By KEVIN JAKAHI By KEVIN JAKAHI ADVERTISING Tribune-Herald sports writer Hawaii Preparatory Academy senior Leeta Grap subscribes to the well-worn theory to always play hard on the volleyball court because you never know when someone influential — like a coach
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald
sports writer
Hawaii Preparatory Academy senior Leeta Grap subscribes to the well-worn theory to always play hard on the volleyball court because you never know when someone influential — like a coach with a college scholarship in hand — is watching.
It’s been a whirlwind couple of months for the 5-foot-11 middle blocker, who played with her club team Hi Intensity at the Las Vegas Classic in February, took a recruiting trip to North Idaho College and a month later signed a national letter of intent during her spring break visit.
“My dad (Dylan Grap) was sitting down and the coach (Kandice Kelly) started talking to him. After the game was over, my dad called me over to talk to her,” Grap said. “She said she would give me a full ride to play for her. I was shocked.
“She liked how I can play different positions. For her team, no one has a set position. She’s got girls who can play anywhere, and they’ve got a creative offense.”
It’s not every day an on-the-spot college scholarship to a junior college powerhouse is offered. The Cardinals finished ninth at the National Junior College Athletic Association championships last season. Western Nebraska, which also put a full-ride deal on the table, took third.
Grap’s game stood out, no small achievement considering the size of her competition for a college scholarship. The senior showcase at the Classic is not only a scouting ground, but also a cattle herd with over 500 clubs at the 26th annual tournament.
She repeated as the Big Island Interscholastic Federation player of the year, powering the Ka Makani to a second straight league title with her hitting, blocking and passing from the back row.
“Getting the player of the year back-to-back, mainly this year because we played against the bigger teams like Hilo, gave me a big confidence boost,” Grap said. “It was OK, I can play with higher competition. And being able to get the BIIF title back-to-back was pretty awesome.”
Also at the national championships were Eastern Arizona, where Hilo senior outside hitter Waihilo Chartrand is headed, and College of Southern Idaho, home to 2011 Waiakea graduate Ashia Joseph, which placed sixth.
The Cardinals and CSI Eagles are members of the Scenic West Athletic Conference. Grap and Joseph, who started at setter, will see each other at least twice next season. The two were teammates for the club team Imua.
“They’re the biggest rivals,” said Grap, who has a 3.0 grade point average at HPA. “It’ll be pretty exciting to play against her and it’s nice to see a familiar face.”
Her dad is a self-employed landscaper and her mom, Patti Johnson, works at Parker Ranch. Their lifelong advice to Grap, an only child, is simple.
“They always told me to go for it. If you want something, get it yourself and work super hard to get what you want,” she said. “Anything is possible. If you don’t try, you’re never going to know. It applies to school, sports, just life in general.”
Grap put her profile on berecruited.com and uploaded video footage of her junior and senior seasons on YouTube. When the Cardinals made an offer, she flew up to check out the college, which sits near picturesque Lake Couer d’Alene and has an enrollment of 6,700 students.
“When I first got there, it seemed like home a little bit. Everyone was super friendly and warm and welcoming,” Grap said. “Everything fit in right.”
A pair of Vulcans were instrumental in shaping Grap’s playing mindset. Her coach at HPA is Sharon Peterson and the Hi Intensity coach is Carla Carpenter-Kabalis, the former UH-Hilo coach and standout player, respectively, both NAIA Hall of Famers.
“Coach Carla taught me a lot of things. She made me more mentally tough. She always wants her players to be positive, have a good mindset,” Grap said. “When I was a freshman at HPA, I just tried to make the team. As a sophomore, Sharon started pushing me, hitting me with all that mental stuff. She’s big on the mind game, and big on basics.
“In my junior year, I realized she’s pushing me for a reason. In my senior year, I put all that stuff together to get where I am. She always tells us you’ll play like how you practice. She’s about the mental part of the game, and it does pay off in the end and it does help you out a lot.”
