If she weren’t a standout volleyball player, Kamehameha’s Tiyana Hallums could’ve made it as a cheerleader. Between her fist pumps, kicks and jumps after celebrating a kill, it’s a wonder she has the energy to carry the No. 1 Warriors to a 10-0 record as their starting outside hitter.
The 5-foot-9 junior has played a prominent role for the Warriors, who are currently No. 10 in the CBS MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings. Her resume includes all-tournament honors at the Durango Classic, in which Kamehameha placed second, as well as PrepVolleyball.com’s Club Volleyball All-American 16s team.
"It’s like ‘Eye of the Tiger’ or something. When the lights are on, I get this adrenaline rush and there’s nothing like it," Hallums said.
Hallums, of Aiea, started playing as a middle blocker but transitioned to outside hitter several years ago.
"It’s a lot of hard work since you have to play all around and manage both hitting and passing," Hallums said. "It was a big transition, but I’m starting to get the hang of it."
As a freshman, her Kamehameha team clinched the ILH junior varsity championship, and last year the Warriors pulled her up to the varsity, which placed second in the state tournament, falling to Punahou in four sets.
So far, Kamehameha has avenged its loss in the state finals by defeating the Buffanblu twice in conference play, but the Warriors are wary of underestimating the reigning two-time state champions.
"You’d think it’d go to our head but it really doesn’t. It pushes us even more because we know we have a big target on our backs," Hallums said. "We need to try to make sure that our intensity in practice doesn’t waver and not to be satisfied with where we’re at. We don’t want to play our best game now, we want to play it at the end of the season."
Kamehameha coach Chris Blake calls Hallums one of his "glue girls" who helps to make sure the team continues to grow even when they’re not at practice. Hallums was voted one of three team captains.
"A lot of our players gravitate to her, but the thing that sets her apart is her work ethic. She’s the total package," Blake said. "She’s one of our hardest workers in the gym and our players definitely respect her for it. She’ll push her teammates hard, but she works just as hard if not harder, so they understand that she’s a leader by example."
Hallums’ work ethic includes offseason training with Tactical Strength & Conditioning, to increase her vertical as an undersized outside hitter and to develop a quicker arm swing. The workout includes squats and resistance band exercises.
The self-described gym rat had brief stints in basketball and softball, but it was volleyball that ignited her passion.
"I just have this fire for this game; I wasn’t expecting it when I was so young," Hallums said. "I hate to lose. That might sound terrible, but I’m the worst loser. Even if one of my good friends is on the other side, like on Punahou, all my good friends are on that side, I want to claw them out. I don’t want to take it easy just ’cause they’re my friend."
Hallums says she inherited her competitive nature from her father, David, a former University of Hawaii basketball player in the ’80s. Her dad pushed her to join sports when she was 12 years old and continues to be an influence in her life, helping her with college recruiting and training.
"He helps to push me even more because he was a former athlete and knows what it takes to get to that next level and to push yourself to limits you didn’t know you had," Hallums said. "He’s really been my rock and always been there to motivate me to do better."
Hallums isn’t sitting idly by, waiting for colleges to come recruit her. In addition to having a recruiting profile on the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance, her uncle helped her create her own website that features her volleyball and academic achievements, which includes a 3.7 GPA.
Between the website and her performance in mainland tournaments with her club team Ka Ulukoa, Hallums has already been offered a full ride to Gonzaga. She’s also received interest from Cal State Northridge, San Francisco, Auburn, New Mexico and several Ivy League schools.
Hallums is keeping an open mind when it comes to her future, but for now she’s focused on the present: winning that state championship.
"It’s all for the team. I get this fire in me, because of my team," Hallums said. "The fire is untouchable by anyone else. I’m not just celebrating my kill or my dig, I’m celebrating for the entire team ’cause I want us to be better."
