the big picture is where my focus needs to be. My role is to make our starters better. A lot of the action seen on the court comes from the preparation that goes on behind the scenes.”
For the local fans of UH-Manoa sports, La Rochelle pointed out that OCSports, channel 16, is like the invention of the umbrella for Hilo.
“OCSports is the best thing that has ever happened to Hawaii sports,” he said. “I love that my friends and family are able to watch our games and support from home.”
One of La Rochelle’s best UH off-the-court moments was playing tour guide.
“For Thanksgiving, I brought 11 of the boys to the Big Island for a bonding trip,” he said. “We rented a 15-passenger van, which I barely could fit the big guys in, and we toured the island. It was a great experience being able to show the guys my home. I took them to Waipio Valley, the lava flow, South Point, Green Sand Beach, Kona side, and Mauna Kea for a sunset. We all had the time of our lives.”
Namahoe’s patience
Kolby Kanetake was a two-time All-American libero, so Namahoe had two years to watch and learn from one of UH’s best defenders in program history.
Namahoe, who came in as a late-born 17-year-old freshman in 2015, is a geography major and carries a 3.36 GPA. He’s hoping to work in forestry.
Just when Namahoe thought the decks were clear with Kanetake’s departure, Tuileta transferred in from USC and shot up the depth chart.
Like La Rochelle, Namahoe was always a big hammer in the BIIF. He’s learned that playing time is precious, and the competition in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is fierce. (Next season, UH joins the Big West.)
“It’s tough, but that’s what D-I sports are all about, and every chance we get we all make the most of it,” he said. “It’s different at this level because in high school you had two or three schools that were dominant. But in college at any given night if we don’t show up we have the potential to lose. So we are more focused in practice, classroom, and even the weight room because we want to win.
“In the MPSF every team is the same physically. The difference of being a top team to a lower team is how badly do you want to win. The mindset is coming to a game to expect a street fight and fight for every single point, no matter if you are winning or losing.”
Haili time
The Haili Tournament runs from March 27 to April 1. It’s a one-week shutdown for the BIIF boys volleyball season.
Under NCAA rules, collegiate players are ineligible to play in the Haili. But UH seniors, who finished their seasons, have played, including Tai Manu-Olevao last year and Kanani Danielson in 2010.
Last year, La Rochelle was on the Lil Braddahs squad that beat Kailua Volleyball Club to win the men’s AA title at the Haili Tournament as the first homegrown team.
The other members were Clayton “Braddah” Morante, John Byrd, Isaiah Ekau, Ian Witten, Jay Hanagami, and Leonel Inocencio, all former Pilipa‘a club players under Ecko Osorio.
“As a student-athlete, I am not allowed to play in any (non-collegiate) tournaments during the school year, so I have not played in the Haili for almost six years,” Namahoe said. “With every passing Haili, I get more excited to play because I love playing in the Haili.”
UH-Manoa’s local sports fans on the Big Island will wait for his and La Rochelle’s return to the Haili. Until then, they’ll tune in to OCSports.
