Frank has followed the path of a Warrior

The life path upon which Nainoa Frank has embarked seems non-traditional only to those who don’t understand the whys and hows of voyaging.

True, there are few 21-year-olds in their first year of collegiate volleyball, but, for Frank, this always was the plan. Embracing his name — his translation of Nainoamaikalani is “many names from the heavens” — and his namesake — master navigator Nainoa Thompson — “I navigate my own path,” the freshman middle for No. 7 Hawaii said.

It’s been one with gentle rollers and pounding surges, much like the waves the avid surfer, canoe paddler and diver has had to negotiate. The hardest one to ride out was the death of his father, Colin, in 2013 when Frank was a freshman at Windward Community College.

The two were part of the Kaneohe Canoe Club crew training for the Molokai Hoe — the 40.2-mile outrigger canoe race from Molokai to Oahu — when Colin Frank suffered a severe heart attack during a water break in Kaneohe Bay.

“We were finishing a run. He was right next to me drinking water,” Nainoa Frank said. “He was 52, probably in the best shape of his life. We did CPR on the pier, got him to the hospital. He was put in a coma for 16 days, but his brain kept seizing up …

“That opened my eyes. Ho, you’d better love your parents.”

Frank took his father’s place in the crew, which finished 76th out of 93, and “that’s the story of me and him, best friends,” the Kalaheo High graduate said. “He’s the guy who influenced me to be where I am and to be who I am, the way I carry on my Hawaiian. Without him, I’m not Hawaiian.”

With his father and older brother Keali’i, a former middle for the Warriors, Frank trained in Lua, the ancient Hawaiian martial arts. The cultural practice has translated well to the volleyball court, particularly the mental aspect.

“You train to become a warrior,” Frank said. “Mentally, you learn how to balance out the things in your life, your thoughtfulness and emotional side compared to your war side.

“Those transfer to the court and even off the court and school. You’re not always stressed out because you know where to go (inside), when to connect with your emotional side or to be aggressive.”

It’s been a journey to reconnect to his high-level competitive side. Some three years removed from a standout three-sport career at Kalaheo — Frank played football, basketball and volleyball for the Mustangs — he broke into the starting lineup for the first time Saturday against Long Beach State.

Frank played in two sets, with three kills, two block assists and a dig in the 25-14, 25-20, 25-19 loss to the 49ers.

“Funny, but I had pictured myself playing so much better than I did,” said Frank, part of two state basketball championship teams at Kalaheo and a Volleyball magazine Fab 50 as a senior. “It’s a matter of building my confidence, going from being ready to play from the beginning instead of coming off the bench after watching to see how the game was going.

“I’m over my nervousness and love playing in (the Stan Sheriff Center), the home crowd behind us even if we’re losing. There’s a good spirit. We just need to work harder.”

Work ethic has not been an issue for Frank, who is majoring in Hawaiian Studies with a “Malama Aina” focus on environmental care and protection.

“He’s a hard worker, right up there with Hendrik (junior middle Mol) in terms of strength and loving the weight room,” Hawaii assistant coach Joshua Walker said. “He likes the feel of being challenged.

“He’s been our best offensive middle for a while in practice. We need the blocking, too, but he’s improving fast. He’s undersized (at 6 feet 5) for that the position, but he’s a fighter.”

A former Outrigger Canoe Club teammate is happy to be reunited with Frank.

“It’s awesome to have him,” Warriors senior libero Kolby Kanetake said. “He’s just a good guy and works hard.

“For him to be living his dream is awesome.”

Frank knew he could delay the start of his NCAA eligibility playing clock by being a part-time student at Windward Community College as a freshman, then using his second year at WCC as a redshirt year while finishing up his associate’s degree. He will have three years of eligibility remaining after this season.

“I had stayed in touch with Charlie (UH coach Wade),” said Frank, who commutes from his home in Kahaluu. “And I had stayed in shape, paddling, surfing, diving, some sailing canoes, playing beach (volleyball).

“My brother was also coaching volleyball, so I’d go in the gym and get reps. I wasn’t totally away from volleyball, but it wasn’t competition like this. I had talked to some other coaches — it’s good to have options — but I always wanted to be home.

“This was the plan. This is the path.”