Hawaii freshman middle blocker Ofeck Hazan was serving in the Israeli military when the Gaza war broke out in 2023.
His father wanted to send him to Hawaii earlier than expected for his safety, but Hazan understood the commitment he had made to his home country.
“My dad told me to call Coach Charlie (Wade), and tell him I don’t care about a scholarship, just fly and stay there and your time will come,” Hazan recalled before volleyball practice on Wednesday. “I told him the country is in war and my role in the military is starting right now. This is what I’m doing it for. This is exactly where I’m supposed to be giving back to my country. I’m not ditching them right now.”
Hazan finished out the remaining seven months of his military service. As a member of the senior national volleyball team, Hazan’s job was as a part-time recruiter, trying to bring back veterans who had experience driving tanks.
After the war started Oct. 7, 2023, Hazan spent two months working full-time trying to recruit everyone who had experience from the tank program.
He also worked at tank bases, helping ensure the crews were well-supplied and supported.
Volleyball was the furthest thing from his mind.
* * *
Growing up in Israel, Hazan’s athletic career consisted of only swimming. There were two problems with that, however.
One, he hated to lose and two, when he did, he had way too much time to think about losing. Alone in a pool where it was just him and the thoughts that ran through his head as he went back and forth from one side to the other was driving him crazy, Hazan said.
“Every time I’d lose I’d crash out and not talk to anyone, and swimming is a really bad sport for me if you don’t know how to lose,” Hazan said. “You have nobody to support because it is only yourself.”
Hazan’s mom played on the senior national team for four years and his sister also played volleyball. After another tough loss in the pool, Hazan went to his first volleyball practice and everything changed.
“I told my mom I could talk with people during practice. I didn’t have to just swim and cry by myself in the water,” Hazan said. “After that I went to my (swimming) coach and said, ‘Thank you, I’m out.’”
* * *
In high school, Hazan was pushed by his coach to look for a four-year university to attend in the United States.
It was before Hazan even knew about volleyball in the U.S.
“My coach told me I play volleyball and right now it’s the main thing in my life, but one day I will need a degree and a plan for the day after,” Hazan said. “The first match I ever watched was the (2018 NCAA Division I) final between UCLA and Long Beach with (TJ) Defalco and (Josh) Tuaniga and Kyle Ensing, who two years later I was playing against in the Israeli league. This is when it became a thing.”
Hazan called playing volleyball at Hawaii the biggest accomplishment he could achieve and a dream, but never thought it would become a reality.
Wade, though, had very real plans for Hazan.
“He reminded me a lot of Guilherme (Voss),” Wade said Wednesday. “Similar style, a little undersized (at 6-6), but an instinctual blocker and just a good volleyball player. He does stuff in the middle of rallies that don’t really show up on the stat sheet. Those kind of guys are valuable to have on the court.”
* * *
When Hazan arrived in Hawaii at the end of last summer, his mind was still with his countrymen in a war ongoing today.
Fortunately, he had someone who understood the path he was taking.
Tali Hakas, a sophomore on the Hawaii women’s volleyball team, moved to Israel when she was 12 and served two years in the army before first attending UH a year earlier.
She played volleyball at an academy with Hazan’s sister.
“When I got the idea of coming here I immediately texted her and started talking with her questioning everything, because you know Hawaii is amazing, but you want to know exactly what you are going toward,” Hazan said. “Every time she came back to Israel we would talk for a couple of hours. We’re really good friends.”
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For a guy who hates to lose as much as Hazan, sitting on the bench at times this season has been equally tough.
No. 5 Hawaii (21-2, 4-0 Big West) has matches Friday and Saturday at No. 9 Cal State Northridge (15-7, 0-4) and has primarily used three players at the two middle positions.
Hazan began the season in the starting lineup but missed three matches with an injury. He was replaced by redshirt freshman Justin Todd in the starting seven until last week, when Todd rolled his ankle in the first set against UC San Diego on Friday. Hazan substituted and stayed in the lineup to start Saturday. He hit .600 with seven kills and five blocks.
Hazan has started 11 of the 14 matches he has played in and is hitting .423 while averaging 1.37 kills and 0.79 blocks per set.
“It’s a roller-coaster. On one hand being here, standing on the court, it’s just amazing watching all of the fans. It’s unbelievable,” Hazan said. “But I started the season and got injured and then got back and then am out again, so, you’re trying to enjoy, but it’s difficult because you want to be on the court. I can’t even lie about it, I want to be on the court, but there are guys playing good. You just have to wait for your moment to be back on the court and when I will be there I need to hold it really tight and make sure I am not letting it go.”
Ofeck Hazan
>> Position: Middle blocker
>> Class: Freshman
>> Height: 6 feet 6
>> Hometown: Zikhron-Ya’akov, Israel
RAINBOW WARRIORS VOLLEYBALL
At Premier America Credit Union Arena, Northridge, Calif.
No. 5 Hawaii (21-2, 4-0) vs. No. 9 CS Northridge (15-7, 0-4)
>> When: Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m.
>> Stream: ESPN+ (Friday only)
>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
