Kari Ambrozich is the longest tenured assistant coach in program history, helping Dave Shoji push the program through a myriad of success over the past 14 seasons.
During Ambrozich’s time on staff, the program has been to four national semifinal matches, 12 NCAA regionals and 14 NCAA Tournaments, while also consistently ranking as one of the best teams, academically, on campus.
Ambrozich’s main responsibilities include following the academic progress of the student-athletes, recruiting, providing technical training in practices, especially with the setters, and handling much of the administrative duties in the volleyball office.
Specializing in setting, Ambrozich has coached seven all-conference setters in her 13 years on staff, continuing the rich history of setting excellence at UH.
In her first two seasons, she coached Nikki Hubbert, who broke the school’s single-season record for assists (1,782) and assists-per-game average (14.61).
Jennifer Carey was Ambrozich’s second setter to train. Carey played from 1999-2002, earning the starting setter job during her freshman and sophomore seasons. Carey and Margaret Vakasausau would share the setting duties in 2001 and ’02, where the duo helped the Rainbow Wahine lead the country in assists per game both years.
In 2003, Ambrozich coached her second true freshman starting setter, Kanoe Kamana‘o. Kamana‘o was named the AVCA National?Freshman of the Year in 2003 and went on to become just the second four-time All-American in school history. Kamana‘o is also the career leader in assists and assists per game in school and conference history, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively, in NCAA history.
As a four-year letterwinner for the Rainbow Wahine when she was Kari Anderson, she still ranks in the Top 10 all-time on the UH career list with 2,385 assists and a 10.51-assist average. During her junior and senior seasons, she captained the squad and was also named second team all-Big West in 1992.
She graduated from UH in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in international business, and is currently working on her master’s degree in education administration in higher education.
She also served as a coach for the Asics Rainbow Volleyball Club for seven years, leading her 14-open team to a national title in 1999.
Ambrozich made her way to Hawai‘i as a highly touted prepster from Columbia Heights High School in Minnesota, where she guided her team to consecutive state championships in 1989 and ’90. Her many accolades include Metro Area Player of the Year, four All-America teams and all-state, all-Metro Area and all-conference honors.
She resides in Kane‘ohe with her husband, Eric, who is a former UH basketball player; their three-year-old son, Trey; and their two dogs.
