HILO, Hawai'i – KTA Super Stores Spotlight features Hawai'i Hilo Softball fourth-year senior Kanoe Piltz, a native of Kona, Hawai'i from the west side of the Big Island.
A 2022 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapalama, Piltz has played 132 career games with 119 starts as the Vulcans catcher (or batting as designated player) through four seasons with the program.
KANOE PILTZ
- Major: Biology
- Major: Business Administration – Mangement
- Minor: Chemistry
- Class: Senior
- Position: Catcher
- Hometown: Kona, Hawai'i
- 2022 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapalama (Hawai'i)
- Other HS Sports: Basketball
- Career Aspirations: Pharmacist
- Hobbies: Surfing, Photography, Hunting
- Sports Moment: "Hitting a walk-off against Chaminade to secure our spot in playoffs."
- Sports Teams: New York Yankess
- Athlete: Sausia Abraham
Growing up with sports:
"Being an athlete was always instilled in me from when I was young. I have two older brothers — they both played football and baseball and I played both too."
Moving way and living independently:
"I ended up going to Kamehameha in seventh grade — I was 12 years old when I first moved away. It takes a bit of a toll on you, but not in such a negative way — it builds you to be more independent. When you're away from such a young age, you learn how to be happy and surround yourself with the people that are going to make you the most happy because at the end of the day, that's really all you have. You can't go home to your mom and dad and cry to them. I think that shaped me to learn how to be happy where you are and just be strong for all seasons of life."
Going to UH Hilo:
"From seventh grade to my senior year in high school, I played both basketball and softball just to stay active and do something with my time. I wasn't really heavily recruited out of high school — I was more of a backup player — and that kind of narrowed my options. Coach Aisha reached out for me to come do a little tryout in the summer and I came in about two weeks before my freshman year started. She offered me a walk-on spot here at Hilo."
Commitment:
"I remember sitting in our first team meeting and reading the calendar and I swear every block of that 30-day month had something on it from August to December. I just remember thinking, 'Wow, I do not want to do this.' This is a very heavy commitment and I don't know if I'm ready for that. But it all ended up working out."
Learning and growing:
"Players before me, like Jayda (Favela), really helped me grow my game and become confident — teaching me that I can be a vocal person out there and a leader on this team. From my freshman year I didn't really play much and I really feel like that's just all a part of the journey — sophomore year getting a lot more games and getting a lot more experience — and then of course alongside Lexie (Tilton) and Rayna (White), who have been with me all four years. Lexie is very positive and maybe sometimes I'm not so positive, and I know I can count on her to uplift the team if that's what we need. Rayna is very good at keeping things in order, staying organized. All three of us complement each other very well. Two of us are walk-ons — Lexie was a starter and then me and Rayna ended up earning our spots on the field. Knowing that they have my back and I have theirs — that's just super special."
Hard work and patience:
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. Nobody else gave me an opportunity and I wanted to win my opportunity here — Coach Aisha gave me the opportunity to even be here first of all, and she didn't have to do that. You need to put in the effort on your own time and make sure you're doing everything in your power to put yourself on that field. Patience is key. Seasons are long — people can get hurt, people can be in a slump. Right now we're close to 40 games and it's very rare to see someone do good all 40 games. Not everything is going to come in the beginning of the season, and at the end of the season your opportunity might open up."
KTA SUPER STORES
KTA Super Stores, founded in 1916 in Hilo, is a family‑owned grocery chain with eight locations across Hawai'i Island. For over 100 years, KTA Super Stores has been committed to their founder's philosophy: a commitment to humbly serve the people of their community.
