Kamaile Hiapo speaks softly, but don’t let that fool you. Not much, if anything, intimidates her.
While most freshmen might be a little nervous playing a few minutes of volleyball on a roster full of experienced upperclassmen at a school like Arizona, Hiapo isn’t. In fact, she is relishing the experience.
“I played on a 12s team when I was 5,” she said. “Yeah, my parents thought they beat it out of me so I’d be scared to play, but I didn’t get scared. I really wanted to do it. I think (teammates) kind of treated me as a little sister. That’s how I’ve been on all my teams. So it was weird going into high school and getting older and then I’m the oldest on the team. … It was a weird transition, but now I am the youngest again. So, now it kind of works.”
Hiapo and her teammates finish up nonconference play this weekend at the Wildcat Classic in McKale Center. Arizona (7-2) faces Alabama State and New Mexico State on Friday and finishes up with Sacramento State Saturday afternoon.
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Hiapo comes from a long line of volleyball players. Her grandfather, Fred Hiapo, was a legend in Hawaii volleyball as a 30-time outrigger canoe All-American. Her parents, Brian and Venese, both played and now coach in high school. All four of Hiapo’s siblings played the game at various levels.
Hiapo arrived at the UA one week after she graduated from Mesa Skyline High School, where she was the state’s player of the year. Her UA teammates noticed immediately that the newest Wildcat was fearless.
“Some people have that idea, ‘OK, a freshman, you kind of have to sit back, maybe they can’t do it.’ But it’s never been that with her,” senior middle blocker Devyn Cross said.
The Wildcats joke that while Hiapo is a good communicator on the court, she needs to use her “outside voice.”
“I blame that on genetics,” Hiapo said. “I really try to project, but there is always a wall that my voice hits. It doesn’t get past there, but I really try.”
That might be Hiapo’s only flaw. She is averaging 3.65 digs per set as a true freshman. Hiapo is receiving help from senior libero Makenna Martin, who aggravated a hamstring injury, underwent surgery and is out indefinitely. Senior Emi Pua’a, another senior libero/defensive specialist has been an extra pair of eyes on the court.
“McKenna helps me interpret the coaches when I don’t understand,” Hiapo said. “She always pulls me aside and tells me what they mean and helps me understand what they say more so I can (eventually) interpret for myself. She knows the system, so there are some circumstances where something happens in the play, I don’t know what area to cover and she always helps me out. She is one of our biggest communicators on the team. So I can clearly hear her. That really helps.
“Emi is always there to back you up. If you miss one of your things, she will be there. If you miss your serve, she will be there to get the next serve. She is always accountable. You can trust both of them.”
Hiapo has been exactly what coach Dave Rubio expected when he recruited her out of high school. Hiapo was the nation’s No. 76 prospect and a five-time All-American. She also played for High Performance, which is Team USA’s pipeline. The experience, along with having volleyball in her blood, made her a must-get. Rubio offered Hiapo a four-year scholarship, a first for a UA libero/defensive specialist.
“She’s really been worth every penny,” he said. “She’s a special kind of kid, kind of athlete. So I’ve been really happy with her and her presence, and her ability to make the transition from high school to this level. She’s an elite, elite player for us.
“Anytime I’ve coached players like Kamaile, they have an X-factor about them that makes them elite. And typically, it’s the combination of being a terrific athlete, quickness and speed, explosiveness and an innate ability in terms of just aptitude for the game. And really it’s their mind, it’s their brain that really separates them. I think that’s probably true with any sport — that the elite, elite players have all that combination along with an elite mind.”
Extra points
The Wildcats have swept four straight matches. The last time they lost was Sept. 6 to then-No. 2 ranked Nebraska. The Huskers moved up to No. 1, then fell to No. 2 Stanford Wednesday night. Rubio downplayed any notion that the Wildcats are on a roll
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“Most coaches will tell you that you are so focused on what’s going to happen next that you never really focused on what just happened,” said Rubio. “We are playing a little bit better. I thought our offense was better this last weekend, but going to Kansas and certainly getting three wins is better than the alternative. But, there is so much that we can get better at.”
New Mexico State comes to Tucson with a few familiar faces. Freshman outside hitter
- Katie Birtcil
- Brielle Sterns
- Keith, is also the Aggies’ associate head coach.
“New Mexico State is going to be very good, as they always are. And right now there is a rivalry. We play them home-and-away almost every year,” Rubio said. “I like playing those guys. They are tough, talented and well-coached. So that will push us Friday night. They will be very hyped for it — the natural rivalry. … If (Keith) was the head coach, it would be a little more awkward, but him being the assistant isn’t as awkward as it might possibly be. That staff is like family to us. We really look after each other and help each other out anytime we can.”
