Wahine’s Manu-Olevao clicking with her team

Sometimes things just click.

Sometimes it’s magical, that rare moment where the timing is perfect. As when racing to get to the Piazza San Marco in Venice by 2 p.m., taking a lucky turn around a corner just as the bells of the Campanile and the 15th-century Clock Tower chime in unison, awaking the piazza after a fare la siesta — the work break after lunch.

That was what Hawaii senior hitter Tai Manu-Olevao and former Rainbow Wahine middle Kalei Adolpho experienced during the team’s European training trip in May. After a few hours of free time, the players were to meet back at the piazza, the heart and heartbeat of Venezia, by 2 p.m.

"We were trying to get back in time," Manu-Olevao said. "We turned the corner and it was ‘bing, bing, bing.’

"It was like a movie, the whole place came alive and we were just going crazy. Two Island girls (Manu-Olevao from the Big Island, Adolpho from Molokai) trying to capture every moment."

Daily gelato aside, the magic seemed to melt when Manu-Olevao returned home. It was a rough summer, she said without elaborating, but what likely weighed heaviest was whether to honor her religious faith and not play on Sundays — something she had observed the past two seasons — or honor her commitment to her team.

"I prayed a lot about it," said Manu-Olevao, voted a co-captain as a junior and a senior. "I had to make a decision and this was the right decision for me this year.

"It’s still hard, playing on Sundays. Yes, it is ironic that senior night is on a Sunday."

Manu-Olevao and middle Olivia Magill will be honored after the match with Cal State Fullerton. While not quite all of Hilo is planning to be there, Manu-Olevao said she expects quite a few family and friends coming from her hometown.

Had the volleyball fates not interceded, it would be only Magill getting showered with lei. Manu-Olevao was redshirting her freshman year in 2012 when then-Wahine sophomore hitter Jane Croson was suspended. Manu-Olevao was on the plane in Croson’s place 14 matches into the season.

There also could have been another delay senior night had Manu-Olevao gone on her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That would have been after her sophomore season. And, while it didn’t happen, she says it’s still a possibility after her college career is done and she graduates in the spring with a degree in family resources.

"I’m not sure what I’m going to do right now," she said. "I’m just focused on the season right now and enjoying my team.

"With my family now all back on the Big Island, the team is my family. Dave (coach Shoji) is the big dad, Robyn (assistant coach Ah Mow-Santos) is mom and my teammates are my sisters. That’s what I’m going to miss, being part of something, being part of the family we have."

The Punahou graduate particularly felt that support when struggling during the first part of the season, including two matches where she hit negative, and not starting twice.

"We all struggle with doubts, but she’s overcome a lot," added junior setter Tayler Higgins, who played with Manu-Olevao at Punahou. "We admire her for the passion she has. That she’s been picked as captain for two years speaks for itself."

"A lot of it was her putting pressure on herself," Shoji said. "Once she worked that out, she’s played solidly, especially the past four weeks. She’s doing the things we always thought she could.

"What we’ll miss about Tai is her leadership, her ability to go hard all the time. She’s a very vocal leader and leads by example."

Manu-Olevao has come up large in some of Hawaii’s biggest wins. She had a season-high 16 kills in the five-set victory over then-No. 2 Florida, had a double-double (12 kills-12 digs) in a crucial five-set victory over Long Beach State, and came through against UC Irvine when the Rainbow Wahine had three starters out, with 15 kills, 11 digs and a career-high seven blocks.

The latter performance helped her earn her first Big West Conference player of the week honor.

So what changed?

"My confidence was down real bad at the beginning of the year," Manu-Olevao said. "The fact that Dave kept me in the game made me say, ‘Dang, if he believes in you, why can’t you believe in yourself?’

"The support of my teammates was amazing and I relied on that. I’m really hard on myself and I will never be satisfied with my play. But I am feeling more confident and enjoying every match."

Sometimes it takes a while for things to click.