[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 58 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII MEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am proud to rise and pay tribute 
to the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team for winning the 2002 
National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, Championship this past 
weekend in Pennsylvania. The Warrior Volleyball squad made history by 
winning the first National Championship for any men's athletic program 
at the University of Hawaii.
  I salute all of the athletes and coaches of the NCAA Championship 
tournament. I commend them for their sacrifice and determination; they 
should all be proud of their achievements as student-athletes.
  I also commend the people of Hawaii for their support of the 
University's athletic programs. Indeed, they are the greatest 
volleyball fans in the nation.
  The success of the men's volleyball team is indicative of the depth 
of the community's support, and the caliber of students, faculty, and 
staff at the University. As our nation's only public institution of 
higher learning in the Pacific, the University of Hawaii has many 
unique strengths and comparative advantages. It offers premiere 
science, math, business, art, social science, and, as it has now 
demonstrated irrefutably, athletic programs. The people of Hawaii 
should be proud of their University.
  I applaud Head Coach Mike Wilton who, for the past decade, has worked 
tirelessly to successfully build and strengthen the men's volleyball 
program, and I commend the members of his coaching staff for their 
commitment to preparing the athletes for success both on and off the 
court.
  Finally, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the Warrior 
Volleyball players for capturing the national title. I am pleased to 
note that the team is comprised of young men from Hawaii, Arizona, 
California, Oregon, Guam, Canada, Cuba, Israel, Puerto Rico, and 
Serbia. Despite their cultural differences and language barriers, they 
remained unified in their mission and goal. The team has proven that 
all things are possible through hard work.
  I submit the team's roster of players and coaches for the Record:

       Players: Dejan Miladinovic, Geronimo Chala, Robert Drew, 
     Kimo Tuyay, Jake Muise, Eyal Zimet, Vernon Podlewski, Jeffrey 
     Gleason, Costas Theocharidis, Jose Delgado, Kyle Denitz, 
     Marvin Yamada, John Bender, Ryan Woodward, Tony Ching, Brian 
     Nordberg, Delano Thomas, and Daniel Rasay.
       Coaches: Mike Wilton, Tino Reyes, Aaron Wilton, and Marlo 
     Torres.

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