This wasn’t even a difficult decision for me—I knew from the start this was the libero I wanted. She is the definition of consistency and brings an undeniable sense of confidence to the back court. No matter the situation, she’s steady, composed, and always seems to make the right play.

She thrives in out-of-system situations, commands the back row with confidence, and instantly gives the players around her a sense of trust. She’s an elite serve receiver, does an outstanding job covering her hitters, and has incredible range that allows her to turn seemingly impossible balls into playable contacts.

What truly separates her is her leadership. She communicates constantly, organizes the defense, and elevates everyone sharing the court with her. Every great team needs a player who can stabilize the back row, and she’s exactly that. She was an absolute must-have for my roster.

Ok, no surprises here, I know, but I got to watch a lot of her this weekend and just wanted to jump on the bandwagon before I have to watch her on TV. This girl is the truth. Obviously, if she’s the no. 1 DS In all of AZ, which is no slouch for Volleyball, but the speed that she plays the game is just next level. I’ve seen some really quick girls cover a lot of ground, but generally there’s some diving and some pancakes involved. Our girl can cover that ground, but can do it standing up and be on to the next play before people even realize what happened. I guess you expect that when you’re talking about a Nebraska commit and heir to one of the greatest Lib situations in the country, but man, watching her is fun.

Pulelehua didn’t play this school season but that didn’t stop her from putting in work elsewhere. As a top level player in AZ and committed to NCAA powerhouse Nebraska, Pulelehua is someone you need to go watch. She has been on the UA invite list, NTDP camp as well, and is a top recruit nationally for the class of 2027. 

Let’s start with her serve, she has one of the best float serves out there, and if you are on the receiving end of one it is a tough ball to get a 3 pass on. Most teams end up partially out of system every time she serves or she aces them with the movement of her serve. On top of her high level serve you have one of the most fearless liberos out there as she routinely will fill the hole a block leaves and take a lot of hard driven balls that most girls wouldn’t go touch. She has the mindset of not letting any ball fall regardless of circumstance and that is my favorite part (RENTLESS is how I would describe her). On top of that she is loud and plays with a lot of energy and passion. WE love seeing that from liberos. 

Overall she is a technically sound libero, who can do a lot in serving, defense, and serve receive. She raises the level of her team, and plays with a fire that is needed for all levels. It is easy to see why she is going to a high level D1, and why she is one of the best players in the state.

Arizona Storm 17 Thunder may need the winter coats when they head to Minneapolis for the Northern Lights Qualifier this weekend.  Pulelehua Laikona is one of the top liberos in the field and will be heading to Big Ten country as she has given her verbal to play at Nebraska.  Laikona just has a natural feel for the game where there are plays you just say “How did she do that?”.  She anticipates at a high level, beats the ball to the spot, and does more than get a touch.  She is able to anticipate and keep her side of the net in system.  Storm should be one of the favorites for the weekend at NLQ.