Chandler Cowell says it never gets old.

As soon as anyone finds out her last name, the questions start pouring in.

“He’s always the topic of conversation,” she said.

The “he” is her older brother — and “my best friend” as she is quick to point out.

Colton Cowell is a household name for University of Hawaii sports fans who were taken on a three-year journey in which he was the local face of a men’s volleyball team that won a national title during a pandemic and earned celebrity status throughout the island chain.

Chandler Cowell, who earned a scholarship to play volleyball at Saint Mary’s (Calif.), followed his journey closely, despite being so far away. The giant ocean between the Manoa campus and Moraga, Calif., didn’t keep her from feeling a tremendous happiness in what her older brother was able to accomplish.

“Oh, I definitely felt it,” she said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I wish I was there first hand, but it still really felt like I was. Seeing all of the news articles and videos through Facebook, I felt this real sense of pride.”

The brother-sister dynamic can always get dicey in a family, but not for the Cowells.

Not even when younger sister gets the better of older brother on a volleyball court.

“One of my favorite memories that I always talk about is we were playing beach, and he was a freshman or eighth grade maybe and I was in fifth or sixth grade and I blocked him and (the ball) went straight down into his face. It’s one of my best moments ever,” she said.

“He was so mad, and I don’t think I ever blocked him again, but ever since then I’ve always felt really proud of him. I want to say I pushed his buttons and helped him do well under pressure and made sure he kept growing and getting stronger.”

Colton Cowell said he definitely remembers the block, and it wasn’t the only one.

“She’s actually done it a few times,” he said Tuesday. “She’s certainly made some significant strides throughout her career at Saint Mary’s and to watch her really start the year off strong has brought a next level of happiness and joy when watching her compete and develop as a player.”

Chandler Cowell, who, like Colton, graduated from King Kekaulike, is one of 73 players who graduated from high school listed on rosters of mainland Division I schools.

Only four of those are from the neighbor islands.

“There’s one girl in my conference (Santa Clara’s Nani Spaar from the Big Island) and it was weird to see another athlete from Hawaii who wasn’t from Oahu,” Cowell said.

Of the 73, 51 went to ILH schools. Spaar went to Kamehameha-Hawaii, while Maui is represented by Chandler and Utah State’s Kalena Vaivai (King Kekaulike) and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Siena DeCambra (Baldwin).

The Cowells were much more prepared for Chandler’s recruitment after going through the process with Colton, but even with that experience, getting noticed on the neighbor islands for volleyball isn’t easy at all.

“There aren’t as many options (being from Maui), but there was a girl, Treyanna Freitas, who played at Washington State (from King Kekaulike), so I knew it was possible to make happen,” Cowell said. “And seeing my brother go and pursue his dream and play at UH at the highest level, that was the fire behind me pushing me hoping to make my dreams happen.”

Her dreams are a reality now.

Not only is she in her second year starting for the indoor team, she made the All-West Coast Conference second team as a junior in beach volleyball, the sport both of her parents played and her first true athletic love.

“I’m grateful for indoor, but beach is where my heart is,” Cowell said. “After my indoor career I’ll continue to play beach. What really made me fall in love with it is having to have this trust in another person because it’s only the two of you. You have to have a connection with someone that is basically an extension of you, and that’s something I enjoy.”

It’s the same kind of connection between her and her brother that has made the Cowell last name synonymous with volleyball in Hawaii.

“For me, as an older brother for Chandler, I certainly feel responsible to be not just her older brother, but always a friend, always a shoulder for her to lean on, cry on, whatever it was both in her best times and at her worst moments,” Colton Cowell said. “She was always so responsible for her age growing up that she kept me in check along with my mother. Both of them did an excellent job of displaying the stronger characteristics of the women they are. They are fierce competitors.”

Name: Chandler Cowell

School: Saint Mary’s (Calif.)

Class: Senior*

Height: 5 feet 10

Position: Outside hitter

High school: King Kekaulike (2018)

Note:—has eligibility remaining due to redshirt/COVID year

CAREER STATISTICS

YEAR MP-SP K E ATT. PCT. BS BA D ACE

2018 DID NOT PLAY

2019 7-11 15 7 38 .211 0 4 16 1

2020 17-63 157 81 592 .127 2 27 116 10

2021 5-18 42 21 139 .151 1 4 31 4

TOTAL 29-92 214 109 769 .137 3 35 163 15

HAWAII GROWN VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

There are 73 players who graduated from high school in Hawaii currently listed on a Division I women’s volleyball roster on the mainland:

PLAYER (HIGH SCHOOL) HT. CL. POS.

ALBANY GREAT DANES

ShaLi Niu (Kahuku ’18) 6-1 Sr. RS

ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF GOLDEN LIONS

Vanessa Collins (Roosevelt ’19) 5-4 Jr. S

BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Jolei Akima (Kamehameha ’20) 5-5 So. L

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY COUGARS

Aria McComber (Punahou ’18) 5-6 Sr. L

CALIFORNIA BEARS

Tara DeSa (Kamehameha ‘20) 5-5 So. L

CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS

Malie McClure (Kamehameha ‘19) 5-9 So. OH/DS

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN BUCCANEERS

Gabby Naniseni (Mililani ‘19) 5-10 Jr. OH

COLORADO STATE RAMS

Kate Yoshimoto (Punahou ’21) 5-2 Fr. L

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIONS

McKenzy Metter (Punahou ‘19) 5-6 Jr. DS/L

DARTMOUTH BIG GREEN

Teani De Frias (Kamehameha ’20) 5-10 So. DS

DELAWARE STATE HORNETS

Halo Yoshiki (Punahou ’21) 6-0 Fr. OH

DIXIE STATE TRAILBLAZERS

Lauolive Tonga (Kahuku ’18) 5-10 Jr. MB

EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES

Noa Torio (Mililani ’20) 5-2 Fr. L

Ka‘ehukaiiha‘amaina‘e Keala (MPI ‘19) 6-3 So. RS/MB

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON KNIGHTS

Madisyn Beirne (Punahou ’20) 5-11 So. OH

FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

Moana To’oto’o (Maryknoll ’18) 5-8 Sr. DS

GONZAGA BULLDOGS

Keau Kamake’eaina (Kahuku ’20) 5-10 Fr. S

GRAND CANYON LOPES

Mia Goulart (Kamehameha ’20) 5-4 So. DS

HARVARD CRIMSON

Teia Piette (Le Jardin ’21) 5-5 Fr. L

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

Becca Sakoda (‘Iolani ‘21) 5-9 Fr. DS/L

ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS

Paige Hilliard (Punahou ‘18) 5-10, Sr. OH

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

Teana Adams-Kaonohi (Punahou ‘19) 6-1 Jr. S

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE RAGIN CAJUNS

Siena DeCambra (Baldwin ‘20) 5-8 Fr. S

MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY RETRIEVERS

Aysia Miller (Mililani ‘20) 5-10 So. L

NEBRASKA HUSKERS

Keonilei Akana (Kamehameha ‘20) 5-9 So. DS/L

NEVADA WOLF PACK

Mary Fonoimoana (Kahuku ‘21) 6-1 Fr. MB

Kayla Afoa (Kamehameha ‘17) 5-9 Sr. OH

Sia Liilii (Punahou ‘21) 6-1 Fr. OH/OPP

NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK

Kristen McDaniel (‘Iolani ‘19) 5-9 Jr. S

NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN

Alleyah Galdeira (Kamehameha ‘19) 5-6 Jr. DS

Pua Beazley (Maryknoll ‘20) 5-9 So. S

ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES

Jeslyn Spencer (Moanalua ‘19) 5-8 Jr. OH

Kaia Dunford (Punahou ’20) 5-11 So. OH

Bryanne Soares (Kamehameha ’20) 5-8 So. S

PACIFIC (CALIF.) TIGERS

Megan Nishimura (‘Iolani ‘21) 5-8 Fr. L

PEPPERDINE WAVES

Savana Greene (Punahou ’18) 6-1 Sr. OH

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

Lexis Akeo (Kamehameha ‘19) 5-8 Jr. S

PORTLAND PILOTS

Alyssa Muraoka (Mid-Pacific ‘21) 5-6 Fr. L

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS

Ally Wada (Hawaii Baptist ’18) 5-8 Sr. S

QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS

Faavae Kimsel Moe (Punahou ’21) 5-6 Fr. L/DS

Chloe Ka’ahanui (Punahou ’20) 5-8 So. S

ST. JOHN’S RED STORM

Sheena Yoshioka (Punahou ‘18) 5-3 Sr. L/DS

Amariis Garcia (Moanalua ’20) 6-1 So. MB

SAINT MARY’S (CALIF.) GAELS

Chandler Cowell (King Kekaulike ’18) 5-10 Sr. OH

SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

Heipua Tautua’a (Waianae ’20) 6-1 So. OH

SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

Janne Kaniho (Kamehameha ’21) 5-8 Fr. S

Alyssa Sugai (Punahou ’19) 6-3 Jr. OH/RS

SANTA CLARA BRONCOS

Nani Spaar (KS-Hawaii ’20) 6-0 So. OH

Grace Wee (‘Iolani ’19) 5-6 Jr. DS/L

Nive Tuileta (Le Jardin ’21) 5-10 Fr. S

SEATTLE U. REDHAWKS

Kailee Kurokawa (Hilo ’18) 5-9 Sr. S/DS

Erin Goya (Mid-Pacific ’21) 5-5 Fr. DS/L

SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE SPARTANS

Alexis Mareko (Kapolei ‘18) 5-11 Sr. MB

STANFORD CARDINAL

Elena Oglivie (‘Iolani ’20) 5-10 So. L

TARLETON STATE TEXANS

Hali’a Swartman-Hogan (‘Iolani ’17) 5-11 Sr. OH

TEMPLE OWLS

Xeryah Salanoa (Punahou ’18) 6-0 Jr. OH/RS

Nikki Saito (Maryknoll ‘19) 5-3 So. DS

Falanika Danielson (Mililani ’20) 5-5 Fr. L

Nikki Shimao (‘Iolani ’21) 5-5 Fr. DS/S

TEXAS LONGHORNS

Jhenna Gabriel (Maryknoll ‘18) 5-8 Sr. L/S

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Kiari Gier (Maryknoll ’18) 5-4 Sr. L

TOLEDO ROCKETS

Sina Uluave (Punahou ’19) 5-11 Jr. OH

Rhyenne Filisi (Maryknoll ’18) 6-2 Jr. MB/OPP

UC IRVINE ANTEATERS

Bailey Darnell (Radford ’19) 5-8 So. OH

UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS

Naya Dong (‘Iolani ’19) 5-5 Jr. L/DS

UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS

Mehana Ma‘a (Punahou ’18) 6-1 Jr. S

UNLV REBELS

Shelby Capllonch (Damien ’19) 5-8 Jr. OH

Paris Oliveira (Kamehameha ’19) 5-7 Jr. L/DS

Isha Knight (Kamehameha ’21) 5-7 Fr. L/DS

UTAH UTES

Phoebe Grace (Kahuku ’17) 6-2 Sr. MB

UTAH STATE AGGIES

Kalena Vaivai (King Kekaulike ’19) 5-10 Jr. S

UTEP MINERS

Hula Crisostomo (Moanalua ’18) 5-1 Sr. DS/L

VILLANOVA WILDCATS

Averi Salvador (Punahou ’17) 5-5 Sr. L/DS

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Compiled by Billy Hull, Star-Advertiser