Work ethic paying dividends

Prom or volleyball tournament?

Stay overseas to play or come back to the national team?

Work hard or work even harder?

There always have been difficult choices facing Tamari "Tama" Miyashiro. So far, it appears she has made the right ones.

Five days before turning 25 earlier this month, the Kalani High graduate was named to her first Olympic team. It was surprising to some that U.S. coach Hugh McCutcheon would take a second libero/defensive specialist to London instead of a more experienced middle or outside hitter.

There were, after all, just 12 roster spots.

But for those who know volleyball and who know Miyashiro, it was no surprise at all. Certainly not to her family, whose volleyball DNA includes her mom, Joey, an All-American at Hawaii in the 1970s and Tamari’s club coach; her sister Tehani, an all-conference defensive specialist for the Rainbow Wahine; and her cousin Aven Lee, who played for the Wahine for four seasons and is the assistant coach at Pacific.

"I think I had a choice to play volleyball or not," Tamari Miyashiro said. "If I didn’t like it, my folks would have said it would be OK not to play. But always being around the (volleyball) environment, being around Te (Tehani) and mom and my brothers (including Ainoa, an all-state setter at Kamehameha) led me in that direction. I played a lot of sports growing up, but volleyball is the one I love."

An athletic 5-foot-7, Miyashiro jumped center for the Kalani basketball team. The four-time volleyball all-state player was a setter-hitter for the Falcons, and was named the most outstanding player in the state tournament as a senior despite Kalani finishing fifth.

She had hoped to set in college but ended up as a libero at Washington. She quickly became one of the best, and was named the national defensive player of the year by Volleyball magazine as a sophomore.

"It was such a different mind-set, going to libero, I had to learn a lot," she said. "I had never really played it, even in club, unless we were playing around and mixing things up.

"I’m still learning. At UW, I had four years of playing middle-back; now I’m playing left-back and having to learn new angles.

"For sure, I missed hitting and now I’m starting the plays (passing) instead of ending it. But at the same time, I enjoy it, it’s part of my job."

Her work ethic impressed McCutcheon as much as her versatility and attitude.

"Tama fills a uniquely special role for us, a role that can help us" he said. "She’s so good defensively and such a great teammate. She’s been a really positive influence on the team and we felt that it was important enough that we chose her rather than a fourth outside hitter or another middle. She has earned the right to be on the team and we expect her to contribute in a big way."

The U.S. women have never won Olympic gold, finishing second twice, the last in 2008. The team is coming off an undefeated appearance in the FIVB Grand Prix and comes into the Games ranked No. 1.

"It’s just such an honor to be playing for my country," Miyashiro said. "I don’t know if I’ll ever grasp what it means. The older girls say it’s the coolest thing they’ve ever done.

"For me, it’s crazy. We’re representing so many people, representing the greatest country in the world. Wearing the USA colors … I know it will be amazing."

Miyashiro said the Olympics wasn’t a dream, but "to get this far is more a recent goal. But (what) I’ve learned is … how much the hard work has paid off."

Miyashiro’s mother had thoughts of playing for the national team, but the process was much different in the ’70s, when players paid their own way and the team trained for less than a month before the Games. Joey Akeo Miyashiro turned down trials partly due to finances.

"It was one of my major goals, but it didn’t happen," said sister Tehani Miyashiro Fiatoa. "This is like my second chance, living through my sister. I’m just so happy she made the team. You never know how the decisions will go. It comes down to what is best for the team. We knew if she kept on playing hard, doing what she does, good things would happen."

Miyashiro said she wanted to stay positive but be realistic about making the team. Growing up in Hawaii, humility was a given.

"You don’t talk about yourself, you just work hard and let that do the talking," she said. "It became more apparent in the last year that I could see myself contributing. Timing is a big part of it."

Miyashiro moved to No. 2 on the depth chart when three-time Olympic team libero Stacy Sykora suffered a serious head injury in a bus accident last year in Brazil. When starting libero Nicole Davis was injured the final week of the Grand Prix, Miyashiro started the final two matches as the U.S. won the gold.

"As a parent, you always think coaches will see what you see in your child," Joey Miyashiro said. "When Tama was a sophomore at UW, her coach (Jim McLaughlin) said he wanted her to try out of the national team. He told me he thought she could become one of the best liberos in the world. I’m just happy they see that this kid can contribute."