About Coach Tita.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tita Ahuna began her love for volleyball as a starting freshman on the Kamehameha Schools Girls Varsity team. Not only did she start as a freshman on the Varsity Volleyball team, but also basketball team and softball team. During her senior year at Kamehameha she was given the opportunity to participate in Track & Field, unable to do so sooner since the season interfered with basketball. During her first season she earned the ILH High Jump Championship title.

 

Tita was offered Division I College scholarships for softball, basketball and volleyball. Although her first love was basketball, she recognizedthat given her height, she may have more opportunities in volleyball. Thus began her days as a UH Rainbow Wahine. In 1987, Tita captained her team, that year defeating Stanford for the NCAA Division I National Championship. The award that is most meaningful to Tita, that drives the passion she has for future student-athletes is the Jack Bonham award. Awarded in 1988, she was recognized for her athletic excellence, academic achievement, public service, leadership and character.

 

Following her senior year, Tita then competed on the USA National B Team in Zagreb, Croatia, formerly known as Yugoslavia.

 

Coach Tita Ahuna started her coaching career as the Kamehameha Schools Boys Varsity Volleyball Head Coach where she led the Warriors to two state championships in just four years.

 

She then went on to pursue her passion of volleyball further as the Head Coach and Senior Women's Administrator at Hawaii Pacific University. As the head women's volleyball coach the team won two NCAA National Championship titles, one NCAA Pacific Region Championship and four Pacific West Conference championships. In 2000 she was recorded as the only coach in NCAA Division II history to win a perfect season with 28 wins, 0 losses. She holds this record till this day. The same year Coach Tita won the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year. Coach Tita is also recognized as the only person in Hawaii volleyball history to win High School State Championships and National collegiate titles as both a player and a coach.

 

• 1998 & 2000 NCAA DII National Championship

• 2000 AVCA/NCAA DII National Coach of the Year

• 1998 AVCA/NCAA DII Pacific Region Coach of the Year

• 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 Pac West Coach of the Year

• 2000 Sports Woman of the Year, Honolulu Quarterback Club

 

Since her eras as player and coach, Tita is now giving back to the community that has supported her throughout her career. In 2009, Tita began TAVA, or Tita Ahuna's Volleyball Academy. There she and her team of coaches has supported hundreds of student athletes through volleyball instruction and club competition. One of TAVA's goals is to see its senior student-athletes use volleyball as a vehicle to a higher education. TAVA assists college seeking players by guiding them throughout the recruiting process, helping them to market themselves, and traveling to areas that will help them to be seen. In, 2011, the program was expanded to include TAVA Tots, teaching the youngest athletes, ages 4 - 9 basic athletic skills to give them a quick start into any sport of their choice. The most recent addition to the TAVA programs, is the TAVA Leadership Team, bringing TAVA Juniors together with TAVA Tots through mentorship, leadership training and opportunities, and offering club volleyball scholarships as an incentive for hard work.