College Sport: Skip caught by surprise

Mangere College student Gloria Aiono has had a busy year playing at school, club, regional and international level. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Gloria Aiono says she was surprised to win the ASB Young Sportsperson of the Year award for girls' volleyball a few days ago.

She shouldn't have been. The 17-year-old Mangere College student is coming off a very successful year of volleyball at school, club, regional and international level.

Aiono edged other finalists Imogen Francis of Westlake GHS and Rachael Gunn of Rangitoto for the gong.

"They were finalists last year, so I thought, 'damn, I'm not going to get it'," quipped Aiono.

But giving her the edge was the fact she played for the New Zealand women's team this year and was an integral part of the Oceania Orcas in the Australian league, which finished last month. That put some pressure on Aiono around exam time, but she got through it.

"At times I felt like I would have to give up volleyball just to get my schoolwork done, but my parents have always supported me in doing that," she said before her father whipped over to make sure she had the correct shoes for the photo.

Aiono, a fixture in the Mangere premier girls' team since Year 9, captained them to third in the Auckland schools championship and seventh at the nationals this year.

She can be vocal, belying her shy disposition, and is a lead-by-example sort of skipper. The girls all respect her for her ability and leadership.

Mangere coach Nancy Palelei also coaches Aiono at the Manukau South club, which hold trainings at the school. "She's a very good allround player," said Palelei. "People always compare her with her sister [Vaovai] because both have won the ASB volleyball award ... It's been a full-on year for her. We'll miss Gloria. She's one of a kind."

Aiono is bound for the University of Auckland, where she intends to study psychology. The daily volleyball training will continue and then she plans to follow in her sister's footsteps and take up a volleyball scholarship to a US college. The siblings combined in 2013 to help Mangere to their last Auckland schools title.

Aiono is more comfortable in the "outside" position on court but, if Palelei calls on her, she can set or spike as the team situation demands. Tall, with good levers and strong through the legs and hips, she is the ideal volleyball build. She says she was almost exclusively a spiker two years ago, but her skillset is much wider now.

Those skills were to the fore as the Orcas beat Brisbane earlier this year, thanks to a late, well-executed play by Aiono.

There is plenty of volleyball talent in South Auckland, where the game is widely played in schools, and the New Zealand women's coaches have had their eye on Aiono for some time, bringing her into the squad for trainings and two games this year.

"The New Zealand coach is often emailing asking if she is available to do this or go to a training camp," said Palelei.

For now, Aiono is enjoying a short break before getting back into training. It's a long volleyball year, but she wouldn't have it any other way.