In a much different way, Waiakea senior Kylee Ancheta is role model for all those looking to land a college scholarship.
She’s 5 feet 4 and was never voted to the All-BIIF first or second team for volleyball.
In fact, Ancheta was, sort of, demoted from setter to back-row defender in her final campaign for the BIIF runner-up Warriors.
She’s community-minded, involved in the New Hope Church, and insistent on boosting her 2.967 grade-point average.
Ancheta doesn’t seem like a candidate to be given a college scholarship. But she recently signed with Providence Christian College.
The first question she gets is: Aren’t you going to freeze to death on the East Coast?
No, she’s quick to point out. Her college is located in Pasadena, Calif., and the Sea Beggars will launch their volleyball program in the fall of 2015 and compete in the NAIA. (Sea Beggar is a Dutch pirate ship.)
“It’s a good fit to help build a program, and being a Christian, too,” Ancheta said. “It’s a brand new program for sports. There are 300 students. It’s a really small school.”
She had different offers from junior colleges, including schools in Oregon, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and New Jersey.
Even if she went to a college in Rhode Island ‘s cold capital, Ancheta was built for the weather, at least partially.
Her mom Sally Ancheta, the coalition coordinator for Tobacco Free East Hawaii, is from Alaska. Her dad Len Ancheta works at HPM and is in the National Guard.
Here’s an interesting piece of family trivia Ancheta can pass down to her children someday: Guess how grandpa and grandma Ancheta met?
Len and Sally were students at Hawaii Community College and set up a volleyball net together. The spirit of the sport was passed down.
When Ancheta was a two-year-old toddler (she has a younger brother), her first volleyball was a balloon that she bumped around.
When she reached Waiakea, Ancheta started at setter her first three years. In her senior season, she was a defensive specialist, and also a captain.
She took that role to heart. Leaders are supposed to set the best example, and put the team first. That’s what she did.
“It was a good learning experience to go from setter to defensive specialist,” she said. “I was ready to go no matter what. I was a captain, too, so I had a lot of responsibility. If something happened, I couldn’t let anything hold me back.
“Not everything comes easy. You have to work for it, remain motivated, have a positive mindset, and take care of what needs to be done. The team always comes first.”
Ancheta followed her own advice to secure a scholarship. She played club ball for HI Intensity, coached by Carla Carpenter-Kabalis, and sent out video.
Then one day, after school, she got a phone call from Justin Baker, the Sea Beggar coach, who offered a scholarship.
Ancheta will never forget that day. It was Feb. 4 — her birthday.
“It was a nice birthday present,” she said. “It’s really exciting and has opened doors for me, and it felt right.
“I got to meet the coach and talk with him, and he met my parents when my club team played in the Las Vegas Classic in February.”
Last season, Waiakea advanced to the HHSAA state tournament for the first time since 2010. It was Ancheta’s first state trip, as well as a worthwhile life lesson.
“I was never a BIIF first-team pick, but I was the OC16 Impact Player on TV (given to an inspirational player),” she said. “My parents have always told me to stay humble, work hard, listen and remain coachable.
“I think I’ve shown that there’s always a college where you can be a perfect fit. If you work hard and stay humble, you’re going to make it.”
During her spare time, Ancheta volunteers at Camp Agape. The mission of the four-day camp is to share God’s love with children whose parents are in prison.
“She’s an active member at New Hope Hilo and had given up preseason training time (during her BIIF senior year) to attend Legacy Camp, which helped her stay spiritually filled and become an even better team player,” Sally Ancheta said. “She’s very grounded, and spent most weekends helping with childcare for our bible study on Saturdays through high school. She has a huge heart.”
Sometimes, as the Sea Beggars may soon discover, the best role models don’t have the highest GPAs or the most accolades, instead they have the biggest hearts.
To submit an On Scholarship candidate, email kjakahi@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
