Saturday’s ohana T-shirt will say it all. "Moloka’i Slide."

It’s what Kalei Adolpho’s family and friends will wear to honor the Hawaii middle blocker on Senior Night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

It reflects not only Adolpho’s signature step-out move — known as a slide — but her roots, growing up in Ho‘olehua with "the tropical moon and the lazy palm trees," as Ted Suckling penned in his 1988 song.

No one would argue that the pace of life across the Ka‘iwi Channel from Oahu is slower. It is.

Definitely.

There is little to do … but play. Adolpho took advantage of every opportunity to be outside and be involved in whatever sport was in season. Paddling, basketball, volleyball, track, whatevah.

"I’m open to anything," said Adolpho, who played both volleyball and basketball for the Rainbow Wahine until this season. "When I was younger, I did everything. I would have wrestled if I could have."

Instead, the 6-foot-1 Adolpho has used her talents to become a two-sport college athlete. She has taken a year off from basketball to focus on volleyball and finish her psychology degree. The plan is to return to the basketball team in 2015-16 as a grad student pursuing a Master’s, perhaps in public administration.

That single-sport focus has resulted in Adolpho’s best season statistically and personally. She is second in the Big West in blocks (1.132 bps) behind only teammate Olivia Magill (1.39), and was named the Big West Defender of the Week on Nov. 10 after finishing with a combined 19 blocks and 16 kills when Hawaii split its matches against Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge.

The biggest growth might have come after being named team captain at the start of the year.

"It’s been nice to see her develop as a leader," associate coach Scott Wong said. "She’s embraced (being captain). She’s always played a positive role on the team but now she is a strong force on the court. Her blocking has been really reliable.

"The last few years she looked like a basketball player playing volleyball and she had moments of brilliance (in volleyball). Now she looks like a volleyball player."

And a leader, according to her teammates.

"I think she’s definitely stepped up into the leadership role," junior hitter Tai Manu-Olevao, a co-captain, said. "When she was called to be the captain, she didn’t waste any time in taking on the role, making sure things were happening the right way.

"I’ve seen a whole different side of her. She took her leadership role to heart."

Junior hitter Ginger Long came into the program with Adolpho and will leave with her. Long, who redshirted in 2011, also will play her final home match Saturday, deciding to graduate in May.

"Leaving with Kalei is awesome," Long said. "We’ve recently been reflecting on our years here, it’s only the two of us left. It’s nice to have had someone who knows everything you’ve gone through."

It took commitment and sacrifice for Adolpho to get to UH. She commuted to Oahu to play club volleyball and "it was a sacrifice and financial commitment my family was willing to make," Adolpho said. "I understand the sacrifices they made and it has been extra motivation for me to get better and to be more appreciative of what they’ve done for me."

Adolpho said she wasn’t thinking about college until Hawaii began recruiting her. She orally committed as a sophomore — to the basketball team. The NCAA considers basketball as the "major sport" with a player’s scholarship being carried by that program; someone playing a second sport does not count against scholarship numbers in that sport.

Basically, Adolpho was a gift to volleyball the past three years. This season, she is on volleyball scholarship and will return to basketball scholarship next fall.

It’s been a bonus for four years, Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "She has a better command of her game now.

"She had flashes of brilliance before but it wasn’t always what we wanted, not always steady.

"This year ishe is way more focused. She is the kind of kid you love to have, from an outer island, no ego, humble, works hard, becomes a leader. If we had to do it all over, we’d do it again."

Having the title of "Rainbow Wahine" is an honor, Adolpho said.

"I’m going to miss the program, my teammates, my coaches, the competitiveness of volleyball every day," she said. "And I’ll miss playing in front of all the fans. Saying thank yous would never be enough.

"I hope that I’ll be remembered as someone who was a good teammate, a hard worker, being a good friend and a good player. More importantly, I want to be remembered as a good person."

Always mo’ bettah da kine.