Former Puns standout Porter flourishing in new role at Stanford

Brock Jones | ScoringLive

For Evan Porter, the position that he plays on the court seems to be a distant second to the impact he wants to make on it.

An outside hitter during his years at Punahou, the now Stanford freshman has now moved over to the libero position, where he has started every game this season for the Cardinal.

And while he may not be racking up kills like he did as a Buffanblu, his personal numbers or accolades are not a measuring stick by any means, something instilled in him from his early playing days.

"I was built at Punahou and at Outrigger, but more in the sense of I lead by example, the way I choose to carry myself," said Porter. "Just being in a culture where everybody wants to win more than anything else and does it for each other, that's really what I've gained from being at Punahou and growing up in Hawaii."

Rick Tune, his former head coach at Punahou, is not surprised at all by the transition Porter has made.

"It was not a stretch," said Tune. "I mean as an outside hitter you're passing all the time, and at libero you're just changing where you're passing and (doing it) for the majority of the time."

But what sets Porter in a different class is what he's brought to the table as a leader, despite it being his first year in the program.

"I think the one of the underrated things that Evan brings to the court is his unbelievable leadership," said Tune. "I watched the game a little bit last night and to see a freshman on the court like that with upperclassman really leading the ship, like I mean, all those kids were leaders, but Evan was right there leading with them."

Intangibles aside, the numbers tell the story as well. Through eight matches, Porter leads the team with 60 digs and is second on the team in assists with 14.

"Remember this is only the first year he's ever played libero," said Tune. "As he learns the position and grows into the position he's going to get better and better. We're still scratching the surface of where he's going to be."

The Cardinal just wrapped up a two game series against the Rainbow Warriors, where they earned a series split, and marked first game action for Porter as a collegian back in the 808.

"Just looking around, seeing a bunch of familiar faces and support from everyone is something I've worked so hard for," said Porter following this first match. "I'm in a moment right now and I'm truly blessed by everything that's happened to me."

As nice as it was to make a return to the 50th state, for Porter it seems he's found a home at Stanford, and the ties that exist between Hawaii and Palo Alto are definitely not lost on him.

"There's huge Hawaii ties at Stanford, and there always has been," said Porter. "I'm battling for everyone that's been or going to be at Stanford from Hawaii. It's just a wonderful network and I'm blessed to be a part of it."

Returning home for matches at Manoa also meant a reunion on the floor with former Kamehameha standout Kainoa Wade.

"Dude is one of my best friends, seeing him across the net just makes me smile, and he knows not to hit at me," Porter grinned.

When asked to reflect on his playing days at Punahou, Porter had this to say.

"Trying out my sophomore year for the volleyball team I never imagined making it anywhere further than that," he remarked. "But everyday you put in the hard work and you never know what could come of it."