Kamea Chock was destined to become a volleyball player.

"She's been around the sport so long," said Chock's mother, former Hawai'i Wahine volleyball player Toni (Nishida) Chock. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to force anything on her. It just kind of came. When she was young in that original picture, I was hoping she would take an interest in volleyball. I think just by being around it so much she just kind of wanted to play."

Kamea is a freshman outside hitter for 'Iolani School's varsity team. The photo her mom is referring to was taken taken 14 years ago, when Toni was beginning her first of six seasons as girls volleyball coach at Kaimuki High. Kamea, who was 7 months old, was identified as Kirstin (pronounced kiers-ten).

"My grandma has a hard time with the 'K' and the 'R'," Toni said. "So I said, 'OK, just call her Kamea, grandma.' That's how we started using her Hawaiian name more."

It turns out Kamea had been a fixture at mom's matches and practices, where the parents of the Kaimuki players would keep an eye on her. If Toni's mother was at the game, she would look after Kamea.

"I had a lot of help from the players' parents," Toni said. "That was really helpful back then."

The only thing Kamea knows about the picture is that one is displayed at her great grandmother's home. Naturally, it's a conversation piece.

"My great grandma has it in her house," Kamea said of the photo. "Whenever we'd go over (to visit) they always told us about my mom. 'Oh, you're so cute in that picture' and they'd tell me a little bit about it."A common bond so far for mother and daughter is that both made their high school teams as freshmen. Otherwise, their experiences are as different as a generation.

Toni did not get into organized volleyball until the summer before her freshman year at Pearl City High, where she was coached by Bruce Hisanaga. She honed her skills in the offseason playing for the Kamali'i club team under the late Richard "Longy" Okamoto. She was good enough to be rotated into action as a freshman.

"I only played the front because I lacked other skills," Toni said with a laugh.

She eventually developed into an all-star player, good enough to earn a scholarship to play at UH from 1988 to 1991 (she redshirted her freshman year).

Meanwhile, Kamea got into organized volleyball at 8 in a youth league.

"Lisa (Strand) Ma'a was coaching a PAL team," Toni said. "Mary Robins had her daughter and said why don't you call Lisa and see if Kamea can come and play. That was her first organized volleyball experience."

Ma'a and Robins also are former Rainbow Wahine players; Robins was Toni's teammate.

Kamea eventually advanced to USVBA competition, playing in Junior Olympics events on the Mainland. She even has a personal trainer.

"It's challenging," Kamea said of her first season of varsity volleyball, "but that's what I want."

Toni attends as many of 'Iolani's matches as possible. She is also a teacher at Maryknoll, where she's taught for the past 12 years and also coached the varsity girls team for about five years after her stint at Kaimuki. Toni is also mom to a 13-year-old son, 9-year-old twin boys and a 4-month-old daughter.

There's one noticeable difference between mom and daughter. Toni played at 5 feet 8 inches; Kamea is 5-11. The height difference made mom realize how the girl she had to hold up for the photo 14 years ago had grown.

"One day, I was brushing her hair and, it was 'Oh, my God, I have to reach up. You have to sit down now,' " Toni said.