Family ties bind Shadow Ridge’s Makaiwi to sport

As a freshman in 2010, Jalen Makaiwi came off the bench as a serve specialist on Shadow Ridge’s state championship volleyball squad.

But even back then he knew he was being groomed to take on a much larger role for the boys program — largely because the training came from his own family.

Makaiwi’s older brother Jeremy was the starting setter on that team. But the family’s connection to volleyball doesn’t stop there.

Parents Aaron and Josephine Makaiwi have volunteered as assistant coaches at Shadow Ridge since the school’s opening. Oldest sister Jeralynn played four years at UNLV, and freshman brother A.J. led the Mustangs’ junior varsity team to an undefeated season this year.

Rounding out the family is 7-year-old Lali, whom Jalen strongly contends is “going to be the best of us all.”

“I feel that my expectations for myself are high, and from other people,” said Jalen, a junior who has 329 assists, 23 aces and 97 digs in 18 matches. “People know who we are, and because of what my brother has done for me, it puts me in a situation where I have to step up and raise my standards. People expect more from me because of what my brother has done.”

But Jalen has risen to all those expectations, and even exceeded them, Jeremy said. Shadow Ridge is making its third straight trip to the Class 4A state tournament, which begins Tuesday at Chaparral. Palo Verde faces Silverado at 5 p.m., and Shadow Ridge meets Coronado at 7.

“It’s fun to watch him get better,” said Jeremy, now an assistant coach at Shadow Ridge. “From his freshman to his junior year, he’s put in so much work; he’s been a completely changed player. His freshman year, he was a role player, and now he’s a leader. He shows up, and these guys really depend on him.”

Playing the same position as his older brother leads to constant critiquing. When the diminutive setter misplays a set or handles a pass wrong, big brother often won’t even open his mouth to voice his displeasure.

“As a setter, I always critique him,” Jeremy said. “At certain times, I’ll just look at him, and he’ll know if it was the right set or a bad set. We just have this feeling, and sometimes I don’t need to say anything.

I can communicate just by looking at him — not verbally, but with eye contact. It’s a feeling that sometimes we have.”

After the lights have been turned off and the gym doors locked, volleyball is still a common topic in the Makaiwi household.

Amidst the backdrop of Lali’s “peppering” drills, Jeremy and Jalen have been known to talk into the night about a certain match or practice.

“We’re brothers, and we talk about volleyball on and off the court,” Jeremy said. “We’re always discussing it. We’re both on the same page, so it’s almost like I’m there with him (on the court).”

Jeremy was a basketball player before high school, evolving into a team leader after finally consenting to take up volleyball as a freshman.

But Jalen was the opposite, picking up the game early and looking forward to representing Shadow Ridge since sixth grade.

His role on the team has evolved, too. After Jeremy graduated in 2010, Jalen stepped into the role of setter, but started intermittently as he adapted to his new position

This season, the junior has stepped into his team captain role, leading the undefeated Mustangs in a quest for their third state title.

“It’s great to be able to share this experience with them year after year,” Jalen said. “Three other guys on the team have also won a state championship. We know what it’s like, and we want to go back and do it again.”

The Mustangs have plenty of examples to look to; besides Jeremy, first-year coach Trace Venable also won a state title with Shadow Ridge, and the program regularly features former players returning to coaching positions.

But Jalen’s connection to a certain assistant coach for setting is much stronger than any other.

“I had to prepare under the leadership of my brother. He was a captain for three years,” Jalen said. “Being able to watch how he plays, how he acts and how he leads, I use that as a tool so I can lead my own team.”