Parapunov and the Rainbow Warriors are all one family

LONG BEACH, Calif. >> Semeĭstvo. Familie. Ohana. Family.

For a 19-year-old moving half a world away from Bulgaria, there was one word that needed no translation: volleyball.

It was the universal language spoken by the United Nations otherwise known as the Hawaii men’s team with its roster representing six countries, five U.S. states and three Hawaiian islands.

Whether it was the same word — familie — spoken in Dutch (Stijn van Tilburg) and Norwegian (Hendrik Mol), or a new one learned when welcomed on the first day in his new practice gym — ohana — Radoslav “Rado” Parapunov knew he would fit right in, just as would his own word — semeĭstvo.

The Rainbow Warriors’ close-knit family helped the 6-foot-9 freshman opposite battle the bouts of homesickness, particularly during the holidays. Missing Christmas was rough, so was Easter this past Sunday, because Parapunov’s large family in Bulgaria always celebrates together.

“It’s hard on them, too,” Parapunov said as third-seeded Hawaii prepared for tonight’s playoff match with second-seeded Brigham Young at Long Beach State. “I talk to them every day but I am trying not to think about them because I need to stay focused on volleyball and school.”

It was that dual opportunity to pursue an education while playing the sport he loved, which led to Parapunov’s decision to play for the Warriors. During his research of American colleges with a high-level volleyball program, he became intrigued by the videos he watched online of Hawaii’s matches.

“I saw how they played, how it was done at a high level,” Parapunov, a business major, said. “It looked to be the best program experience.”

Warrior assistant Joshua Walker had lengthy email contact with Parapunov, who “was just like a lot of our foreign kids, they kind of recruit themselves to our program,” Walker said. “His was a different mind-set coming from that area. Usually if you’re good enough, you automatically play pro.

“His goal was to get an education while also becoming a better player. He wants to be the best at his position and he knows he can get better.”

Although Parapunov has played mostly behind sophomore opposite Stijn van Tilburg — the latter third nationally in kills at 4.34 per set — Parapunov impressed enough when appearing in 45 of UH’s 96 sets that he was voted to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s seven member all-freshman team. The first of his five starts came on Jan. 18, the first of two matches at Long Beach State where Parapunov put down a career-high 23 kills in a five-set loss; his last start was April 8 in the regular-season finale at UCLA where he had 11 kills and two critical aces in a four-set victory.

“Yes, he could probably be starting for many teams,” Van Tilburg said. “Those were two huge road wins at UCLA and I don’t know if we would have had those if he wasn’t there.

“The way he’s been serving in practice made me realize I needed to step up my practice. He is always cheering for me and I am always cheering for him. Because of how good he is, he has pushed me to get better.”

Parapunov returns the compliments as if he were on serve-receive, something that has improved in the past few months.

“Stijn van Tilburg is the best opposite in the USA,” Parapunov says emphatically. “I am not disappointed in not playing, I am happy to cheer for him. He’s a friend.

“And the team is winning. That’s what matters. I think the season goes perfect for me.”

It was quite the journey to make it happen. The day after Hawaii’s season ended last April, head coach Charlie Wade left for Bulgaria to watch Parapunov play and make a home visit. Flight time is about 24 hours, with layovers making it between 30 and 36 hours.

Wade said it’s been worth it, as has been the long trips to recruit van Tilburg and Mol.

“Rado’s worked hard,” Wade said. “We identified some things early on that he needed to get better at. He’s a lot better volleyball player than when he first got here.”

Parapunov’s competitive life began as a swimmer, but volleyball was the family business. His uncle was on the junior national team, his grandfather and father both played high-level club.

“I grew up in the gym,” said Parapunov, named Best Spiker at the 2015 European Championships and best server at the event last summer.

His debut at the Stan Sheriff Center wasn’t a happy one. During warm-ups on opening night, Parapunov landed awkwardly after colliding with an Erskine player, injuring his left knee (he did play one set, putting down five kills).

Although not 100 percent, he was in the mix as the coaches tried to figure out how to get Parapunov and van Tilburg on the court at the same time. Van Tilburg’s overall game won out while it showed Parapunov that being more than an offensive threat would equate to playing time, perfecting defensive tools such as blocking and digging.

This week, Parapunov’s thoughts are of ohana, the one with him in Long Beach wearing Warrior uniforms.

“The best thing about coming from the other side of the world are my teammates,” he said. “We are a team, we are one family.”

Semeĭstvo.