Volleyball is a game of adjustments.
Seeking a spark following a third-set drubbing, Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow tweaked the lineup to start Kendra Ham in the front row going into the fourth set of last Saturday’s match at Long Beach State.
A defensive and serving specialist most of this season, Ham converted her opportunity to play at the net into four kills while providing a blocking presence to help the Rainbow Wahine close out the road win.
Ham’s opportunity to contribute this season came about after adjusting her path through collegiate volleyball two years ago.
Out of the game following her freshman year at Cal Poly, Ham looked west to restart her volleyball and academic careers. After playing in just two sets in her first year in Hawaii, she’s carved out a role as a regular in the back row, with appearances in 41 of UH’s 44 sets this season entering tonight’s Big West meeting with UC Irvine at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
“I can’t even describe it, especially playing in a place like this,” Ham said of the opportunity she received in Hawaii. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’m so grateful to have again, and I can thank the coaching staff for that.”
Ham enrolled at Cal Poly after helping Torrey Pines High in San Diego to a 33-4 mark in her prep career. She played in 22 matches as a serving specialist and posted 14 aces, including one in a win over Hawaii, in 2019.
But amid the pandemic shutdown of 2020, Ham decided to leave the Mustangs prior to her sophomore year.
“I absolutely loved Cal Poly, all of the girls on the team were really cool. But it just wasn’t a good fit for me,” Ham said. “I just wasn’t in a good mental space to keep competing at the level I needed to contribute on the court, and in my academics and everything, and I needed to take a step back for myself.”
She re-connected with the game by helping a team in practices and realized, “I miss this so much.”
Her brother had spent time with the UH men’s program as a walk-on and “he always raved about it and the family atmosphere of it.” So when she entered her name into the transfer portal, she contacted a friend at Indiana who knew of a teammate who had played with UH setter Kate Lang.
“I think the first time I texted her she was like, ‘umm, who is this?” Ham said with a laugh.
After their introductions, Lang sold Ham on the relationships within the team and the coaching staff and Ham had those talking points confirmed when she joined the Rainbow Wahine in the summer of 2021. Along the way, the process of initially returning to the gym, then finding a new team helped Ham find “that volleyball is definitely a safe space.”
“Your team is your family, and I love all the girls on the team here,” she said. “I would call anytime I ever need anything and they’re my best friends.”
On the court, Ham has provided a steady presence in the UH back row and from the service line, where she helped spark UH’s reverse sweep against USC on Sept. 10 with extended service turns in the third and fifth sets.
An opposite during her club days, the 6-foot junior was given a chance to play six rotations again in the fourth set last Saturday to help the Wahine counter Beach’s quick attacks on the pins.
“We made the decision to leave her in for blocking,” Ah Mow said. “She may not be the tallest person, but she lines up well, she has good timing on the blocking, and she can hit.”
Ham was in on two blocks while helping slow the Beach at the net, and put away four kills in seven aggressive swings.
“I’m embracing this new role as a DS, but I absolutely love hitting,” said Ham, who also finished with nine digs in the win. “So any chance to hit, I’m going to take what I can get.
“Kate was putting up great balls and I was like, I’m going to take a rip, and fingers crossed, see what happens.”
Ham’s all-around contributions helped the Wahine complete a sweep of last week’s road trip. UH (7-5, 4-0 Big West) carries a five-match winning streak into tonight’s match with UC Irvine (10-5, 3-2). They’ll cap the homestand against UC San Diego (8-9, 1-4) on Saturday. UC Irvine opened the week by surviving a five-set duel with UCSD 24-26, 25-23, 25-14, 14-25, 15-8 in Irvine, Calif.
Big West women’s volleyball
At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
UC Irvine (10-5, 3-2 BWC) vs. Hawaii (7-5, 4-0)
>> When: Today, 7 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio:1420-AM / 92.7-FM
UC San Diego (8-9, 1-4) vs. Hawaii
>> When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: 1500-AM
