Ever wonder what it would be like to play in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship? Or how it would feel to start for one of the most storied programs in the nation as a freshman? Phenom takes you inside the world of Hawai’i’s Kanani Danielson, an AVCA All-American outside hitter who, in just two seasons as a member of the Rainbow Wahine program, has experienced things that some athletes only dream of.

Phenom: What was it like playing in the NCAA Division I Wom- en’s Volleyball Championship as a sophomore?

Kanani Danielson: It was an incredible feeling! I mean, a lot of teams don’t have the opportunity because there are only four that can go, and the fact that the University of Hawai’i could go was a great accomplishment.We haven’t been there in a while and knowing that we had the opportunity…I was just astonished. It was nice to know we had family come to Tampa because when we first walked in there, it was pretty much all Penn State, Texas and Minnesota fans. We barely had any Hawai’i fans because it was hard to make that trip out there. However, we stuck together as a team, and that’s all we needed because we are the ones making the plays out there. Other than that, we just stuck together, prayed on it and just went out there with a big fight.

P: How did it feel to be named an AVCA First-Team All-American as a sophomore?

KD: It was pretty awesome! I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, my coaches and my family supporting me, and it just makes me more motivated to do better next year. It is a nice goal that I was trying to accomplish, and now I want to try to do it again and maybe even get a championship for my team and keep trying to excel on my standards.

P: What is it like playing in front of 6,000- plus fans on your home court on a regular basis?

KD: When you first start the season, the very first game everyone is nervous and has butterflies, and we have to get that out of our system.

Just knowing that the fans are cheering for you and not the other team, it gives you that extra motivation to win. You know, you don’t want to let the fans down because they are there to support you, and it’s not just our families, the fans are other people we don’t know. They are here from the state and also from out of state. A lot of them come down just to watch us play on our home court. It’s a great atmosphere, and I look forward to it for my last two years.

P: What is it like, as a native Hawaiian, to grow up watching Rainbow Wahine volleyball, and realize that now you are a part of that storied program?

KD: It’s pretty cool! I was one of those that didn’t really sit up that close when my family went to Hawai’i volleyball matches and was kind of in the distance. I couldn’t really see everybody’s faces at the time, but just being there and feeling the atmosphere, as a fan and not being on the team yet, I was like, “Okay, you know, I can see myself here.” Now that I am a part of that and I am two years in the program, it’s a nice transition knowing that you were once a little kid watching from afar and now you are actually on the court representing the program and trying to do good for the state.

P: What has been your most memorable experience as a collegiate volleyball player?

KD: I think the greatest one was to make it to the NCAA Championships because you play against some great teams. During the process of getting there, we had to go up against some awesome teams. Once we knew we made it to Tampa and going to the different banquets there, it was something to look forward to next year. It makes you realize that you can be a part of the experience again, you just have to work hard and hopefully keep racking up those wins, and you’ll get there once again.

P: What was it like to start for the Rainbow Wahine and Coach Shoji as a freshman?

KD: I would say it’s definitely an accomplishment.It took a long time to even get to that position.I didn’t even expect it of myself to start, I just came to the program to learn everything that I could from everybody, and if I played, that would be awesome. Once I found out that I got that starting position, it just made me want to make sure that I proved to everyone that I belonged there, and I didn’t just get that spot.

P: Who or what infl uenced you to begin playing the sport of volleyball?

KD: I would say my grandpa. He’s no longer here at this time, but his name was Henry Pang.He just kept putting me in different little associations, and I played various sports like basketball and softball. Then volleyball came around, and I just fell in love with it. By the time I got to high school, I had to pick one sport between basketball and volleyball, and I just had a greater Passion for volleyball. To this day, I’m still going, and I love the sport so much!

P: What advice would you give to young girls who aspire to have similar experiences as you?

KD: I would say just keep working hard, and never give up on your dreams. Make sure you have your academic side up to par because that’s one thing you don’t want to be losing on, just because of school. Take care of school, and then let everything thing else just take its course in volleyball.

P: What future experiences do you look forward to/hope for?

KD: Well, before I graduate from Hawai’i, I would like to see if we can make it back to the NCAA Championships and hopefully bring a title back to the program and the state. As far as my postcollege aspirations go, there is a possible goal to make it on the U.S. Women’s National Team.If that doesn’t happen, then I’d like to do as much as I can professionally overseas.

P: Are there any experiences that stick out in your mind from whenever you were growing up playing volleyball?

KD: For me, it would be playing club ball. For high school or school ball in Hawai’i, we didn’t get to travel much because Hawai’i is pretty much isolated from the states, so we looked forward to club tournaments each year. I loved the big season-ending tournaments at the end of the year, where I had the opportunity to meet my future college teammates or even the athletes that play across the net from me now. I met them all from playing club. It was nice to get that experience to play against them or with them. For my final year at club, we came in second in the silver division, and normally we don’t make it past the top-eight, so that was a great accomplishment for us!

P: If you could go back to any moment during this past season and relive that moment again, what would that be?

KD: It would definitely be to play against Penn State one more time; to make it to the NCAA Championship when we had that moment, and come out with a win this time. It would be great to try to relive that moment and know what you did wrong and just fix those little mistakes.

Then volleyball came around, and I just fell in love with it. By the time I got to high school, I had to pick one sport between basketball and volleyball, and I just had a greater passion for volleyball. To this day, I’m still going, and I love the sport so much!