HILO — Hawaii Hilo women’s volleyball welcomed 13 newcomers in Vulcans head coach Reed Sunahara’s second season.

Read more High blank ballot rates prompt OHA voter education effort

HILO — Hawaii Hilo women’s volleyball welcomed 13 newcomers in Vulcans head coach Reed Sunahara’s second season.

The 13 newcomers — which include five players hailing from Hilo — mark the program’s largest incoming class in the last 10 years.

“We got a good balance of experienced players — D1 players, kids coming back home and local players,” Sunahara said. “I like the balance. The upperclassmen will bring a lot of experience into the program, and the younger players will learn from them and gain that experience. We can’t have just older players, and we also can’t have just younger players. It’s a good mixture, and we’ve got some good pieces.”

Maiah Kalima, a Hilo native who graduated from University Lab School in 2024, was one of the newcomers announced. Kalima previously played two seasons at Grand View University (Iowa), totaling 847 digs. During her high school days, Kalima was three-time Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) all-Star and named to the HHSAA All-Tournament team.

Kalima said she decided to join the Vulcans “to play in front of my family at home.”

Kaliko Kealoha, who played three seasons for Hilo High, echoed Kalima’s thoughts, citing that there’s nothing that compares to playing in the community that raised you.

“There’s honestly nothing like being home in Hawaii,” Kealoha, now a junior, said. “I spent my first half of my college career on the mainland doing my best to represent where I’m from. But now that those years have passed, I want to come back and represent Hawaii in a different way by going to school here, staying close to my family and giving back to my community.

“It feels like the right place for me to grow, stay connected and continue building a future that honors where I come from.”

Read more Arch Manning a ‘dangerous player’ after criticism that would’ve ‘destroyed’ others, Sark says

Kealoha previously played two seasons at St. Mary’s College (California), playing under coaches Rob Browning and Tyler Hilderbrand. She totaled 125 kills, 62 digs and 95 total blocks across her 43 appearances with the Gaels.

Senior Leisey Keli‘i, a 2023 Kamehameha-Hawaii graduate, played one season at Grambling State University (Louisiana) — where she totaled 22 aces and 333 digs in the 26 matches she appeared in. Keli‘i logged a season-high 31 digs against Jefferson College in Aug. 2023. She will join Kalima and Kealoha on the Vulcans as a newbie.

2026 KSH graduate Kealohi Dudoit, a four-time BIIF champion and three-time All-BIIF First Team member, will also join the Vulcans this season. Ke Kula ‘O Nawahiokalani’opu’u graduate Anolani Santos, who lettered all four years for Hilo High’s program, will also join UH-Hilo as a freshman.

The remainder of the Vulcans’ newcomers consist of Logan Blutreich (Eugene, Ore.), Kennedy Stevens (Mississauga, Ontario), Anae Asuncion (Mililani), Lily Boatner (Keller, Texas), Maura Stewart (Las Vegas), Elly Stokely (Texas), Stelle Sykes (Kahului) and Alli Wright (Lyden, Wash.).

Hawaii Hilo will have a roster total of 20 athletes entering the upcoming fall split right down the middle with 10 upperclassmen (six seniors) and 10 underclassmen (seven freshmen). Seven players are returning from a season ago after 12 departures — four to graduation/exhausted eligibility.

The Vulcans posted a 20-9 record in 2025, finishing tied for No. 3 in the Pacific West Conference standings and qualifying for the four-team PacWest Championships postseason tournament.

First official practice sessions are set for Aug. 10. Hawai’i Hilo hosts the University of Hawaii at Manoa for an exhibition on Aug. 15 followed by the season-opening Hawai’i-Alaska Challenge running Aug. 20-22 — both at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

Read more Amateur astronomer names asteroid in honor of Puna subdivision