‘Iolani’s Elena Oglivie is one of a kind

Elena Oglivie stood there in the walkway outside Blaisdell Arena one late October evening.

Haku lei and flower lei draped her, as did lei made of li hing gummy bears, kakimochi and even beef jerky, all piled up on her shoulders. The night had the vibe of a joyful graduation ceremony.

It wasn’t, of course. Oglivie, a freshman outside hitter, had just helped the Raiders power past an ILH and state dynasty, Kamehameha, to capture the Division I championship. Oglivie was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

The one thing Oglivie ascended to is unprecedented territory. She is the first freshman voted Star-Advertiser All-State Fab 15 player of the year. The closest was in 2010, when then-Kamehameha freshman Alohi Robins-Hardy (now at BYU) finished at No. 4 in the Fab 15 voting.

“I still can’t believe that I was selected. It’s so unreal and such a privilege to be grouped with amazing athletes that I have competed against, and those that were selected before me,” she said. “I want to be an example for younger players to strive to do their best, work hard and never give up.”

Oglivie was at her best in the clutch, whether it was in elimination matches during ILH play to qualify for the New City Nissan/HHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships or during the Raiders’ four matches during the tourney.

For Oglivie, who began playing at age 6, facing older, bigger players has been a blessing.

”When I was young, I went up to qualifiers against older teams and it definitely was a change of play. When I was up there it was definitely more pressure on me. Pressure kind of helps because I did get better from it. It was a lot for a 7-year-old, playing on my sister’s 12s team,” she said.

Oglivie outpointed Kayla Afoa of Kamehameha by a narrow margin.

Coach of the year honors went to Lee Lamb, Le Jardin’s second-year head coach who guided the Bulldogs to the Division II state championship, a first for the Windward school.

Oglivie’s achievement accentuates a stellar, balanced ‘Iolani performance en route to the state title.

“I’m stoked that she got this award,” ‘Iolani coach Kainoa Obrey said. “Absolutely. … What tends to get overlooked a little bit is her passing and defense. She’s our top serve-receive passer. In terms of executing the digs, not just totals, but percentages of her opportunities, she’s above 70 percent. That’s impressive for anyone, and she’s a freshman.”

Oglivie is listed at 5 feet 9, but is probably closer to 5-11. She’s still growing.

“She’s a good 5-10 now. She’s (physically) grown throughout the season,” Obrey noted. “She has good length and her IQ is pretty good, so she can read hitters well. She understands angles. She understands the mathematics of the game, she’s solid and athletic.”

Afoa, a 5-9 senior with a well-rounded combination of skills, is a teammate of Oglivie’s on Obrey’s Ku‘ikahi Volleyball Club.

Kahuku’s middle blocker, Phoebe Grace, collected POY votes. She led Kahuku to key victories in nonconference tournaments and Kahuku held its No. 1 ranking for most of the season, winning the OIA crown. Oglivie’s teammate, Saige Kaahaaina-Torres, was also in the running for POY.

On both offense and defense, and especially in the clutch, there was no one quite like Oglivie.

She had a team-high 19 kills (.400), three assists and 13 digs in a state-tourney, opening-round win over Moanalua. In a state semifinal stunner, a four-set upset of No. 1-seeded Kahuku, Oglivie had 25 kills (.352), one assist, one ace and a team-high 17 digs.

Then, on championship night, she drilled 23 kills (.367) with one dime, two aces and a team-high 22 digs as ‘Iolani stunned ILH champion Kamehameha for the crown. From the back row, right side, left side, Oglivie had myriad ways to contribute.

“I actually started out as a libero when I was 6. I was pushed over to setter, and when I went to Ku‘ikahi, I became a hitter. That was seventh grade. I love both positions,” she said.

Lamb has been a longtime coach at Ka Ulukoa Volleyball Club. As a high school coach, he was at Maryknoll and Kahuku before landing at Le Jardin.

“I’m just grateful to be a part of such an amazing community and for the opportunity to do something I love every day. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the rest is just gravy,” he wrote via text. “Our athletes have been absolute sponges. They bought into the importance of trust and team.”