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Twice this year, Chandler Cowell was welcomed back to Hawaii by Riley Wagoner — first as a competitor on the beach then as a Rainbow Wahine volleyball teammate.
Back on the morning of Feb. 25, Cowell, a King Kekaulike alumna, walked onto the sand at Queen’s Beach wearing Saint Mary’s colors as Wagoner took her position on the opposite side of the net for the University of Hawaii beach volleyball team’s season opener.
They had an extended on-court introduction as Wagoner and partner Kylin Loker rallied for a three-set win over the team of Cowell and Selbie Christensen in the BeachBows’ sweep of the Gaels in the Heineken Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic.
Cowell closed that weekend by winning the tournament’s Aloha Spirit award and after the season she decided to return to the islands full time as a transfer with the UH indoor program. When Cowell showed up for her first open gym session in Manoa this summer, Wagoner was again there to greet her fellow outside hitter.
Along with savoring the everyday comforts in her homecoming, Cowell repeatedly mentioned a sense of welcoming upon joining the Rainbow Wahine during Tuesday’s session with local media as the team opened training camp.
“From Day 1,” said Cowell, the younger sister of former UH men’s volleyball standout Colton Cowell. “Immediately as soon as I walked into the gym … it was this immediate click, and I feel like that’s rare. Not every person has that immediately.
“The first person I met was Riley and it was amazing just to have her immediately click and help me out this whole time.
“It was an easy transition in the sense that I felt welcome, but it’s been a lot of work and a lot of tough days. But it’s all worth it and feels great.”
After building bonds over the summer, Cowell continues to work to connect with her new teammates in UH’s two-a-day practice sessions.
Cowell, a 5-foot-10 junior, adds experience to UH’s group of seven pin hitters after spending three years with Saint Mary’s indoor program and four with the beach team.
Cowell led Saint Mary’s with 219 total kills and tied for team-high honors with 2.52 per set during the indoor season last fall. She also ranked third on the team with 20 aces and 174 digs (2.00 per set).
During the beach season in the spring, she teamed with Christensen to go 13-19 overall, including an 11-5 mark at the No. 2 flight.
A graduate transfer with a degree in Communications from Saint Mary’s, the 23-year-old said she hopes to bring a “sense of calm in the chaos,” to the court given her Division I experience.
“I really try to work on being level headed, being consistent,” Cowell said.
The Cowell name was already familiar in Maui volleyball circles when Chandler helped King Kekaulike win three MIL championships and make a run to the semifinals of the 2016 Division I state tournament, earning a spot on the Star-Advertiser Fab 15 All-State team.
Colton had preceded her at King Kekaulike and was twice an All-State pick before moving on to UH, where he was a two-time AVCA second-team All-America selection while helping the Warriors capture the 2021 national championship.
As such, Chandler needs no introduction to UH volleyball’s prominence in the community as she heads toward her debut with the Rainbow Wahine, who open the season at the Texas A&M Invitational Aug. 26-28 and with their home opener at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center set for Sept. 1 against Texas State in the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge.
“It feels right,” she said. “Just this sense of pride that I finally get to wear the jersey that I grew up watching.
“My mom is a huge UH fan, beyond Colton, across the board. It was always on. So now the opportunity to wear that jersey, play in the Stan, be with this amazing team, I’m just so grateful for this whole experience. I’m ready and I’m super excited.”
Sistahhood Grindz program expands
The Hawaii Restaurant Association has expanded its Sistahhood Grindz program to include the Rainbow Wahine volleyball and soccer programs this summer.
The nutrition program began Wednesday at Giovanni Pastrami with drinks and desserts provided by Il Gelato, Wai Koko and Honolulu Cookie Company.
Five restaurants – Giovanni Pastrami, Honolulu Burger Company, Jersey Mike’s, Zippy’s Restaurants and Wolfgang’s Steakhouse – will rotate in providing one meal per week for the teams through Sept. 23. The total value of the contributions amount to $16,000, according to a release announcing the program’s expansion. The Braddahhood and Sistahhood Grindz program had begun earlier in the summer with the UH football and men’s and women’s basketball programs.
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