Arizona won its first Pac-12 match of the season last week, and senior libero Kamaile Hiapo credits the win to playing clean volleyball.
“I think we played really clean and together mostly,” Hiapo said of the Wildcats’ 25-21, 25-16, 25-22 win over Oregon State in Corvallis. “Oregon State was a really good team and I feel like all the teams in the Pac-12 are really good this year. There’s a lot of depth so any win we can get is really valuable.”
Arizona (11-4 overall, 1-3 Pac-12) will have the chance to get a couple more wins this weekend, starting with Friday’s 7 p.m. match against USC. The Wildcats face UCLA on Sunday at noon.
The way Hiapo sees it, she and her teammates, she and her teammates have nothing to lose.
“Every night is going to be a battle and I want us to fight for everything every night,” she said. “(We have to) show our love of volleyball and our love for each other and our unity and strength that we have, because I feel like we haven’t shown it yet.”
Hiapo ranks second on the Wildcats in assists with 60. Her 218 digs rank first on her team. Last year Hiapo was named honorable mention All-Pac-12.
With the numbers and accolades come responsibilities.
As a captain this season, Hiapo is trying to be as influential and efficient as possible. Her new role involves talking to her teammates about what they need, on and off the court.
Hiapo comes from a volleyball family. Both of her parents played and now coach, and her siblings have all played in college. Everytime she goes home, Hiapo plays.
Last offseason, Hiapo and her teammates did things a little bit differently.
“This year all of the Arizona girls got together a lot and we practiced with each other’s clubs,” she said. “It was kinda cool to see how you were brought up in the sport and how you learned our basics.”
