Former University of Hawaii player Daniel Rasay will get to keep coaching Stanford after the volleyball program gets another life

Daniel Rasay knows well the rush of winning a title.

As a freshman setter with the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team, Rasay charged the court after the Rainbow Warriors’ win over Pepperdine in the 2002 NCAA final (later invalidated by an ineligible player). Eight years later, he finished his first season on the Stanford coaching staff by celebrating a national crown.

Those emotions came flooding back on Tuesday when Rasay and the Cardinal learned that the recently completed season would not be the program’s last.

“We kind of just went crazy,” Rasay said of the announcement that men’s volleyball along with 10 other Stanford programs had been reinstated by the university.

“I felt like we won a championship, honestly.”

The euphoria produced by the Zoom meeting was born out of Stanford’s stunning announcement last July that the school would discontinue 11 sports programs at the conclusion 2020-21 academic year. Men’s volleyball, which won national championships in 1997 and 2010, was part of that list.

The decision came as Rasay was approaching his 12th year with the program and before Kupono Browne arrived on campus for his first.

Browne had signed with Stanford as an ‘Iolani standout and it appeared he’d have just one season playing for the Cardinal. Shortly after the announcement, Browne was a part of a petition drive aimed at persuading the administration to reinstate the programs.

The Cardinal played a schedule limited by COVID-19 restrictions, with the end of the program looming at the end of the season.

They finished the season at 3-14 following a loss to Pepperdine in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament on April 22 in Provo, Utah, in what was thought to be the program’s farewell match.

That is until Tuesday, when the players logged into a meeting with coaches and alumni who were part of the “36 Sports Strong” group that pushed to keep the programs open.

“We knew there was going to be some sort of update, but we weren’t really reading into the situation too much because we didn’t want to get our hopes up,” Browne said.

When it was revealed the program would indeed continue, “that was a very surreal moment,” Browne said. “It felt like a dream if I’m being honest.”

A release from Stanford announcing the reversal on Tuesday stated, “while the structural financial challenges facing Stanford Athletics remain very real, changed circumstances including newly galvanized philanthropic interest have provided a new path to support the 11 sports.”

The Zoom meeting included Hawaii products and former Stanford volleyball standouts Erik and Kawika Shoji and Jordan Inafuku, who were vocal in their support for the program.

“It was really nice to rejoice with them because they know exactly what this program means to the current players, and to the volleyball community,” said Browne, who finished his freshman season third on the team with 2.36 kills per set and with a team-high 12 aces. He put down a season-high 22 kills in a four-set loss to Pepperdine on Feb. 22 in his second collegiate match.

After the announcement, one of Browne’s first instincts was to call coach John Kosty and get back to work.

“I’m arranging to make use of the weight room while I’m still on campus and I’m trying to get reps with the other guys as well, whether it’s indoors on a court or on the beach volleyball courts … wherever we can get reps,” said Browne, who entered the NCAA transfer portal in March given the program’s situation at the time.

Rasay had also pondered where he might go after the season, but “I wasn’t going to actually dive deep into finding my next step until I knew it was final. So I was committed to our guys 100%.”

While recruiting had been on hold for the coaching staff for the past 10 months, Rasay said the staff received “a flood of emails from potential recruits coming in as soon as the announcement was made.”

“I think (the decision is) a win for Stanford volleyball, but I think it’s a win for all volleyball communities,” Rasay said. “This could be very big for the growth of our sport, so I appreciate the Stanford community and the Hawaii volleyball community so much because there’s been a lot of support.”

Just as this week’s announcement had the feel of a victory for the Cardinal, Rasay also took satisfaction in watching Hawaii celebrate its national championship on May 8, a march that brought back memories of UH’s title run in 2002 in State College, Pa.

“I’ve watched that program grow since I’ve been at Stanford and I wanted it for them, I wanted it for that staff, and I wanted it for the state of Hawaii,” the Konawaena graduate said. “People have supported the program so much that just as much as the team is deserving of it, I think the state of Hawaii is deserving of it too because of how much love and passion they put into the team and into the sport.”

More island connections

Along with Rasay and Browne, the Cardinal have another tie to Hawaii through senior middle blocker Kyler Presho, the son of former UH standout Mark Presho. Jaylen Jasper, the son of former UH quarterback Ivin Jasper and Rainbow Wahine basketball player Donna Joe (Gondringer) Jasper, opted out this season. Kosty’s brother, Chris, played at UH in 1998-99.