Mr. President, I am pleased to join my distinguished colleague, the senior Senator from Hawaii [Mr. Inouye], in congratulating the University of Hawai'i Warrior Volleyball team, the 2002 NCAA National Champions. The Warriors captured the title by beating top-ranked Pepperdine University in four games Saturday evening in State College, Pennsylvania. The national championship is the first for any men's athletic program at the University of Hawai'i in over 30 years of NCAA Division I competition.
Hawai'i finished its championship season with a 24-8 record, and out-hit and out-blocked a Pepperdine team that had beaten the Warriors in their three previous meetings this season. Saturday's victory also marked the 200th win for Warrior coach Mike Wilton in his ten-year tenure at Hawai'i.
Mr. President, sports fans in Hawaii love the men's and women's volleyball teams at the University of Hawai'i. Hawai'i has led the nation in attendance for seven consecutive seasons. This season the Warriors drew 89,387 fans for 16 home matches, an average of 5,587 per match, breaking the record set last year. It is not unusual for almost 8,000 fans to pack the Stan Sheriff Center on the UH-Manoa campus for a contest against a conference rival. When you factor in the fact that all home matches are televised, you get an appreciation of the popularity of Hawai'i's volleyball program.
The 2002 Volleyball National Champions are an extraordinary team. They are also an international team. Three-time All-American and Final Four MVP Costas Theocharidis is from Greece; Team captain Eyal Zimet is from Israel; senior All-American Dejan Miladinovic is from Serbia. Along with Hawai'i's best prep players, men from Canada, the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Guam, are a part of the 2002 Hawai'i Warriors' championship season. It is a credit to the players, coaches, trainers and staff, that outstanding teamwork, years of hard work and conditioning, and dedication to the sport they love, have earned them the national championship.
The multinational 2002 champions are splendid representatives and ambassadors for Hawai'i. Hawai'i is a multicultural state, where no race or ethnicity has a majority. Our culture reflects the rich mosaic of Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Western cultures and traditions which are shared, celebrated, and appreciated by Hawai'i's people and visitors to the islands. Immigrants from nations around the world have shared their rich cultures and traditions, which in combination with the indigenous Hawaiian culture, have created a special and wonderful place for residents and visitors alike.
So it is with great pride and appreciation that I join my colleague from Hawai'i and the people of Hawai'i in honoring the 2002 National Champion University of Hawai'i Warrior Volleyball team by offering a resolution commending their championship season. I ask unanimous consent that a roster of Warrior Volleyball players, coaches, and staff be included in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks. Congratulations to the Warriors players and Coach Mike Wilton and his staff for a wonderful and historic season.
Hawai'i no ka oi!
