Kaluau, Williams transition from life in Hawaii to Syracuse volleyball
Take a look at the Syracuse volleyball roster: of 14 players on the squad, eight are from the Northeast, mostly stretching from Canada down to central Pennsylvania.
Now look again, it’s not a misprint. Sophomore defensive specialist Ashley Williams and freshman defensive specialist Kayla-Al Kaluau break the mold, coming from Ewa Beach and Haiku, Hawaii, respectively.
Both Williams and Kaluau coincidentally attended high schools of the same name, Kamehameha High, but lived on different islands, roughly 145 miles apart. Though they knew of each other prior to being teammates on the Orange, Williams’ decision to come to Central New York had no effect on Kaluau.
‘I had played against Ashley before, but I didn’t even know that she was attending Syracuse until I researched the team before my visit,’ Kaluau said.
Both Williams and Kaluau contacted the Syracuse coaching staff, sending highlight tapes in order to garner interest.
When assistant coach Carol LaMarche saw the tapes, she knew that there was potential. The next step was seeing them compete in live action. LaMarche and the rest of the SU coaching staff followed them both to tournaments in Georgia, and liked what they saw.
Using expenses from the recruiting budget, the Orange staff made sure Williams and Kaluau came to the campus to get a firsthand look of what the school and the program were all about.
‘When I came for my visit, all the girls were great,’ Williams said. ‘Everyone was working together, and it looked like a really good program.’
Kaluau was especially interested in the university’s architecture program, which ultimately had a major effect on her decision to head east. When it came to playing volleyball, Kaluau’s high school coach found that Syracuse was looking for defensive specialists, prompting her to send a tape to the school. Once Syracuse showed definitive interest in her ability, combined with the strength of the architecture department, the decision was easy for Kaluau.
As Williams saddles up for her second season, and Kaluau gets underway in her first, it’s safe to say that their skills on the volleyball courts of Hawaii have translated into early Division-I success. Williams played in 14 matches in 2008. The highlight of her season occurred on Sept. 14 when she recorded a career-high 10 digs against Akron.
‘Ashley is a little hurt right now, but even though she’s been hurt, she’s been trying to do as much as she can, on her own to begin with and now in practice, just getting herself involved as much as possible,’ LaMarche said.
Standing a mere 5-foot-3, Kaluau has also had an effect, starting in only her fourth game against Niagara. Since that start, Kaluau has seen a solid amount of playing time for a freshman.
‘Both of these girls are really smart players and they understand what it takes to become better. They are constantly working harder to better themselves in the different areas that they need to work on,’ LaMarche said. ‘They work hard all the time and that’s what you need from a defensive specialist. Defensive specialists really run the back row.’
As Kaluau gets ready for the cold winter days that lay ahead in Syracuse, she takes solace in the fact that Williams has gone through the same transition, and has adapted well to the new environment.
‘When I came up for my visit last year, Ashley discussed some concerns and problems that she had with the transition and it helped me have a smoother transition,’ Kaluau said.
Though Kaluau has admittedly been a little homesick in her first month on campus, Williams’ success both on and off the volleyball court serves as a constant reminder that Kaluau has what it takes to succeed. If Kaluau’s first-year performance is in any way comparable to that of Williams, the Orange has a lot to look forward to.
‘Ashley and a lot of the girls have been such a great support group,’ Kaluau said. ‘I thought the transition would be a lot harder than it actually was.’
