One T-shirt summed up Kate Lang’s dual allegiances.

On a visit with her boyfriend’s family in Kailua, the Texan turned University of Hawaii setter was greeted by the shirts printed with “Aloha Y’all.”

“They were telling me, ‘You say ‘y’all’ so much and I don’t think you realize it because it’s a part of your vocabulary,’ ” Lang said with a laugh. “Now I think about it every time I say ‘y’all.’

“I hope it never goes away. I want some Texas roots in me.”

Lang hasn’t been back to Texas since enrolling at UH close to two years ago, and although the remnants of Texas slang haven’t been replaced by pidgin just yet, she has embraced life in the islands as a member of the Rainbow Wahine.

“I love it here so much and I’ve definitely made a life for myself here and I can see myself here after school,” Lang said. “I want to go to law school here. I want to do as much as I can here.”

That said, Lang — half of UH’s duo of returning Lone Star State setters along with senior Mylana Byrd — was understandably thrilled to see a trip to Texas leading off the Rainbow Wahine schedule.

Lang and Byrd will take the court within a two-hour drive of their hometowns of Keller and Houston when the Rainbow Wahine open the season with three matches in the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station.

Along with a taste for Tex-Mex, Lang and Byrd shared setting duties at the start of last season. Byrd started the first eight matches before Lang moved into the lineup at the start of conference play.

Lang went on to earn a spot on the All-Big West first team and the All-Freshman team after leading the conference with 10.36 assists per set overall and 11.54 in league matches. Along with running the UH attack, Lang contributed 2.68 digs per set to UH’s defensive effort.

Now versed in the verbiage of head coach Robyn Ah Mow’s system, Lang returns with an enhanced feel for distributing sets to the Wahine hitters.

“I’m always looking to have that relationship with the girls because that’s a really big part of being able to play well together,” Lang said. “I feel so much more confident this year than I did last year because of COVID and all that stuff keeping us so separated last year. I feel so much more connected with everyone on the team.

“Just knowing what people want and being able to do it because it’s just muscle memory at this point, it’s comforting.”

Lang spent part of her summer learning through teaching as a coach with the Na Keiki Mauloa volleyball club. She assisted former UH men’s player James Anastassiades with the club’s 16s team and worked with current Warriors Spyros Chakas and Dimitrios Mouchlias. She also helped run a setting clinic with former UH setter Bailey Choy and current Wahine freshman Jackie Matias.

“It’s a good different perspective to have,” Lang said of the benefits of coaching while playing.

Byrd, the lone senior on this season’s roster, averaged 8.34 assists over the 32 sets she played last season after transferring from Alabama. The Texans are joined in the setter group by Matias, the daughter of former UH baseball slugger John Matias.

Jackie Matias was a Star-Advertiser Fab 15 pick last year after helping lead Punahou to the ILH championship and a runner-up finish in the Division I state tournament.

Setters

NO. PLAYER CL. HT. HOMETOWN

#4 Jackie Matias Fr. 5-9 Honolulu

No. 5 on Star-Advertiser Fab 15 as Punahou senior. … Won 2019 ILH high jump title as a freshman.

#10 Kate Lang So. 5-10 Keller, Texas

All-Big West first team, All-Freshman team pick. … Posted 12 double-doubles (assists-digs) in ’21.

#15 Mylana Byrd Sr. 6-2 Houston

Lone senior on the roster. … Started eight matches last season, averaging 8.34 assists per set.