[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 22 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Pages 834-835]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Honoring the 2000 NCAA Women's Volleyball Champion University of 
Nebraska Cornhuskers

May 31, 2001

    The President. Welcome. Thank you. Be seated.
    It's my honor to welcome some true champs to the Rose Garden, and 
thank you all for coming. To the team, I'm honored you're here. To the 
family and friends who are here, thank you so much for accompanying the 
champions. Coach Cook, thank you for being here. And I want to thank the 
athletic director, as well.
    I've spent some time watching Big 12 sports. [Laughter] Ever since 
the Big 12 combined, some of my Texas teams haven't fared too well--
[laughter]--including the Texas volleyball teams. So I want to 
congratulate you all for being here. When I ran for office, I told the 
voters I would surround myself with excellence. I did so again today. 
[Laughter]
    This has been an unbelievably strong team, made up of some unique 
individuals, starting with the Player of the Year, Greichaly Cepero. It 
is a huge honor to be the Player of the Year. And Greichaly, 
congratulations to you, and Amber Holmquist and Laura Pilakowski.
    But it's more than just to be great players; it's important to be 
good people, too. And that's the thing that I have been most impressed 
with by this club. Not only are the girls up here champs on the court, 
but they've been champs in the classroom. And it's important for young 
men and women who look at the Nebraska champs to understand that quality 
of life is more than just blocking shots. Good quality of life means 
excelling in the classroom and also in the neighborhoods across America.
    One of the reasons I'm so thankful to be able to welcome sports 
champions to the Rose Garden is that it gives me a chance to remind 
people about what a responsible society should be about, and it should 
be about loving a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself or 
setting good, strong examples when you have an opportunity to do so.
    And finally, I can't go without saying how impressed I am by the 
Nebraska fan base--[laughter]--whether it be for women's volleyball or 
maybe football. [Laughter] But there's nothing like the Big Red. So 
again, I want to congratulate you all for coming.
    The other thing I want to say about the coach is that obviously it 
requires--a good team requires somebody who knows how to

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build a team. And that's why your coach is Coach of the Year and 
deservedly so.
    So on behalf of a well-oiled unit of people who came together to 
serve something greater than themselves, congratulations.

[At this point, player Jill McWillaims made brief remarks and, with 
teammates Kim Behrends and Angie Oxley, presented the President with a 
jersey and a signed volleyball.]

    The President. So here's what we're going to do. Why don't you all 
come--and if you'd complete the trip, why don't you come into the Oval 
Office so I can show you one of the great shrines of America.
    Thank you all for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 8:55 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to John Cook, women's volleyball 
coach, and Bill Byrne, director of athletics, University of Nebraska.