By KEVIN JAKAHI
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Two years ago, Kaiulani Ahuna played against the UH Rainbow Wahine, a volleyball lifetime memory despite limited success.
She had one kill on two swings in Eastern Washington’s four-set loss at the Stan Sheriff Center, where 6,603 were in attendance in a nonconference match broadcast on OC16.
Around the state, it’s a dream for most girls to play for the Rainbow Wahine, and it’s quite rare for anyone from the Big Island to land on UH’s roster.
Sarah Mason, a 2003 St. Joseph graduate, was the last BIIF player to play for the Rainbow Wahine. She was a two-time All-WAC first team outside hitter. (UH joined the Big West in 2012.)
If you can’t play with them, how about competing against them?
Ahuna, a 2015 Kamehameha graduate, transferred to UC Riverside, where there’s a double benefit: the Highlanders are in the Big West and play UH twice a season, and the school is closer to home.
UC Riverside (8-7, 0-3 Big West) hosts UH (9-5, 3-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday. The match will be broadcast on www.bigwest.org/tv.
Whenever the teams play, it’s been a lopsided contest. The Rainbow Wahine hold a 22-0 series lead. They’ve also won four of the last five Big West titles, including the last two.
And here’s something that’s not new: the Rainbow Wahine are popular in a lot of places.
CSUN, where 2016 Kamehameha graduate Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker is a setter, holds the attendance record with 745 fans at UC Riverside’s gym. The Rainbow Wahine are next with 731 fans in 2014 and third with 676 fans last year.
“Riverside has been awesome so far. I’ve been here about two months and settling in nicely,” Ahuna said. “Riverside is very Southern California, lots of sunshine and heat replacing the winter and four-season environment that Eastern Washington offered.
“The Big West is a lot more challenging than the Big Sky for someone my height. But I look forward to getting better and seizing every opportunity.”
She already has. Ahuna has jumped in as the L1, the offense’s No. 1 left-side hitter. Check out her black-and-white photo, and it’s obvious her vertical has gotten better by leaps and bounds.
The 5-foot-10 junior outside hitter leads the Highlanders with 3.16 kills per set, and is a two-way presence with 2.64 digs per set, good for third on the team.
UH will host UC Riverside on Friday, Oct. 20 at the Stan Sheriff Center. The match will be broadcast on OC16.
“I’m really excited to play Hawaii twice this year,” Ahuna said. “They’ve got a great team and program that I grew up watching. I’m excited to battle it out this Saturday, here in Riverside and again later in October in front of my family and friends.”
Growth has come not only on the court but off it as well.
The life of a college student-athlete is that of a full-time employee with two jobs governed by time management and unwavering commitment.
“In high school, it was a lot easier to overpower teams, but the D-I college level has forced me to learn how to be smarter and craftier as a player my size,” she said. “The block is five times bigger, and the game is a lot faster.
“I’ve learned a lot living away from home about myself and how much more responsibility I have to take on as I get older.”
Then she talked about her two life-long teammates, her mom Leslie Ahuna and Zoe Leonard, a 2015 Kamehameha grad, who’s playing ball at Dartmouth.
“Zoe and I always talk about how much we took our Superwomen moms (Leslie Ahuna and Kathy Leonard) for granted and know we wouldn’t be where we are without them,” Ahuna said.
UC Riverside is on the quarter system, and the school starts late. So, Ahuna has only had two days of school classroom time.
Her major is Media and Cultural Studies. She holds a cumulative 3.69 GPA and wants to get into sports management or sports media someday.
About an hour away from UC Riverside’s campus, which sits on 1,900 acres, there’s Huntington Beach, the postcard picture of California cool.
But there’s no time for that. There’s still a lot of work to be done. And that reminds Ahuna of her journey to Division I ball and her advice to BIIF players.
“It’s definitely possible, but it’s not a given,” she said. “If you really are going to commit to it then you have to devote yourself to being the best you can be. That’s not only in the gym but in the weight room, in the classroom and at home.
“You have to be prepared to make some sacrifices down the road for your sport and be thankful for every opportunity.”
That summary sounds very much like it came from the daughter of a Superwoman mom.
