Tyla Reese Mane was originally just happy to make the team.
The 2021 ‘Aiea High School alumnus began her collegiate volleyball career at Casper College in Wyoming. After exhausting her junior college eligibility, she moved back home to the Islands, where she'd try to walk-on to the University of Hawai‘i, the team she grew up rooting for.
"It meant a lot to me," Mane recently recalled of making the roster back in 2023. "It was a blessing, and it was almost surreal when coach Robyn (Ah Mow) said that they wanted me to be on the team. When they sat me down, they were like, 'Hey, we want you to be on the team. You can take your time. You don't have to tell us yes right now.' But I was shaking, and I was like, 'I'm gonna tell you yes right now.'
"I want to come here and, especially growing as a UH fan and stuff, it was just me growing up, watching these girls play, watching everybody play, and then finally being able to be one of those people myself was just like, wow. Like insane, almost."
Mane redshirted her first season in Mānoa, pushing her teammates in practice while encouraging them during matches. Her presence on the team was valued by the coaching staff, so much so that she was put on scholarship prior to the 2024 season.
"Getting a scholarship, I definitely cried a lot with my family because I came on as a walk-on, but coach Rob awarded me a scholarship last year, and it just meant so much to me, because it kind of was a reward for my hard work," Mane said. "At the time I wasn't playing, it was more so the energy that I was giving off the court, the energy I was giving at practice, and the support that I was providing for my teammates, which is something that was big to me. If I can't give you anything on the court, I can't give you guys points, whatever. I want to be able to be here for my teammates and give them what I can."
In 2025, Mane's senior season, she has worked her way into becoming a regular player for the Rainbow Wahine. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter has appeared in all eight matches for the 4-4 Rainbow Wahine, logging 29 kills thus far.
"It's super awesome to see Tyla come into her own. She had one of the best fall training camps that we saw from any player," UH associate head coach Kaleo Baxter said. "She's getting her time now, and she's taking full advantage of it. So, just super proud of her hard work that she's put in over the course of all of her years here."
As the 'Bows embark on their first road trip of the season in California, which includes a match at No. 4 Stanford on Friday, Mane figures to see her role increase further due to a season-ending shoulder injury to starting outside hitter Tali Hakas.
Mane, whose father, James, is a prominent local comedian, is following in the footsteps of a handful of relatives who have played for the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine in softball and football in the 1990s and 2000s. With one last season to make her own mark on the program, she doesn't want to leave with any regrets.
"My biggest goal was playing, so got that one, but I don't have any specific goals. I think what I really want to do is just focus on making sure that this year, I don't want to let this year go to waste and kind of sit back and be like, 'Man, I wish I did this.' I kind of want to focus on doing my role and making sure when that last whistle blows and I'm finally done that I can sit back and be like, 'OK, I'm satisfied with what I gave to this whole thing,'" she said.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
