SOUTH PUGET SOUND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
VOLLEYBALL
YOU SHOULD BE HERE A Note From Coach Kuaea Being a Clipper student-athlete means more than competing in the sport you love and attending classes, but striving towards academic and athletic excellence in order to create team and personal success. The volleyball program and coaches offer a positive environment and team culture while instilling core values you can use on and off the court. The key to being a successful student-athlete is to learn how to focus on the PROCESS rather than the OUTCOME. Focusing on the now and things that you can control rather than the past and future which are things outside of your control will lead to excellence. Also, learning a positive balance between academics, athletics, work and personal life creates tranquility and room for improvements. This is a time in your life where you have the opportunity to start over, build new relationships and friendships, make mistakes and learn from them, along with experiencing a new academic realm. I have the privilege to share my story as a student-athlete at the junior college and university level and help develop and build on the attributes you bring to the team and school. I coach to help my players become women of empathy and honesty, who will lead, be accountable, and change the world for good. My main goal by the time you graduate SPSCC and the volleyball program, not only are you able to leave with new skills and techniques to compete at the next level of play, but with a sense of community, a team of coaches and friends who are proud of your accomplishments, and tools that can be used to further your life after athletics. Go Clippers!
MEET THE COACHES Tusalava G. Kuaea, Head Coach Tusalava G. Kuaea was named the Head Coach at South Puget Sound Community College in March 2018. Prior to SPSCC, Kuaea served as a long term substitute algebra teacher and head volleyball and discus coach at Lakes High School. Kuaea served there for three years and took the team to post season for the first time in six years. Kuaea was raised in Lakewood and grew up in the Clover Park School District and attended Tacoma Community College on an athletics scholarship after high school to complete her first two years. She then was recruited and received an athletic scholarship to become a Cotton Blossom at the University of Arkansas at Monticello where she finished her student-athlete career and attained a BS in Health and Physical Education, while minoring in Coaching. Kuaea also coaches club volleyball for South Sound VBC for the past nine years and has ran multiple camps and clinics offered to all ages. Currently, Kuaea is earning her Master’s in Coaching and Athletic Administration at Concordia University- Irvine and will finish in fall 2021.
Lehualani Keka, Assistant Coach Lehualani Keka is an alumni of both Highline College and The Evergreen State College. Originally from the Big Island of Hawaii, Keka was recruited to play volleyball at Highline College in 2015. After two amazing seasons at Highline, and graduating with her associate degree with an emphasis in education in 2017. Keka was recruited by The Evergreen State College and continued her student-athlete journey in Olympia. In 2019 she secured her Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies. Keka plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration and Leadership next. Keka has coached girls and women’s volleyball at all levels throughout the South Sound region for seven seasons. One of those seasons was as the assistant coach of the women’s volleyball team at The Evergreen State College.
NEARBY STUDENT HOUSING Apartment Type
Summer
Fall
Winter
Spring
Monthly Average
3 Bedroom, 2 Bath Shared
$938
$1,093
$1,093
$1,093
$442
Single
$1,725
$2,185
$2,185
$2,185
$690
ACADEMIC SUCCESS Coach Kuaea’s dual role as Head Volleyball Coach and Outreach & Admissions Specialist helps keep you on track to your goals. Whether you’re earning a transfer degree and leaving in junior standing to attend a 4-year university or completing a Professional Technical degree, you’ll get the support you need. Coach Kuaea is one of the main recruiters for SPSCC and is able to accommodate prospective students through the enrollment process, talk about different ways to pay for college, and cover campus culture.
PATHWAYS AT SPSCC Pathways at SPSCC allow you to take classes related to your interests, earn your degree faster, and graduate. spscc.edu/areas Arts & Communications
Government, Public, and Nonprofit Administration
Automotive, Welding & Manufacturing
Healthcare
Business, Finance & Office Administration
Information Technology
Cultural Studies
Science, Engineering & Math
Food, Beverage Arts & Hospitality
Social Services & Education
ABOUT OLYMPIA 44
280,588
January
Thurston County Population
74 July
Weather According to Weather Underground
Take a nature hike at Tolmie State Park, paddle board off Percival Landing, shop downtown or at The Olympia Farmer’s Market, and tour the State Capitol. These must-see spots burst with Olympia culture. Also explore Seattle, ocean beaches, and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest region, just about an hour away.
Skiing & Snowboarding
Hiking & Camping
Pacific Ocean Beaches
Two Seattle & Tacoma National Parks Sports Teams
PROGRAM GOALS • Develop student-athletes on and off the court by instilling skills and values that can be used in work and life after athletics. • Help students become prepared for the next student-athlete challenge, by either transferring to a 4-year institution to continue their academic and athletic goals, or entering their career. • Build relationships in the community and become an ambassador of the college while building a strong network. • Develop student-athletes to become strong women who are lifelong learners and kind people who are able to change society. CLIPPER ALUMNA: ABIGAIL GREEN, CLASS OF 2020 ASSOCIATE IN ARTS - DTA I struggled to find my place in the world, I grew up with a lack of guidance, support, or belief in myself. I always dreamed of going to college, but didn’t know how that would be possible, until I came to SPSCC. I walked into the gym the summer of 2018 to try out for the volleyball program. I was unqualified, but my attitude and effort led to Coach Tusalava giving me an opportunity of a lifetime. The moment I was accepted to the volleyball team changed my life forever. My future, and my dreams and goals, finally seemed possible. My time at SPSCC didn’t start the best academically. I went from no schooling to a full-time student-athlete schedule, while struggling with my mental health. Though, every time I lost my footing, Coach Tusalava, the Athletic Director Vernell, and every staff member at SPSCC reached out to help me. This program not only gave me an opportunity to better my life, they gave me a safe place to grow and learn, all while creating the best support system and family I have ever had. As I look back on my time here, I can’t imagine the life I would be living without them. I’m moving on to a four-year university to continue my volleyball career, while shooting for my goal to become a doctor, and I am in the best place mentally and physically I have ever been in. I am so grateful for my time at SPSCC and I’ll always remember it as the turning point in my life. Coach Tusalava showed me what it means to have a mentor, a support system, a friend, and a cheerleader. She showed me how to believe in myself because she never gave up on me, even when I wanted to. She has been my favorite person and my least favorite at times, but through it all she has taught me so much about how to be a student, an athlete, and an amazing young woman. I cannot thank Tusalava, Vernell, and all of SPSCC for teaching me everything I need to succeed in life.
SPSCC’s new Health & Wellness Center features a renovated gym, expanded weight room, and a new auxiliary gym.
VOLLEYBALL
JOIN THE TEAM tkuaea@spscc.edu 360-596-5446 spsccathletics.com