Junior setter Rella Binney has stepped up this season in her new role as Texas volleyball’s starting setter. But beyond her offensive playmaking, Binney is also an entrepreneur inspired by her Hawaiian roots, which continue to guide her lifestyle and playstyle on the Forty Acres.
“I think growing up in Hawaii has shaped me entirely,” Binney said. “I think we grow up in such a unique culture there, and I’m so blessed to be raised there. … The legacy of what Hawaii means and the pride that it is of being from there, I think that it has shaped me entirely.”
Binney, from Lanikai, Hawaii, is the eighth student-athlete to come to the Forty Acres from the state. She was a three-year setter for Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame coach Tita Ahuna and helped Punahou High School finish as the 2023 Hawaii state runner-up.
“A lot of the times when my club team would go play mainland teams for club tournaments, a lot of them would be like, ‘Wow, it was so hard to play you guys because you just kept getting the ball back over,’” Binney said. “I think it’s that determination coming from somewhere kind of remote and smaller that you have to fight a little extra for what you believe to win.”
She describes Hawaii volleyball as a unique style of play compared to the mainland. Many volleyball players from Hawaii are physically smaller, according to Binney.
However, players make up for the lost inches through grit and strong ball control.
“(Hawaiians) are on the smaller side, but you have to have good ball control,” Binney said. “I think grit is also a really big part of it, (being) very scrappy.”
Through Binney’s pride and love for her culture, her mom inspired her to dive into entrepreneurship and start a small business called Prime UV, a clothing brand inspired by her Hawaiian heritage.
The brand’s website describes Binney’s mission as follows:
“I grew up in Hawai‘i, where time moves with the tide and the sun sets the vibe. Now I am living in Austin, playing volleyball at the University of Texas, but that island mindset is still my compass — chase the light, show up fully, and make it count.”
The website features tees and hats with bright colors and a lightning bolt design.
“What ultimately sparked that interest is my mom,” Binney said. “She’s an entrepreneur herself and has had multiple businesses throughout her life. We just thought that it would be a cool opportunity as a McCombs and marketing major to be able to start something that’s not super weight-bearing yet, and just have fun and go through the process of starting my own business.”
However, Binney’s demanding schedule as a student-athlete has made her put a brief hold on continuing to build Prime UV.
“I plan to continue it when I maybe have a little more time offseason, winter break, things like that; but it’s definitely just a bouncing pad of just ideas,” Binney said.
The brand has had one launch so far, but Binney hopes to keep building Prime UV after she leaves the Forty Acres.
