Kaufman Double-Threat

Some people are born leaders; others have to work hard for recognition.

Senior middle hitter Amber Kaufman has done her fair share of work in her four years on the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team.

“Amber definitely leads by example in her playing ability, allowing other players behind her to see how things should and can be done,” teammate junior setter Dani Mafua said.

“Offensively, she’s a beast,” Mafua continued. “Her quick attack in the middle and off one foot behind the setter makes her a huge threat to teams we go up against. Her leaping ability makes her 6-foot body frame seem like she’s bigger than she really is.”

The San Jose, Calif., native is known for her athletic ability on both the volleyball court and the field. But what may be her most recognizable trait is her passionate outbursts on the court.

“That’s my biggest problem, obviously,” Kaufman said. “I just try to find a way to channel my energy as everyone tells me, but I have yet to figure out how to do it in a productive way.”

But it could be those outbursts, which come after a hitting or service error, that are responsible for propelling Kaufman to excel in both volleyball and track and field.

“Amber is a highly motivated and a fearless competitor,” track and field head coach Carmyn James said. “She loves to succeed, but she can also be very hard on herself if things don’t go well.”

Kaufman is a 2006 graduate of Branham High School in San Jose Calif., and lettered three years in volleyball, four in track and one in basketball. She was named the volleyball division co-Most Valuable Player and was named the No. 25 top senior on the prepvolleyball.com Senior Aces list. In track, she posted the sixth-best high school jump in the country her senior year.

Last season was arguably Kaufman’s breakout season in both sports.

As a middle hitter for the UH women’s volleyball team, she started all 35 matches and earned AVCA all-West Region honorable mentions while being named to the Western Athletic Conference first team. She also led the team in hitting percentage (.380), service aces (54), total blocks (96) and broke the school single-match record with 11 aces against Washington on Sept. 13.

“So far, that’s been my shining moment,” Kaufman said about the Washington game. “I wasn’t so much happy about the ace record; I was just so glad we won and I could do so much to help.”

In track, Kaufman is the two-time defending WAC high jump champion and a two-time track and field All-American. Last season, she cleared a school-record 6-4 (1.93 m), which was the second-best height cleared nationally, following fellow volleyball and track dual athlete Destinee Hooker, a three-time NCAA Outdoor high jump champion for Texas, with a height of 6-4.75 (1.95m).

In 2008, Kaufman finished fifth in the NCAA Outdoor Championships and 12th at the 2008 Olympic Trials. Last season, she finished third at the NCAAs.

“She is such an amazing athlete, (and) she brings a new level of intensity to the team,” former track and field teammate Emily Sheppard said. “She is such a hard worker, and her work ethic definitely rubs off on those around her.”

This season, Kaufman surpassed last season’s accomplishments. 

In volleyball, she posted a perfect night against Louisiana Tech on Oct. 19, recording eight kills on eight swings and no errors, hitting a perfect 1.000 in two sets, succeeding her previous career high of .765 against Santa Clara on Aug. 29. She recorded a career-high 15 kills with only one error against Nevada on Oct. 8, hitting .700 for the match.

Kaufman earned her first all-tournament team selection in September’s The Honolulu Advertiser Volleyball Challenge, the second of her career. She leads the WAC in hitting percentage with .468, is second on the team with 32 service aces, and is 30th nationally with 0.44 aces per set.

Kaufman is on track to finish as the school’s all-time leader in season hitting percentage. She is 51 points in front of 1996 NCAA Player of the Year Angelica Ljungquist’s .417 single-season hitting percentage record.

After graduation, Kaufman, a psychology major, faces a dilemma: whether to pursue a professional career in track or volleyball.

“Volleyball is more fun, but I enjoy the individual part of high jump – I don’t get to rely on or blame anyone but myself,” Kaufman said.

Although her career is coming to an end, Kaufman wants to accomplish a few things before she finishes her journey as a Rainbow Wahine.

“I want to be an All-American in both sports. I have in track so I’m shooting for the stars in volleyball,” Kaufman said. “I’m hoping the most memorable volleyball memory is yet to come.”