There is always blue in Nahua Lloyd’s everyday journey.
It’s not just because the 6-foot-5 junior plays volleyball and basketball for the Punahou Buffanblu. In a season of full roster reshuffle, Punahou is unbeaten in the ILH volleyball standings at 8-0 despite losing seven seniors.
“It takes time and effort to get them to play together, to play within a system with passion and consistency, executing their roles,” longtime Punahou boys volleyball coach Rick Tune said. “Nahua’s been a great part of bringing his hard hat and lunch pail every day, and putting in a good day of work. Our other guys are learning how to do that. We’re not all there yet, but they’re learning how to be a champion.”
Lloyd has been a varsity player since freshman year but is a first-time starter this spring for the state’s dynastic volleyball program. He had seven kills and 3.5 blocks in Punahou’s win over Hawaii Baptist early in the season. He has a team-high 25 total blocks this season and his hitting .379, but his value goes beyond numbers.
“Even during school I see Coach Rick a lot and we talk a lot. I lead by example a lot. I’m not a speech kind of guy,” Lloyd said. “It’s been a constant, being consistent in what I do at practice and games. I have a lot of passion for the season only because of what happened last year with the loss.”
Tune has always been a technician as a coach, guiding the Buffanblu to 12 state titles since 2009. He developed his own core standard of intricate analytics for virtually every imaginable, measurable part of volleyball. Particularly at the prep level, intangibles are vitally crucial.
“The last two years, we had exceptional leaders with Evan (Porter), Brody (Badham) and Adam (Haidar),” Tune said. “There was a huge leadership void after they graduated, and Nahua has stepped into that. Just silent and works hard every day. In matches, he brings the fire all the time. His maturity, growth and development in the way he approaches the game. He puts the team first, which is not always what kids do.”
The ILH has a glut of exceptional teams battling to stay over .500 in the state’s toughest league. Punahou was on a big run in 2024 before falling in the state final to Kamehameha and its 6-9 outside hitter, Kainoa Wade.
The loss still stings.
“That team last year was very special. We won the year before that. We were really close with each other. Our team-ness and chemistry, we would hang out before and after games,” Lloyd said. “In the ILH it’s really hard and I learned that in the beginning of my career as a freshman. We lost my first game against HBA. It was kind of like anybody can win at any time, so every game matters. That’s what I learned as a freshman. That’s what I try to show my teammates.”
Ben Lloyd is always struck by his son’s mellow nature.
“Out of all three of our children, he has a state championship as a freshman for volleyball and in junior year for basketball,” he said. “But he would never tell you that he’s a state champion. He would bring up that they lost to Kamehameha. It wasn’t a bad loss, but it gives him a chance to build on himself.”
Punahou’s departures included All-State setter Nalu Akana. Ty Kikuchi has stepped in at the key position. Momentum keeps moving forward.
“I don’t know if we’re dominating everybody, but we find another level when we need it,” Tune said.
The lone returning starter is outside hitter Afatia Thompson. Between Thompson and other returnees like Lloyd, the pressure is never-ending. Lloyd feels it, but volleyball was never an expectation when he was younger. His older sisters, Kuualoha and Pilialoha, played basketball for Punahou.
His mother, Stacie (Louie) Lloyd, played basketball and softball for Los Altos in Los Angeles. She went to college, became a registered nurse and landed in Honolulu. It would be temporary, she thought.
Ben Lloyd grew up in Kohala, playing three sports for the Cowboys. His love was basketball, and when he finally made the team as a senior, he was a key contributor in a 46-43 overtime win over Hawaii Prep. At the time, legendary Chaminade coach Merv Lopes, who had retired to the Big Island, was the coach at HPA.
“Coach Lopes is probably one of the nicest men I ever met,” Ben Lloyd said.
It was five years after Lloyd joined HPD when he met Stacie on the outside courts at Moanalua Elementary School.
“I didn’t like the slow life of the Big Island. Stacie’s idea was was to come to Hawaii, spread her wings and go back to L.A. I met her in the final few months before she was moving back,” Ben Lloyd said. “I think we kind of saved each other.”
Kuualoha and Pilialoha were born 18 months apart. Nahua was born 15 months after Pilialoha.
“I had my boy,” Stacie said.
The sisters entered Punahou as kindergarteners. Nahua attended a number of elementary schools before enrolling at Punahou in sixth grade.
“He wanted to go there so bad,” Ben Lloyd recalled.
Nahua Lloyd began playing basketball at 4, and volleyball didn’t take hold until he was 12. Eventually, Tune saw him play volleyball as a seventh grader.
“I just remember that he’s so good-natured and had a ton of talent. Really soft hands and really got along with everybody really well,” Tune recalled. “One of those guys who could go in and out of any group.”
Ben Lloyd thought basketball would be his son’s only sport.
“Volleyball came by chance. He went to open gym with one of his close friends. Nahua has a really weird ability to reflex on things. If he sees somebody do it, he can copy it. (Spike and Serve club coach) Kevin Wong came along and said, ‘What’s your name?’ “
Ben Lloyd and Wong were acquaintances from their prep volleyball days. Nahua Lloyd went all in with two sports.
It was volleyball tryouts in 2023 at Punahou, Lloyd’s freshman year.
“I remember that tryout really well. We keep detailed stats, tracking middle blockers. We had no idea he was going to make varsity. He hit .700 and the next closest (middle) was .250,” Tune said. “Nahua is really consistent because he gives. consistent effort. He doesn’t take plays off. If you jump only three-quarter on sets, it messes things up for the offense. That’s one of his superpowers. He doesn’t know speed and effort below 100%.”
Stacie Lloyd had health issues after the pandemic.
“We were able to nip that in the bud,” Ben Lloyd said.
When Ben retired from the force in 2023, both parents were free to enjoy more time with their children.
“The hardest thing in her life is being married to me,” Ben Lloyd said. “Everything else is easy. She and Nahua are very close. He’s always hugging her. He’s 6-5 and 190 pounds. I have to remind him he’s too strong for her, but he’s still her little baby. She would come watch him play, and now it’s his turn to give back. ‘I’m going to play good ’cause mom’s watching me.’ “
Oldest sister Kuualoha went away for college, then returned to attend UH. Pilialoha attends Cal State Fullerton.
“It’s hard to be a mom and your kids go away,” Stacie Lloyd said. “Nahua is a smart boy and he’ll make the right decisions about college. He gets along with people really well, so that’ll help him.”
Embracing life and the power of words are deep in Lloyd’s roots. Nahuaoleloakealii was the name of his father’s uncle, who resided on Maui. “The spoken word of the king or chief.”
“I met him when I was really young. When the (chief) would want to talk, he would ask the person lower than him (nahua) to express what he wanted to say,” Lloyd said.
Last summer, he visited his mom’s side of the family in Los Angeles. Her family was integral to the growth of Chinatown decades ago.
“We hit the store they had, KG Louie. I got to meet one of my uncles,” Lloyd said.
In a parallel universe, perhaps he grows up in Kohala. A 6-5 junior center on the basketball court for one of the state’s premier D-II programs. Five years ago, Ben Lloyd’s old friends Benny Alcoran and Lawrence Kauka got in touch and asked if Nahua would be interested in playing with their sixth grade team in the Kona Stingrays tournament.
“I remember going there, my first time meeting these guys from Kohala,” Nahua Lloyd said. “They’re really nice people, but really quiet, so talking to them was hard. Once I got to know them they were really talkative. Every time they come through Oahu, or play in the state tournament, I go say hi.”
His Buffanblu teammates have already made lifelong memories with their tall pal.
“Nahua is always ready and at the door if I ask him to go hang out or do stuff like going golfing,” Dane Kellner said. “He’s a great listener, and if you ramble on about problems, he always has great advice.”
At 6-6, All-State forward Tanoa Scanlan is one of the few who look up to Lloyd only figuratively.
“I met Nahua in sixth grade and he was super funny. Every time we go golfing we have so much fun. The laughs are non-stop,” Scanlan said. “He is always there for you. He’s a great teammate and he’s fun to compete with.”
Akana, the former Buffanblu setter, is now at Saint Louis.
Lloyd believes Akana will return to Punahou eventually.
“I met Nahua when we were 7 and playing flag football for Metro Tigers. We won the championship that year and have been like brothers since,” Akana said. “Nahua has always been kind and respectful. He always backs up his friends and will always be there for his boys.”
Nahuaoleloakealii “Nahua” Lloyd
Punahou volleyball, basketball • 6-5 • Junior
The quest for excellence: “You still have to work hard, still have to be consistent. If you take a little bit off the gas, there’s some time when people can come back and overtake you. Practices still have to be hard. Coach Rick (Tune) knows when to go hard at practice and when to go light.”
Top 3 movies/shows
1. “Top Gun: Maverick”
2. “Avengers: Endgame”
3. YouTube (sports and comedy reels)
Top 3 foods/drinks
1. Ramen (Goma Tei, Kahala Mall/Ala Moana) with side of gyoza
2. Poke (Foodland)— 1 pound, spicy
3. Fried chicken (KJ’s Local Grindz, Kaneohe)
“Every time we go to the windward side, we stop at KJ’s.”
Top 4 homemade food
1. Dad’s beef stew (in the slow cooker)
2. Mom’s chicken katsu with rice
3. Mom’s and grandma’s teriyaki hot dog with rice
4. Dad’s steak
Top 3 music artists/favorite song
1. Steel Pulse — “Roller Skates”
2. J Boog — “Until One Day”
3. Bo Napoleon — “Rastaman”
Favorite athlete/team: Blake Griffin (as an LA Clipper)
“When I was younger I loved watching him do all kinds of dunks. He was a big guy who was athletic and effortless, which made me like watching him even more because he made it look easy. That’s why my club uniform number is 32. The first time I went to LA, one of my cousins had tickets. I still like the Clippers now.”
Funniest teammate: Will Niethammer
“When it’s time to be serious Will is that guy who means business, but during timeouts or water breaks and even after the game he is a complete jokester with perfect timing.”
Smartest teammate: Cameron Porter
“Cameron is a hard worker and he does well on every exam. He always strives to do well in school work and makes it look easy. He always turns in his assignments on time, so there is no doubt he is one of the smartest on our team. His brother, Evan, is also very smart. They feed off each other.”
Favorite teacher/class: Mr. (Michael) Bassford, biology/geology
“Being a junior at Punahou high school can be difficult for most students and most times teachers might not understand you and really not listen or communicate well. The wonderful thing is that Mr. Bassford listens and shows so much passion for what he is teaching, which makes it easier for me to understand and enjoy the information. We get to go on cool field trips and learn about the different lifestyles and current events.”
Favorite motto: Always be thankful.
Hidden talent: Golf
New life skill: Being resilient
Bucket list: Travel to Japan, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti and Europe
Shoutouts: “First and foremost my wonderful mom and dad for raising me and keeping me and my older sisters Kuualoha and Pilialoha on track with sports, school and all things we had to do growing up. To all my friends, thank you for giving me good vibes and laughs.
I would like to shout out Punahou School and my volleyball coaches, Coach Rick (Tune) and Coach Brandon (Kikuchi), and the whole staff of volleyball coaches.
I would also like to give a big shoutout to my first basketball coach, Uncle Kalia McGee (KAC). I got to play on the same team with my sisters. I don’t remember a lot, but there’s videos. And my (Sharks) club coach Chris Snipes.
Big mahalo to my Spike and Serve volleyball club community and coaches that I have: Coach Kanai Akana, Coach Tony Crabb, Coach Brook Sedore, Coach Kiran Costa. I want to thank Coach Kevin Wong and his wife, Aunty Sherry Wong, for their amazing support.
They’ve helped me so much in a little bit of time. I’m always thankful for them.”
