2016 All-State Fab 15 volleyball slide show

For all of the great players to come out of Hawaii for the past quarter century, ‘Iolani outside hitter Elena Oglivie‘s potential stands right alongside them.

Oglivie is the first freshman to be named player of the year by a newspaper in Hawaii. Previously, the highest finishing freshman was fourth, which Alohi Robins-Hardy of Kamehameha did in 2010.

You can read the full story that appeared in today’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser here.

That puts the freshman on a pretty elite list of some of the greats of the game. Three of them went on to star at Hawaii, while Robins-Hardy and Pang found stardom elsewhere.

Freshmen who have made all-state first teams:
Elena Oglivie, 2016 ‘Iolani
Alohi Robins-Hardy, 2010 Kamehameha
Tai Manu-Olevao, 2008 Punahou
Kelly Pang, 2005 ‘Iolani
Liz Kaaihue, 2003 Punahou
Aneli Cubi-Otineru, 2001 Punahou

That’s not to say Oglivie is destined to join them with college greatness. It is too far a leap, but she is on the right track. Oglivie is still waiting for her first offer but has 12 schools interested.

The honor also puts Oglivie on track for an even greater list. In all the years of All-State lists, only Robins-Hardy and Manu-Olevao have made first team four straight years.

There was only the Honolulu Advertiser’s all-state team from 1988 to 1999, and the first team was limited to six. The Star-Bulletin didn’t have its first all-state team until 2000.

A few notes on this year’s Fab 15, followed by All-State first team lists from the past:

>> Ally Wada is the first HBA player to be first team in consecutive years since Sarah Palmer in 2007-2009. Wada is a junior and can match her next year.
>> Iolani has put seven players on the first team and had the last two players of the year (Bailey Choy won it last year) after being shut out in 2014.
>> Kahuku put three players on the Fab 15, the first time ever.
>> Syenna Masaki is Kalaheo’s first ever Fab 15 selection
>> Kamehameha led the selections with four this year, down from five last year. They have had at least one player on the all state lists every year since 2004.
>> Chandler Cowell is King Kekaulike’s first selection since Leahi Hall in 2000. Those two are the only King Kekaulike players to make the first team.
>> This is the first year since 2012 that a Molina is not on the first team.
>> Le Jardin had never had a first-team selection until last year when Kassidy Naone made it. She repeated and Nina Krupa joined her this year.
>> Punahou did not have a representative on the first team for the first time since 2005.
>> The player of the year has come from the ILH every year since 2002 when the Star-Bulletin selected Tuli Peters of Kahuku.