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Shhhh.
Don’t tell anyone but Amber Igiede had a secret.
Hawaii’s freshman middle blocker didn’t like to block. Her favorite thing to do on a volleyball court?
“I love hitting the ball hard and getting kills,” the 6-foot-3 Baton Rouge, La., native said. “I’ve always been a middle blocker and I wasn’t a fan of blocking.”
My how times have changed. And it took less than a month.
Twenty days into officially being a Rainbow Wahine, Igiede leads No. 20 Hawaii (3-0) with 19 blocks, anchoring the “Manoa Roofing Company” that has had double-digit stuffs in each of its first three matches. (Last season, Hawaii had four in 27 matches).
What’s changed?
“It’s the great blocking coaching that we’re getting,” said Igiede, as Hawaii prepared for tonight’s match with Army (3-0) in the Heineken Invitational. “Coach Ang (associate coach Angelica Ljungqvist) says it’s the little things that make the biggest difference in blocking. Things like drop your hand, press high, go low and tight over the net.
“Blocking is in your face. I love it now. It’s such a difference.”
It’s not that Igiede wasn’t a proficient blocker in high school. The four-year varsity player set program records at St. Michael the Archangel in Baton Rouge in blocks (309) as well as kills (1,656). She was the first Warrior to score more than 1,000 points and was top-10 nationally in hitting percentage (.459).
“She’s naturally gifted with athleticism,” said Ljungqvist, a four-time All-American middle blocker for Hawaii. “She’s a force, she’s got power, she has enormous potential. She’s eager to learn.”
The last may be Igiede’s best asset. As her high school coach Rob Smith said of his team captain, “Her understanding of the game has grown tremendously over four years.”
That learning process was evident during last week’s season-opening Hawaiian Airlines Classic, where Igiede started all three matches. There were a few early mistakes against No. 21 San Diego and St. John’s, including one for an overreach on a ball that hadn’t cleared the plane of the net and another for a net violation on an overpass.
But by the time Hawaii faced No. 13 Washington on Sunday, Igiede was showing patience and restraint, in one instance deciding to step back and pass the ball rather than trying to slam back the overpass.
“Coach Rob (head coach Robyn Ah Mow) says the best thing is to be coachable,” Igiede said. “I’m here to learn and become a better volleyball player.”
There’s a resilience in her history. Hurricane Dorian had Igiede thinking of the “no-name storm of 2016 that dumped three times as much rain on Louisiana than Hurricane Katrina 11 years prior.
“We lost a lot from our house from the floods,” she said. “We were out of our house for two months, living in hotels and apartments. It’s all good now.”
Igiede was convinced to make the 4,133-mile trek from Baton Rouge to Honolulu by Ljungqvist when the two were at a tournament in Memphis. Igiede said she couldn’t say no to the 1996 national player of the year.
“When people heard I was coming here, they would tell me about Kim Willoughby,” Igiede said. “Apparently she was a really great player here.”
Igiede is the first player from Louisiana since Willoughby, a three-time All-American, 2003 national player of the year and Hawaii’s all-time leader in five categories, including kills (2,598).
Junior middle Sky Williams has been impressed with Hawaii’s five freshmen, but Igiede in particular.
“I love Amber, she feels like a little sister to me,” said Williams, tied for second in blocks with three other Wahine (13). “She’s always wanting to learn, asking me to explain something she didn’t understand, asking if we can get extra reps.
“I’m so happy she is here. She came in being what a Wahine is.”
Igiede, a psychology major, said it hasn’t been a major adjustment. She does miss her parents’ African cooking — both Anthony and Lena are from Nigeria — but is willing to test local food, such as spam musubi.
“I think the biggest surprise is how much support there is for us,” she said. “I knew the program was good, but I didn’t know how supportive the fans are.
“It’s different getting recognized. Even in my dorm cafeteria, I’m not wearing Wahine volleyball stuff, I’m in my pajamas and people know me. I didn’t realize how crazy it is.”
HEINEKEN INVITATIONAL
At Stan Sheriff Center
Today
>> Sacramento State (2-2) vs. Denver (3-0), 4:45 p.m.
>> Army (3-0) at No. 20 Hawaii (3-0), 7 p.m.
Friday
>> Army vs. Denver, 4:45 p.m.
>> Sacramento State at No. 20 Hawaii, 7 p.m.
Saturday
>> Army vs. Sacramento State, 11 a.m.
Sunday
>> Denver at No. 20 Hawaii, 4 p.m.
TV: Spectrum Sports (Hawaii matches only)
Radio: 1420-AM/92.7-FM (Hawaii matches only)
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