When Kennedi Evans was asked about teammate and fellow middle Amber Igiede, she started giggling before the question was finished.
Staring over at Igiede, who was standing in front of TV cameras gathered for pre-practice interviews on Tuesday, Evans’ laugh was one of both happiness and nervousness.
The TV cameras were nothing new for the reigning Big West Player of the Year. For Evans, a redshirt senior transfer from Utah who barely played a season ago, knowing her turn was next was a little scary. The mention of Igiede, however, quickly lightened the mood.
“Me and Amber are great friends, and so it’s been super fun to learn from her, watch her, play with her. Being in the gym with one of the best middles in the country definitely pushes me to be better,” Evans said. “She’s a very hard worker. She’s a good leader. She has a very high volleyball IQ, and so just learning all of those off-the-court things from her has been really fun.”
Evans will have to get used to the cameras if all goes well this year. She started all three matches to start the season for Hawaii (2-1), which hosts Southern California today and Saturday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The 6-foot-2 middle, who has already surpassed her kill total from a year ago, hit .318 with 12 kills and 13 blocks in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic.
She played a major role in helping Hawaii outblock both Northwestern and San Diego in its two wins to start the season.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity. Coming back from an injury is never easy, so I’m not taking anything for granted,” Evans said. “We’re hoping that we can get some blocks in there and in my head, blocking is the one thing I can control, so being able to control what you can and being able to contribute to the team in that way has always been important to me.”
Evans started more than 50 games in her career at Utah before suffering an ACL injury in the middle of her junior season with the Utes.
She transferred to Hawaii while rehabbing the injury and played in only 10 sets last year. Now fully healthy, she appears to be ready to contribute in a major role alongside Igiede in the middle.
“She’s definitely made a jump. Last year she was coming back from a knee injury, and you can’t rush those,” Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “We all knew it, she knew it as well. Probably not in the best place she would want to be. She did work her butt off and she did good in the spring.”
The relationship between Evans and Igiede on the court is helped out by their closeness off of it.
Ah Mow wasn’t sure just how close the two were until they asked to be roommates for the upcoming season.
“I think they feed off of each other,” Ah Mow said. “Going in and out, Amber is such a positive person and she always tries to look at the positive every time. I think they kind of feed off of each other on that.”
Igiede was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .337 with a team-high 39 kills and 16 blocks.
Hawaii’s defense at the net was a strength to start the season.
“Kennedi brings all of the stuff to the table — physicality, she is great with her hands. A lot of people were asking me who is that blocking all off the balls and I was like, ‘That’s Kennedi. She’s like one of my best friends,’ ” Igiede said. “A lot of people don’t notice the IQ side of volleyball. She’s a very smart person obviously off the court, but on the court she raises the level of IQ, which is great for the older people and especially the younger people too. She brings everything across the board and I’m really lucky to have her, especially as a middle.”
Hawaii is just outside the AVCA Top 25 as the first team receiving votes with 162.
USC, which opened the season ranked No. 22, fell out of the Top 25 after going 1-2 with both losses coming against ranked opponents.
Saturday’s match is a “white out” promotion and fans are encouraged to wear white UH apparel. The first 300 fans in the building will receive a free Wahine volleyball t-shirt.
HAWAII WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Who: USC (1-2) at Hawaii (2-1)
When: Today and Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
TV: Spectrum Sports (Ch. 16/1016)
Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
Series history: UH leads 25-20
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