It was hard for Kolby Kanetake to find the words in July. It's still a challenge in August.
On Monday, the University of Hawai‘i women's volleyball team took the floor for the first time as a team under new head coach Joshua Walker, taking on Chaminade in an exhibition. The Rainbow Wahine were slated to play at Hawai‘i-Hilo in an exhibition match on Saturday, but the contest was called off due to Tropical Storm Lala.
No person in the Stan Sheriff Center was connected to both the Rainbow Wahine and Silverswords more than Kanetake, who departed Chaminade in order to become Walker's first assistant coach hire for UH in July. Kanetake, who was an AVCA All-American libero for the Hawai‘i men's team from 2013 to 2016, began his coaching career as soon as his collegiate playing career ended.
Following stints as a student assistant at UH, a volunteer assistant at California and an assistant coach for the San Francisco beach and indoor teams, Kanetake's career blossomed at Chaminade under head coach Kahala Kabalis Hoke. Kanetake, who joined the Silverswords in 2020, was elevated to associate head coach in 2021. In 2024, he was named the AVCA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year.
When his alma mater came calling in July, the most challenging part of the process was telling Kabalis Hoke.
"It was super hard. It's one of the hardest things I've had to do because she has been such a big part of not just my career, but my my life," Kanetake told Aloha State Daily on Monday night. "Having her as a mentor has been amazing, and so it definitely was a really hard decision. But she supported me, and that's just the kind of person that she is. Still just super grateful to have her in my life as a mentor and one of my best friends."
Returning to the Stan Sheriff Center for the first time in years as a coach was already enough of an emotional day for Kanetake. Seeing his former team on the other side of the net and visiting with them before the match only amplified the experience.
"It was really great being back here. A lot of great memories in this place, mostly playing," Kanetake said. "And then playing against Chaminade, definitely mixed emotions."
Said Kabalis Hoke: "Tears from our team, tears from him and I and the coaching staff. We miss him dearly, but we're so happy for him and excited for him in this new journey. I definitely caught myself looking over at him and the bench, kind of giving a smile, whether it was them winning the point or us winning the point. We miss him and we're just really excited for him."
On the floor, the Rainbow Wahine took all four of the scheduled sets, winning 25-20, 25-16, 25-10, 25-13 as both teams shook off the rust of limited practice time due to the storm.
Following the match, nearly every member of Chaminade's team went up to Kanetake for hugs. A former player in the crowd even gave him a large AI-generated sign of him facing off against the Silverswords.
Members of Chaminade's women's volleyball team approach Kolby Kanetake after Monday's exhibition. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Chaminade head coach Kahala Kabalis Hoke jokes with Kolby Kanetake in Monday's postgame handshake line. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff)
"Kolby is extremely passionate about what he does. He wanted to make sure he was there later than me, before me, and he's done so much for me as far as helping me push the team to new heights," said Kabalis Hoke, who along with Kanetake guided Chaminade to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2021 to 2024. "I'm going to be forever appreciative of him.
"(Saying goodbye) was tough, yet I knew it was the right thing if I wanted to support him in his dreams, and I encouraged him to take that opportunity because how many times is he going to get chances like that? And so he's so deserving of it, and I just want nothing but the best for him."
For Hawai‘i, regular season play begins with three matches in three days at the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic, beginning with Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. on Aug. 28 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Chaminade's season, meanwhile, will begin on Thursday at the Hawai‘i-Alaska Challenge on the Big Island. Chaminade will open against Alaska Anchorage at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
With both teams going their separate ways following Monday's exhibition, count Walker among those glad Kanetake is moving forward with his team.
"I think he's happy that we won. But I think it's just kind of twofold because the last time he was really here was as a player, too. For him, just battling a lot of emotions as far as working with that group. They had a lot of success, but he's here because he wants to continue to help UH and us to be as great as possible," Walker said of Kanetake. "So, yeah, he was great. He's been great for us. I'm glad we got him."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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