1 Chaz Galloway
Outside Hitter 6-3 Sophomore San Diego
Quote: “Winning the Big West at home against Long Beach … that game really stood out to me. I’ll remember that because last year we didn’t get to bring home a Big West championship, so that meant a lot this year.”
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2 Jack Walmer
Setter 6-3 Freshman Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Quote: “It’s a great experience. Not many teams get to do this, especially twice. I luckily had that contribution at the end (serving championship point) and I’ll remember it the rest of my life. … You never know when you’re going to go in, but I was ready when he called my name and it was a great experience.”
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4 Brett Sheward
Libero 6-2 Sophomore Newport Beach, Calif.
Quote: “We have some great servers and just trying to keep them behind the line and we know if they can go on one run that’s all it takes for us to win the set. It was a lot of fun getting to play defense behind that big block and keep those guys serving.”
“Definitely a lot of transition, not just for us but for everybody in the country, A lot of guys graduated, a lot of good players. From the start of the season we said this year was up for grabs (and) we gotta play well, compete with each other and make each other better. It was huge for us, losing four All-Americans and coming back and winning it again.”
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5 ’Eleu Choy
Libero/Defensive Specialist 5-7 Freshman Honolulu (Farrington)
Quote: “It’s a great honor. I’m humbled to be a part of this team, to be part of something great. We worked very hard and I couldn’t be more proud of all of us. I’d like to thank the people of Hawaii they really helped us out a lot.”
“The different cultures, that’s what I like. Our differences are what make us better. We learn from each other, that’s why we’re one of the better teams in the nation.”
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7 Cole Hogland
6-4 Middle Blocker Sophomore Waimanalo (‘Iolani)
Quote: “There were not little groups on the team, it was one whole group. It was just everyone coming together knowing what our goal was. It was going out there and committing at the highest level and supporting each other.”
“Being on the B side coming up. I had to work my butt off to get to this point. Everyone that’s helped me along the way, I’d like to thank them, especially my family. My mom always told me, ‘You have to work your way to being a starter. Whatever happens, happens, but once you get there it’ll be unreal.’ ”
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8 Kyler Presho
Middle Blocker 6-8 Senior San Clemente, Calif.
Quote: “To be honest it means everything to me. I don’t tend to get over-dramatic too often, but there’s really only one thing I’ve ever really wanted in my life and that was a national championship. To be able to get that in my last year in college with this new team is pretty special to me.”
“Everybody’s competing all the time. When you have guys who are this good, this high level, it’s just going to bring the best out of you because you’re going to compete on the court. There’s so much good talent in the gym and everybody’s so ready to compete it just breeds a culture of success.”
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10 Jakob Thelle
Setter 6-6 Junior Tonsberg, Norway
Quote: “Everyone is so bought into the program, bought into the culture on the team, and also having guys grow into new positions.”
“We had guys who had been so important to us over the years, and now that they’re gone … we had new guys coming and taking those positions. Just a lot of growth, embracing all the new responsibilities and leadership among the guys, and it’s not just one or two guys who contributed — it’s everybody, the guys on the court, the guys on the bench and the community.”
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11 Dimitrios Mouchlias
Opposite 6-6 Sophomore Soufli, Greece
Quote: “We had fans at UCLA and we had so many fans here and it gives us so much joy. At one point it felt like we were playing in the Stan (in the national championship match). … It feels amazing to win the championship and I couldn’t be more grateful for this season.”
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13 Max Rosenfeld
Middle Blocker 6-7 Junior New Lenox, Ill.
Quote: “It’s such an honor and I’m forever grateful for all the support that we’ve gotten from the community, everyone that had our back the whole season and just the endless amount of support that we’ve had for this program. None of what we’ve done the last two years could have been possible without all that.”
“I think the coolest thing that I saw this year was watching the development from so many guys. … You just saw them grow into the talent and take it to the next level. Guys like Jakob, Spyros, Chaz, Dimitrios. Just really impressed and I’m not surprised, they all have a really strong worth ethic, everyone on the whole team. It’s so well deserved, all of the individual awards that my teammates got this year, on the court and off. We’re so proud of them.”
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14 Alakai Todd
Opposite 6-9 Sophomore Kailua (Punahou)
Quote: “To me it’s the same team, different year, same culture. I think that’s what really makes the difference with this team, it’s the culture that’s built around it and the guys who came before who enforced that culture. I think having that mentality and mindset going forward is what really makes it special.”
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16 Filip Humler
Outside Hitter 6-7 Junior Caske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Quote: “It was more special because this year we had ups and down throughout the season and we had different guys coming on the court and had to step up. So this year was more of a battle, but we ended up winning, so it was super special.”
“It’s everybody grinding and pushing each other forward, pushing each other beyond their limits and just leaving everything out there in the weight room, in the practice gym or on the court.”
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20 Keoni Thiim
Outside Hitter 6-0 Sophomore Honolulu (Kalani)
Quote: “It definitely was super fun to come home (from Santa Barbara Community College), and it’s like this is where I should be. Just a lot of fun, especially being my first year I learned a lot for sure. I’ve got three more years and the possibilities are endless at this point.”
“I get texts from my grandpa (Mike Wilton) and my aunties all the time. It’s super special.”
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21 Guilherme Voss
Middle Blocker 6-7 Sophomore Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Quote: “The differential about his group was how steady we were in ourselves, how sure of ourselves that we were and how sure of each other that we were. We played as a really good team, not just as good players.”
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23 Spyros Chakas
Outside Hitter 6-4 Sophomore Nea Smyrni, Greece
Quote: “The most remarkable thing about this team was how quick we were able to bond with each other and how quick we were able to perform like a team that’s been together for many years. That was great to see.”
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25 Kana’i Akana
Outside Hitter 6-5 Junior Honolulu (Punahou)
Quote: “A lot of us got a taste of what it’s like last year, but knew that this year was going to be a lot harder, so we had that motivation. We had that sense of accomplishment from last year, but knowing that it was going to be harder made us work even harder and our bond we have as a team really contributed as well.”
“It’s so cliche, but it’s not about the destination a lot of the time, although this destination has been pretty great. It’s looking back and seeing that journey, how much harder it was, how much more work we had to put in in the practice gym. That’s really made this a lot more special.”
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Charlie Wade
Head Coach 13th season
Quote: “You certainly never take winning for granted. You saw a lot of hard work and guys just maturing and evolving as players and as young men and it was a lot of fun.”
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“B-Side”
3 Logan Sharp
Libero/Defensive Specialist
5-8 Freshman
El Segundo, Calif.
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6 Makua Marumoto
Outside Hitter
6-4 Freshman
Honolulu (Saint Francis)
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9 Kurt Nusterer
Middle Blocker
6-9 Freshman
Indianapolis, Ind.
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12 Austin Buchanan
Setter/Opposite
6-8 Freshman
Moscow, Idaho
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15 Avery Enriques
Libero/Defensive Specialist
5-10 Senior
Pahala (Kamehameha-Hawaii)
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17 Trevalyan Kelly
Outside Hitter/Opposite
6-8 Freshman
Tucson, Ariz.
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18 Cole Ottmar
Outside Hitter
6-5 Freshman
Spangle, Wash.
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22 Reyn Miyazawa
Libero/Defensive Specialist
5-11 Freshman
Honolulu (Mid-Pacific)
