Hawaii women’s volleyball: Akana, Ah Mow are old hands at skills camps

At least one of the new Hawaii players at this summer’s Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Camps and Skill Sessions is an old hand at them.

Kamehameha alumna Braelyn Akana, an incoming freshman with UH, was one of a handful of players on hand to assist the UH coaching staff in the first session of a four-day camp Monday. Returning setter Norene Iosia and Oregon transfer Jolie Rasmussen were among the others present.

Akana, a Kamehameha alumna who is the daughter of former Wahine standout Joselyn Robins and former UH basketball assistant Brandyn Akana, used to attend these camps all the time as a youth.

“I just remember being like really nervous but super excited to play here, but now that I’m coming to college here, I’m really excited,” she said.

A few minutes later, the campers (about 80 in total) proceeded to spray volleyballs all over the Stan Sheriff Center floor. With the lower-bowl seating retracted, there’s space enough for three full volleyball courts.

#HawaiiWVB incoming freshman Braelyn Akana worked the Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Skills Camp on Monday.

The daughter of former Wahine standout Joselyn Robins used to go to these camps as a kid. pic.twitter.com/Oh2tRD1EE8

— Hawaii Warrior World (@hawaiiwworld) June 11, 2019

Akana is part of an eight-player 2019 recruiting class that has generated some enthusiasm around the program. ‘Iolani alumna Bailey Choy was the most recent addition as a transfer from Utah.

2019 Rainbow Wahine recruiting class
>> Braelyn Akana, 6-0 OH/OPP/MB, Fr. (Kamehameha, Hau‘ula)
>> Hanna Hellvig, 6-2 OH, Fr. (Allebergs Gymnasium, Stockholm, Sweden)
>> Amber Igiede, 6-3 MB, Fr. (St. Michael High, Baton Rouge, La.)
>> Riley Wagoner, 6-0 OH, Fr. (Dublin Coffman High, Dublin, Ohio)
>> Tiffany Westerberg, 6-3 MB, Fr. (Maple Ridge Secondary School, British Columbia, Canada)
>> Bailey Choy, 5-9 S, Sr. (‘Iolani/Utah, Honolulu)
>> Kyra Hanawahine, 5-2 DS/L, (Kamehameha/Oregon, Honolulu)
>> Jolie Rasmussen, 6-2 OH, Jr. (Canyon Crest Academy/Oregon, Encinatas, Calif.)

“A lot of the girls on the team now, and the incoming girls, I’ve reached out to them and we’re really excited for the upcoming season,” said Akana, who was previously coached in club ball by UH’s Robyn Ah Mow. “I grew up with a lot of the older girls who are here, like Kamalei (Krug), Kyra (Hanawahine). A lot of the girls that are from here, I’ve played with a lot of them, so it’s just super cool seeing them and being able to reunite.”

The team began workouts last week, the first of several phases leading up to the Aug. 30 season opener against San Diego in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic.

Ah Mow, who enters her third season as head coach, was asked about the recruiting class during a media session Monday. She called the process “hectic” and directed credit to assistants Anjelica Ljundqvist and Kaleo Baxter for being “out recruiting a lot. We’ve gotta get back to it now.”

They’ve been unapologetic about aiming high.

“Sometimes, there’s some kids, ‘oh my gosh, Hawaii’s recruiting us,’ ” Ah Mow said. “And some players, I guess, there’s bigger schools (after them). It’s OK with us. But we’re still going after the blue-chip players, and if they don’t want to, we’re just going to keep going. But these girls we recruited love Hawaii. They’re going to love being here and playing.”

As for the camp itself, Ah Mow has learned a thing or two about delegating responsibilities since her days as an assistant coach under Dave Shoji.

#HawaiiWVB third-year coach Robyn Ah Mow on the power of delegation at summer camps. pic.twitter.com/qpszST85ju

— Hawaii Warrior World (@hawaiiwworld) June 11, 2019

“It’s cool now because we get all AC in the gyms now (Gym 2 and Stan Sheriff, with Gym 1 nearing completion),” Ah Mow said. “So everybody can’t complain. Some people don’t want to go to Klum, but yeah, just to give back to the kids here. Not so many people come from the mainland, it’s hard for them. I know our recruits want to come, but just for the kids here in Hawaii, to help them out.”

There are three more camps next month (July 9-12, 15-18, and 22-25). They are $200 per camp per child. There are also $160 skills sessions for liberos (July 11-12, 17-18), setters (July 11-12, 22-23), and hitters (July 17-18, 22-23).

You can register for upcoming camps online.

Season tickets are on sale for the Wahine 2019 season at Hawaiiathletics.com and at the Stan Sheriff Center box office, or by calling 944-2697.