Setter Norene Iosia has more responsibilities than the ball cart on road trips.
Although just a freshman, she earned the position of starting setter for the 37-4 Redondo Union Volleyball team, which is making a run at the CIF State title. Iosia, who has been playing the game for seven years, doesn’t look at herself as a freshman, but just a volleyball player.
At the early age of six, she started playing with a 12-year-old club team at Starlings South Bay alongside her cousin Saitaua Iosia, a Long Beach Poly alum and University of Maryland Eastern Shore star.
"I’ve been around volleyball and in the gym since I was just a baby, so I just wanted to be like my older sister and cousins." Iosia said.
Iosia's athleticism is no surprise when you look at the Iosia family.
Norene was coached by her dad at Starlings South Bay for four years, where he made sure she was well trained in every position. Her father played football and volleyball in high school and went on to play volleyball at L.A. Harbor College and was the starting setter for the American Samoa National Volleyball team, which won a silver medal at the South Pacific Games in 1991.
But the list goes on.
Her mother played softball and volleyball in high school; her older sister Naomi played volleyball at Hope University; her brother Nate plays rugby; another brother, Nehemiah, plays on the boys volleyball team at Redondo; and at the age of 10, her younger sister Nalani has already logged three years of club volleyball.
Her youngest brother Nazareth is six and if history holds true, will be starting something soon.
Iosia started to focus on setting about four years ago when she started playing at Long Beach Mizuno. She ran a 6-2 offense, which allowed her to set and hit. In the past few years, she has shifted to specialize in her setting, which brought her to her tryout at Redondo Union.
"I have my practice structure a little bit like Anson Dorrance from North Carolina Women's soccer," Redondo Union head coach Tommy Chaffins said. "We have a lot of one-on-one battles within the 6-on-6 setting. As with all of our players, the player who wins the drill gets the opportunity to start.
"One particular drill stands out, in a drill we call baseball (if you win the serve receive, you get free balls until the other team stops you, then that is one out), Our "A" squad with Norene setting beat our "B" squad, 44-5.
"At that moment, I knew our team had the chance to be outstanding."
From then on, Iosia has been the calm quarterback of a team of college-bound upperclassmen in senior outside hitter Skylar Dykstra (UCLA), junior opposite Brianna Lanktree (Virginia Tech) senior middle blocker Hannah Mosebar, senior libero Katie Rotondo and sophomore middle blocker Abril Bustamante.
"I don’t look at myself as only a freshman, but just a volleyball player," Iosia said. "I don’t look at them as seniors, juniors or sophomores but just as my teammates. So, it’s not weird at all.
Iosia has led the Seahawks to an impressive 37-4 record this year including a third-place finish at the heralded Durango Classic in Las Vegas, first place at the Dave Mohs Tournament and a win at their own Redondo Power Classic. Iosia has racked up an impressive 818 assists, 188 digs and 55 aces thus far.
"This season has been really fun and exciting with these girls. Such a big difference from middle school for sure," Iosia said.
Chaffins had no worries trusting the freshman to run his offense.
"Her skill set is so high, but luckily for me, she is well grounded due to her parents," said Chaffins. "Norene is never satisfied with her performance, she always wants to improve. She has humility, an endearing trait to her teammates and coaches.
"Norene could play every position, and play them all well. Besides her obvious setting talents, Norene has an uncanny sense of how to position herself where the ball is going to be. Her father has taught her well and Norene never makes the same mistake twice, and frankly, makes very few errors."
After a heartbreaking loss to Marymount in the CIF Southern Section DI-AA title match (25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13) the Seahawks are still alive in the CIF State Tournament after a win over Palisades, 3-0 in the first round. They will face Torrey Pines on Friday in San Diego. The last time they played Torrey Pines was in Durango, where they lost in two sets.
The frosh is moving on and has a positive outlook on postseason play.
"We can’t change the past; we just have to focus on our next opponent," Iosia said. "I will let coach Chaffin’s do the coaching and I can just focus on the next play and do my best to help my teammates better their game.
In Chaffins' career at Redondo, he has never seen a freshman have a better season.
"She has had one of the best freshman seasons of any player I have ever seen, none better as a freshman setter."
When asked of her talents, Chaffins’ list goes on and on: "Calmness from our quarterback, precision setting, blocking, ripping jump serves, setting the hot hitter.
"Volleyball I.Q., efficient movements in all areas of the game and her ability to place the ball wherever she want to. She can bump-set the quick fairly accurately. She has just amazing touch on the ball."
Iosia is quite well grounded and doesn’t let any hype get to her as she looks more like a senior than a freshman with her movements on the court. Unlike many first-time high school starters, Iosia has an uncanny sense of calmness and maturity about her.
"I always try to stay calm when I play so I can focus on getting the ball where I need to for my teammates and nothing really rattles me," Iosia said. "I think after playing as long as I have been and with all my training I’m just comfortable and confident to do my job on the court."
Universities like UCLA and Hawaii are already showing interest in her but she has not decided where she wants to play yet.
"I’m not sure," Iosia said. "I just want to play volleyball."
