Stacy Kaneshiro | SL

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WAIANAE - From Maili Community Park to the University of Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House.

That is the future route of Waianae High junior Haiti Tautua'a. The 6-foot setter/outside hitter recently gave an oral commitment to play for the No. 4-ranked Panthers.

"To be recruited by Pittsburgh (the then) No. 1 team in the country, I think it's a great honor, especially coming from Waianae," Seariders 

co-coach Kaena Keiki said. "Not too many kids go out to the D-1 world and to be showcased like that, I'm very happy and honored that she's actually here at Waianae."

Haiti will not be the only Division I player in her family. Her sister Heipua (Waianae 2020) is in her second season at San Diego State, where she flourished last season as a starting outside hitter. Haiti chose a different path, one much farther away.

"They're a very good program academically and athletically," Haiti said of her choice of college. "And they're really ranked high and they offered me a full-ride scholarship."

Haiti said she took a recruiting visit recently and told the Panthers soon after she would accept their scholarship offer.

She won't be the lone Hawaii player at Pitt. Haiti will join 2018 Kamehameha graduate and All-Hawaii setter Lexis Akeo, whose older sister Kamalani is the director of volleyball operations at Pitt.

Haiti was raised in a volleyball family. Her parents - Francis and Brandy - are varsity assistants and JV coaches. Haiti's home is across the street from the community park, where she honed her skills. She has refined her game with her club team, Spike & Serve, which is led by Olympian Kevin Wong. But she brings more than physical skills to the court.

"She's very mature," Keiki said, "especially coming from a volleyball background, her family and her club team, Spike & Serve. They actually groomed her to be a leader and that's what I've seen the first day I walked into the gym. I noticed there was a different confidence in her. There's a fine line between cockiness and confidence and she shows much more confidence than anything else."

Although just a junior, Keiki was impressed with Haiti's leadership that she was named one of the captains.

"She leads by example every single day," Keiki said. "She's the first one in, last one out and I believe if she puts her mind to it, she can do it."

The Seariders (1-0) are coming off a sweep of Campbell. They resume action Monday when they host Pearl City on Monday.