No, Alohi Doesn’t Bite
Some athletes find volleyball in high school. Others get recruited because they happen to be tall enough to change light bulbs without a ladder. Then there is Alohi. She started at four. Most kids that age are still arguing with gravity. She was already dealing with serves.
“That’s crazy you asked that,” she said when we opened with the question everyone asks. “I’ve been playing volleyball since I was four years old. My parents played volleyball and coached volleyball for a very long time, my dad is still coaching to this day, he’s been coaching college for a long time, and I’ve been in the gym for as long as I remember. Credit goes to my parents, my uncles and my aunties, all my family.”
Imagine growing up in a family reunion where the small talk is rotations and blocking schemes. The sport raised her like a second set of parents.
And then she comes back to the Philippines, to a league that has mutated since 2019. More athletes. More firepower. More everything. Basically the MCU of volleyball.
“It’s definitely different now than playing in 2019, I think. There’s a lot more players, a lot more athleticism from all the ladies. I love to see it and I hope it grows and grows and grows.”
Every import has that dramatic moment when they feel like they belong. Cue the slow-motion montage. Crowd cheering. Emotional soundtrack. But Alohi, ever the realist, shrugs at the idea.
“I don’t know… that’s a good question. Just believing in myself, being confident in what I could do on the court. Ever since I came here on day one, especially being here before in 2019, and seeing the culture of volleyball here, it made me think that this is awesome and I could play anywhere. That’s the competitive nature that I have.”
Confidence, she says. Not divine revelation. Not a Hollywood turning point. Just the stubborn belief that she can play anywhere. And she can.
Filipino fans love quickly. They attach faster than super glue. See you play well once and suddenly your face is on someone’s lock screen. But Alohi wants fans to know she is perfectly approachable.
“Umm, I don’t bite! (Laughs). I don’t bite! Don’t ever be scared to approach me, ask for a picture. I will be more than welcome to take pictures, just to appreciate the support and know that we’re working hard on and off the court to do our jobs, which is to play volleyball and show up for our fans. So please, please, please, just keep supporting and just love us as much as we love you.”
If you are worried she is homesick, don’t be. She has a secret weapon. Two, actually. Facetime and Gabe Norwood.
“Just FaceTime,” she starts, when asked how she keeps herself grounded while being far from home. “FaceTime is huge, but also the biggest thing is having my cousin here, Gabe Norwood and his family. Just being able to hang out with them and just truly having a family here has been a massive blessing. It’s a home away from home and I love it.”
Imports say they want to leave a mark. Alohi, however, wants her teammates to leave with something invisible but durable.
“I just hope they can keep their confidence and prove that confidence in themselves. The biggest thing that I want them to know is confidence will take you to many places no matter what you do, especially in volleyball. You have to be confident, you have to be true to yourself and know who you are.”
Nothing fancy. Nothing embroidered with inspirational clichés. Just confidence. The kind she grew up with since she was learning to walk and pass at the same time.
And before we packed up, she left us with her final roll call of affection.
“I love this team, I love the Philippines, I love the fans, I love the media, so thank you guys so much!”
There it is. Alohi. A player raised by volleyball, tempered by competition, and kept steady by FaceTime and family. She plays like someone who has nothing to prove and everything to enjoy. And sometimes it just starts at four years old.
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