Kainoa Wade, a star player for Kamehameha, has been considering reclassifying to graduate early in order to join the Hawaii men’s volleyball team a year ahead of schedule. On Wednesday night, Wade confirmed this plan after his team’s loss to Punahou, stating that it is definitely in the works. His intention is to graduate from Kamehameha in December and enroll at UH Manoa in January to play for his father, Charlie Wade, starting in the 2025 season.
Wade’s performance in the match against Punahou, where he recorded 34 kills, drew praise from Punahou coach Rick Tune who called him “Superman”. Wade has been in contact with UH freshman setter Tread Rosenthal, who also graduated early to join the team at a young age. If everything goes as planned, the upcoming state tournament in May will be Wade’s last chance to try and secure a championship for Kamehameha, who last won the title in 2011.
Despite Kamehameha’s current standing in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Wade remains confident in his team’s abilities and believes they have what it takes to compete for the championship. He gave his verbal commitment to play for UH last June, after a standout performance during the state championship match in which he was named the unanimous state player of the year. Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii and can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com