Chaminade outside hitter Trina Kauliakamoa is happy to be where she is - both on and off the court.

“;Trina got a lot of looks from other schools,”; Chaminade volleyball coach Glennie Adams said. “;She could have gone to a Division I school or pretty much wherever she wanted to go.”;

Kauliakamoa, a 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter, was a standout at Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas. She was Nevada's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, a Fab 50 player and was the Nevada All Sport Volleyball Player of the Year.

National volleyball powers Florida and Washington showed interest. But for Kauliakamoa, the road to Chaminade was the opportunity she was looking for - a chance to journey back to her roots.

Kauliakamoa grew up in Alewa Heights and attended Kapalama Elementary School. She spent a lot of time at the Kamehameha Schools gym because her mother, Deborah, and father, Joe, coached girls varsity volleyball for Kamehameha Schools.

When Kauliakamoa was 8 years old, she and her family moved to Las Vegas.

“;I always wanted to come back and play in Hawaii with the local girls,”; Kauliakamoa said. “;I have a lot of family in Hawaii. I'm happy that I chose Chaminade.”;

Volleyball has always been a big part of the Kauliakamoa clan. Kauliakamoa's father played for Hawaii Pacific and her mother played for Brigham Young-Hawaii. Both are still playing and coaching in Las Vegas. Kauliakamoa's grandfather, Fred Hiapo, who also lives in Las Vegas, plays in a 60-and- older volleyball league.

“;My parents and my grandparents always pushed us and wanted us to follow their footsteps,”; Kauliakamoa said. “;If it wasn't for my parents, I wouldn't be here and be who I am.”;

Her brother, Joe, is a freshman setter for Brigham Young in Provo. Kauliakamoa said many of her relatives play volleyball. Kauliakamoa played her first two years at Chaminade with her sister, Tamara, who was a setter. Tamara completed her final season at Chaminade in 2006. Adams said that “;it was really special when Trina and her sister played together.”;

“;I miss playing with my sister,”; Trina Kauliakamoa said. “;She was my setter and we had a special connection. She was thinking what I was about to say. It was fun. We'll have those days to play with each other again.”;

Kauliakamoa's presence was felt from the time she set foot on campus during her freshman campaign in 2005. In 2006 and 2007, Kauliakamoa was named to the Pacific West Conference first team.

Kauliakamoa, this year's PacWest Preseason Player of the Year, has been steady and reliable during her four-year career at Chaminade. She leads the Silverswords in kills ( 247), kills per game (3.58 ), and service aces (21 ). She is second on the team in digs ( 229).

“;I love playing with Trina because I can set her any type of ball and she can put it away all the time,”; Silverswords setter Tanya Alvina said. “;She's always hungry for the ball. A lot of people look up to Trina because she leads by example. She's putting balls away, digging balls, serving. We try to follow her and keep up with her pace.”;

Adams, who played club volleyball with Trina's mother, said Kauliakamoa has always been a force on the court. She adds that Kauliakamoa's offseason training has taken her game up several notches in preparation for this season.

“;I don't know what she did over the summer, but this year is unmatched,”; Adams said. “;I've never seen her in this kind of shape. It is way more than any other year. I am just so happy that I get to see the fruits of her labor.

“;(Trina) is almost unstoppable. People can key on her all they want. Nobody up to this point has been able to stop her. Her talent makes people aspire to be as good as her. She has carried us this year.”;

Adams describes Kauliakamoa as a competitive and calm leader. Adams said that Kauliakamoa is also a kind-hearted person who relates well with people and has a good sense of humor.

“;She is witty to no end,”; Adams said. “;Because she's such a good person, she gets treated well by others.”;

Kauliakamoa is majoring in computer science and plans to graduate in the spring. Although she would like to put her degree to work one day, Kauliakamoa still hopes to continue playing volleyball after college.

“;My sister and I always talk about professional beach volleyball,”; Kauliakamoa said. “;We watch Kerri Walsh and Misty May (Treanor). We're always like, 'we're going to be the new generation.'”;

Another possibility is starting a volleyball club with her sister and brother. But for now, the focus is for this current season, with Chaminade still in contention for a PacWest title.

“;It will take a lot of hard work, effort, communication and team building to make sure that we're all on the same level,”; Kauliakamoa said. “;We're trying to work at practice to get on one high level and pop up and be the team we should be.”;