Hall pass: Micah Ma’a

Punahou never rebuilds, it just reloads with guys like Micah Ma’a.

With Hall of Honor recepient Larry Tuileta gone, the Buffanblu boys volleyball team was supposed to come back to the pack a little bit. But everything seemed just the same, if not better, as Punahou cruised to another state crown.

A huge part of that seamless transistion was provided by Micah Ma’a, and he will be rewarded for it with induction into the Enterprise / HHSAA Hall of Honor June 7 at Dole Cannery Square’s Pomaikai Ballroom.

Ma’a was in Tuileta’s shadow for much of his career, only because Tuileta was the big hitter. Ma’a earned his first state championship as a freshman, when he was a setter and dished out 42 assists, 20 of them to Tuileta, in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii. Nobody in state tournament history has dished out as many assists in a state tournament final, the next highest effort is 36.

Ma’a earned first-team all-state honors from the Star-Advertiser, the first of four such honors capped with his first player of the year award this year.

He dished out 28 more assists in the state championship in his senior year, then transitioned into a hitter. It was far from a stretch, as he put down 20 kills (to Tuileta’s 16) as a junior and added 26 as a senior with Tuileta gone, representing 26 percent of his team’s offense after being 20 percent of it the year before. His 26 kills in this year’s state final are fifth most all time behind Evan Enriques of Kamehameha-Hawaii twice and Emmett Enrigues of KS-Hawaii and Brad Lawson of Iolani once. He and Evan Enriques are the only hitters to put down more than 20 kills in more than one state final, but Ma’a won both of his matches and Enriques lost both of his.

Punahou shared the ball enough to win four ILH and four state titles in Ma’a’s time, and he added numerous club titles with elite Ka Ulukoa. Despite being the most dangerous hitter in the state as a senior, he was named the best setter while winning a NORCECA gold medal during his senior year.

Ma’a’s volleyball exploits probably would have been enough to get him into the hall, he is headed to UCLA to play under current USA Olympic volleyball coach John Speraw, but he didn’t limit his state titles to his best sport.

Ma’a made the varsity on the Punahou basketball team in all four years, contributing to ILH and state titles as a freshman despite not getting off the bench for the Buffanblu’s wins in the state semis and championship game. He continued to develop, earning 15-17 minutes a game as a senior. His winning tally in basketball ends with two ILH titles and a state crown.

With such a bright future in volleyball, Ma’a would have been excused for not playing football but he wouldn’t back down. With Tuileta at the controls of the offense, Ma’a became one of the quarterback’s most reliable receivers. He played in three straight state championship games, losing as a sophomore and senior but winning as a freshman. With Tuileta gone, Ma’a joined with fellow Hall of Honor receipent Kanawai Noa to ease the burden on his new replacement and scored five tourchdowns.

Punahou has put at least one athlete in the Hall of Honor for each of the past eight years, but he and Noa are the only ones to earn letters in more than two sports. The Buffanblu have put 10 athletes in the hall in the last four years.

Hall of Honor Members