Olivia Powell
Assistant Coach
16s Mana Wahine Koa
Aloha everyone! 🤙🏽
My name is Jade Laikona, and I’m Jacob Laikona’s daughter. I’m also currently preparing for my newest and probably biggest role yet — becoming a mom! 🥹💗 My baby is due November 8th, so I’m definitely entering a very exciting chapter of life!
I was born and raised here in Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve pretty much lived all over the Valley, so Phoenix has always been home to me. I graduated from McClintock High School, where I continued developing my love for volleyball. After high school, I played one year of college volleyball at Park University. Unfortunately, I eventually grew out of playing competitively and decided to step away from college, but I never lost my love for the sport.
I played volleyball for about 10 years, and for most of those years, my dad was my coach. He was a huge part of why I fell in love with the sport in the first place. He always believed in me, supported me, and pushed me to become a better player. He even created a club for my cousins and me because he saw potential in us and wanted to give us the opportunity to grow, compete, and succeed. Looking back, I’m really grateful for those experiences because they shaped not only the player I became, but also the coach I’m becoming today.
For the past 2 years, I’ve had the opportunity to coach alongside my dad as an assistant coach. I’ve helped with both boys’ and girls’ teams, and I’ve been able to experience different age groups, personalities, and levels of play. Being able to learn from my dad while also developing my own coaching style has been such a cool experience.
One thing I really enjoy about coaching is getting to watch athletes grow — not just as volleyball players, but as people. Seeing a player gain confidence, overcome something they’ve struggled with, or finally have that “aha!” moment is one of my favorite parts of coaching. I know how much of an impact a coach can have on an athlete because I experienced it myself growing up.
Outside of volleyball, I’m usually spending time with my family, my dogs, or getting ready for this next crazy adventure of becoming a mom. 😂 I’m excited to continue learning, growing, and being part of this ʻohana, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and hearing everyone’s stories!
Excited to be here! 🤙🏽🏐❤️