Kalena Vaivai played 117 of 125 sets and started 17 of 31 matches at setter last season for Utah State, the regular-season champion in the Mountain West Conference. Utah State Athletics photo
Kalena Vaivai made a tough decision recently, but so far the results have been great.
Vaivai, a two-time Maui Interscholastic League Division I Player of the Year for King Kekaulike High School, recently transferred from Utah State to Oral Roberts University.
After spending three seasons in Logan, Utah, with the Aggies, she has two years of eligibility remaining.
“Leaving Utah was very hard to start off with, I loved my three years there,” Vaivai said via phone on Tuesday. “I made a lot of friendships, the schooling was great. At some point I kind of lost track or disregarded my mental health in the game because there were times where, sort of with the coaching, it wasn’t helping my character as a person.
“It was almost as if my entire life had to be revolved around the sport itself and it hit a point where I was, like, very sad because I love volleyball so much and we just tried to push through.”
For the Mountain West Conference regular-season champions in 2021, she played 117 of 125 sets and started 17 of 31 matches. She led the Aggies in total assists, with 588.
She led the team in assists in the abbreviated 2020 season and was second on the team in assists as a freshman in 2019.
The Aggies improved their records from 2-28 in 2019 to 5-10 in 2020 to 22-9 in 2021 with Vaivai on the roster as the main setter.
“Towards the end of this great season that we had at Utah State I realized that I can’t … I deserve better and I don’t want to be miserable finishing off the rest of any college career as a D-I athlete,” she said. “So, I had a conversation with my coaches — it wasn’t a good conversation — but we decided to explore my options in the transfer portal and while that happened everything just happened so quickly.
“And when Oral Roberts reached out to me, I did some research and I looked at their roster and the schooling and realized how far (away) it was, but a part of me kind of felt that I would be OK because after looking at the roster and seeing a few girls who are on there, specifically from Hawaii, I remembered them. I remembered playing with one of the girls here and playing against the others.”
The Golden Eagles had three players from Oahu on their 2021 roster: Moanalua graduate Jeslyn Spencer, Punahou alum Kaia Dunford and Kamehameha Kapalama grad Bryanne Soares.
“I just kind of felt more at ease because I knew that there was going to be people there that I sort of knew, but it’s just like culturally they’re from Hawaii, they’re driven players — I felt at ease knowing that part of it,” Vaivai said.
Then she had the opportunity to talk to the Oral Roberts coaching staff. The Golden Eagles were 18-11 overall and 11-7 in the Summit League in 2021 under head coach Frank Craig.
“After having conversations with the coaches the following day when they reached out to me about attending school, the conversations were great, they practically sold the program to me and it was just an instant, ‘Yes,’ “ Vaivai said. “Having conversations with my parents, we talked to the coach, seeing what was available for me, what was the offer and how good the school was going to be for me.”
Oral Roberts has the sports management major that Vaivai started her bachelor’s degree on at Utah State.
“Basically they have everything I need to continue my education, I was blessed to have another scholarship available for me,” she said. “So, it happened all so fast, but I feel like it’s a blessing and I’m super grateful that Oral Roberts gave me another opportunity to continue to finish off my collegiate career.”
Vaivai is in Tulsa — in Oklahoma for the first time in her life — enrolled in the spring semester, with spring practices beginning this week.
“It’s been pretty great, actually,” she said. “I’ve gotten to know the girls on like a more personal level and I feel as though that we have a good connection. I mean, I’m only like two weeks into knowing everyone, but I feel very much like it’s easy. It’s easy to make friends here and the coaching staff, they really wanted me, so I just feel more happy to be in a place that I’m wanted.”
Vaivai is considering a run at professional volleyball after she finishes her college career.
“I know playing past the collegiate level and playing in the professionals is a huge deal, but I don’t know,” Vaivai said. “I don’t know if I’m ready to hang it up yet or if I wanted to pursue it some more.”
She knows one thing, the MIL has talent — currently there are four NCAA Division I women’s indoor volleyball players: Vaivai; Baldwin graduate Siena DeCambra at Louisiana; King Kekaulike grad Lyric Love at Jacksonville; and King Kekaulike grad Chandler Cowell at Saint Mary’s.
“I think that people don’t shine enough light on MIL volleyball because we have what it takes,” Vaivai said. “If they would take the time to watch us, and you know, see what we got because Hawaii girls got stuff.”
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.
Kalena Vaivai played 117 of 125 sets and started 17 of 31 matches at setter last season for Utah State, the regular-season champion in the Mountain West Conference. Utah State Athletics photoToday's breaking news and more in your inbox
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