Kale Spencer sets the ball during Kamehameha Schools Maui’s win over King Kekaulike in the MIL Division I tournament final last Wednesday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Kale Spencer has been a trailblazer for Kamehameha Schools Maui for quite some time. That trend will continue for him in college.
Spencer told The Maui News on Friday that he will sign a scholarship agreement today to play volleyball at Long Island University.
LIU is an NCAA Division I team that finished 13-15 in its inaugural season in the sport when the season ended in March. Three of those losses came to the University of Hawaii — Spencer considered a walk-on offer from the Rainbow Warriors before deciding to take the LIU opportunity.
“It feels really good, it’s been a long time working on it,” Spencer said Saturday via phone. “And trying to weigh my best option, where to go to school, where to get an education and what I can possibly play.
“I feel really good that now I can do both (play volleyball and get an education) at the next level and just continue on with my career.”
Spencer is a four-sport athlete at KSM, currently leading the volleyball team that is seeded No. 4 in the New City Nissan/HHSAA Division I state tournament that will play in a quarterfinal on Thursday.
While LIU fields a Football Championship Subdivision team on the gridiron, Spencer — a first-team Maui Interscholastic League All-Star lineman — said he will be a volleyball-only athlete in college.
“Some of the factors were being able to go away and still play, I think that was a big deal,” Spencer said. “And that I have an opportunity to play soon and just to go be able to play at a D-I level.”
Spencer is intrigued about playing home matches in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“I know it’s a new place and it will take time to get used to, but I’m very excited and ready to go over there,” he said.
Spencer said that the Sharks came onto his radar in the last “couple months. I’ve been really late on the recruiting process — it’s kind of my fault, but I’ve been trying to get in contact with coaches as best I could. And that was one of the schools I got in contact with.”
From there, the Sharks moved quickly on the 6-foot-4, all-around standout who plays offseason for Outrigger Volleyball Club.
“We’ve just been discussing how I can pay for school and what opportunities I could possibly have going over there and playing,” Spencer said. “Right now, I’m thinking of going into the sports management program over there.”
Spencer said the chance to help establish a program is also part of the draw for LIU getting his services. He has not yet visited the campus.
“It’s very cool, I think that there’s a lot of possibilities with that and a lot of opportunity to start a program over there,” he said.
Spencer was the MIL first-team All-Star setter as a KSM freshman in 2019 but has been the team’s leading hitter this season after the two-year shutdown due to COVID-19.
He has also racked up assists this season as he helped a young team to the MIL championship.
“I don’t know yet — I think I would do good at both, but we’ll see when I get over there and start playing,” Spencer said. “I like to set.”
Spencer is very involved in Native Hawaiian issues and is the student body president at Kamehameha Maui this year. He relishes the opportunity to share that knowledge in New York City.
“I think it’s an amazing opportunity to spread aloha, like you said, and an opportunity to go away, take what I’ve learned here and apply it to my life over there,” he said. “I think it’s a great opportunity just to go over there and explore … overall just grow as a person.”
* Robert Collias is at .
- Kale Spencer sets the ball during Kamehameha Schools Maui’s win over King Kekaulike in the MIL Division I tournament final last Wednesday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
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