Orem • The way the season ended last year for Pleasant Grove and go-to outside hitter Kazna Tarawhiti was tough to say the least.
While Lone Peak celebrated wildly a state championship that only ended with a 17-15 score in the fifth set, Tarawhiti was among the Vikings at a loss as to what to do next.
It was her father, Wayne Tarawhiti, who suggested she go over to the victors.
“She looked at me and said ‘You’re crazy.’ I said, ‘I could be,’” Wayne Tarawhiti said. “We went over and congratulated the coaches and every player. They elevated their game that night because they knew that, if they could stop her, they had a chance.
“And they told her that. It was quite an exercise for her to trust me — and she did.”
The tough fight these days isn’t just during the biggest matches of the year for Kazna’s dad. Wayne has been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a rare cancer that prevents the body from producing enough healthy blood cells.
Around 12,000 people contract forms of MDS every year in the United States, according to the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation. Although Wayne Tarawhiti has slowed down since he had a bone marrow transplant in March, he’s a fixture at Pleasant Grove games.
As the Vikings beat Hillcrest in an opening-round match then took a 25-22, 25-11, 25-9 victory over Syracuse in the quarterfinals Thursday at Utah Valley University, dad was on the ground floor mostly trying to keep his distance from other spectators but with a protective mask ready in case crowds drew near.
“My dad’s going through all the hard stuff, but he’s keeping a positive mindset,” said Kazna, who had eight kills in the win over the Titans. “He’s definitely been a great example to me and my team.”
Wayne calls it “a challenge.”
“I’ll be here because I love watching my daughter play, but physically it’s pretty vexing,” Wayne admitted.
Kazna, a 5-foot-10 senior, plans to play at Utah Valley University when she graduates from high school.
That’s the same site where the Vikings have suffered heartbreak in championship losses the last two years.
Pleasant Grove coach Allyce Jones said that Wayne Tarawhiti is always there for the team in times of celebration and trouble.
“Wayne wouldn’t miss any game. He has his ups-and-downs, but he’s going to be at every match,” Jones said. “And there’s even situations when he’ll come talk to our team when we’re struggling.
“He’s a big influence in our program.”