Camilla Ah-Hoy Carries On VB Tradition With Red Raiders

There was no direct line to coaching for Camilla Ah-Hoy, despite a stellar playing career both at Kahuku and later at Oregon State. But her mother Mona already had seen enough of her daughter – on and off the court – to know Camilla had the tools.

“My mom put that in my ear,” she said. “I like helping people, and I used to come home (from college) to help her at North Shore Volleyball (Club), and she was always like, ‘You would be such a good coach.’ I’m trying to follow in her footsteps, but those are big shoes to fill.”

Mona Ah-Hoy, who was Camilla’s coach at Kahuku, is currently an assistant at BYUH in addition to running North Shore. Camilla helped out at BYUH last season before taking over the Kahuku varsity program this off-season. In two weeks, she and the Red Raiders will officially begin fall camp, and she has observed that the talent pool is deep, as always.

Indeed, three projected starters are juniors with two full years of eligibility. That group includes Sina Tonga, Talia Brown and Adora Anae. Also back is highly regarded senior Pati Anae. “They’ll all be key players,” said Ah-Hoy. “Sina and Talia have been playing together for so long that they know how to find each other. They’re a real good combination, and they’re good leaders.

“Sina is a real humble kid who gets along with everyone,” she added of Tonga, who is projected to be a power-outside hitter. “Her work ethic is great, and I’ve seen it get even better. She’s blossomed from the sixth grade when I first saw her until now. Talia’s athleticism and her court awareness (are her strengths). You can put either of them at any position, and they’ll be super at it.”

Both Adora Anae and Pati Anae will likely fill outside hitter positions. “Adora is an unbelievable athlete. Part of it is how long she is – she knows how to handle her body real well. She’s not vocal, but she shows her talent through example. From what I’ve seen of Pati, she’s a dominating player in the middle with her blocking and hitting. They have two very different personalities. Pati is more vocal than Adora.”

Kahuku finished as OIA runner-up last season and went on to finish sixth at the Division I state volleyball championships.