"When I came to Hawaii, I did not like it very much," said the junior blocker for the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team. "But when I began taking classes about Hawaii, the culture, the geology, I really got into the place itself.
"It became more than the crowd, more than the game. When we go to the mainland -- even when I visited Israel last summer -- every time, I just want to come back 'home.' There are not too many times in your life that you expect something and you get something way better. This is what has happened for me."
The 6-foot-5 middle blocker has exceeded expectations when it comes to volleyball. The raw talent is currently fifth nationally in hitting (.440), topping the Rainbow attack with an unorthodox hitting and serving style.
Very seriously. Especially tonight and tomorrow, when Leoni needs to be part of a balanced Rainbow attack if Hawaii is to keep its playoff hopes alive against Southern Cal. The No. 9 Rainbows need to win two against the No. 13 Trojans to ensure a berth in next week's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament.
It's a very big weekend for the 22-year-old Leoni in several ways. Sunday's team awards banquet will also double as his wedding reception.
Leoni is marrying Paula Bruhn of Kailua in a private ceremony on the beach Sunday. He hopes the honeymoon will be put on hold until after the final four.
"It's a huge weekend for me," said Leoni. "Volleyball-wise, these are probably the most important games of the season. It puts a lot of pressure on us, it's a big challenge we have to win both games. But I don't believe the season will be over after this weekend.
"It's a different feeling than the last two years, where we came into games expecting to win. Maybe this year we should have thought we were more of an underdog and to think that every win was an achievement. It absolutely is not the season I expected, the team expected. We should have done better but we win these and then maybe we can start all over again in the playoffs."
This season has somewhat mirrored Leoni's life. He felt his artistic creativity was stifled in Israel. Hoping to become a commercial photographer or artist, Leoni's talent has slowly blossomed in the American lifestyle called freedom. So has his volleyball, a game he took up in Kibbutz Hamaapil at age 15.
Leoni is not as flamboyant as he was when first walking out on the Special Events Arena court as a freshman, his flame-orange hair somewhat restrained by a tiger-print headband. But he has, in coach Mike Wilton's words, "matured but is still zany."
"He's a complete team player. And for us to do well this weekend, he basically needs to be Sivan and block as many balls as he can. He's real effective when he gets the ball and we need to get him the ball."
Leoni may be hitting a team-leading .441 but is fifth in kill average (2.6). He's been a victim of a quick offense that relies on complexity and combination plays to compensate for a lack of height.
But Leoni makes the most of his successes, often going into a Popeye-like pose, showing his muscle after a block or a kill. When he wasn't starting in the beginning of the year, he wore his frustration on his knee, penning a self-portrait on his right knee pad.
"It's fun playing with him in the middle," said junior blocker Rick Tune. "He says and does the weirdest, off-the-wall things at the most serious times. He has a way of loosening up people that puts things in perspective in terms of what the game is all about.
"He really gets us pumped up and brings a high level of excitement to the court. There's a lot of layers to him that you peel off to find a very special and unique guy."
"I think he's a very good player," said his roommate junior hitter Naveh Milo. "He's a good guy, too."
Underneath the clown, there is a sensitive young man with an eye for beauty and an appreciation for life. In his opinion, the season is far from over.
As Leoni likes to say, "Stay tuned."
The 6-foot-1 outside hitter was admitted to the Queen's Medical Center emergency room late Wednesday afternoon complaining of flu- and bronchitis-like symptoms. His father, Rainbows coach Mike Wilton, said his son had a temperature that had fluctuated up to 105 degrees and that he had become badly dehydrated and passed out.
"It's doubtful that Aaron will play this weekend," said Mike Wilton. "We're just glad he's still with us and doing a lot better. He came to practice Tuesday, worked out hard and didn't tell anyone he was sick. I know his throat was hurting and that caused him not to hydrate properly during practice. I'm pretty sure he'll be at the arena, at least by Saturday, but on the bench."
Who Hawaii (16-10, 8-9 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) vs. Southern California (12-9, 9-7)