Their patience was rewarded with a chance for an intrasquad scrimmage on the same court that four of the top women's teams in the world will be competing on this week in the Women's World Grand Prix stop in Honolulu. The Bank of Hawaii Cup features Olympic gold medalist Cuba, Japan, the Netherlands and the U.S., the defending Grand Prix champion, in round-robin play tomorrow through Sunday.
The Waikiki School players also got to practice language skills yesterday in obtaining autographs from the Cuban and Japanese players. Acting as translators for the Warriors were their own team members, Nathalie Valdez, who was born in Chile and speaks Spanish, and Marisa Okamoto, who speaks Japanese.
"They were surprised that we could speak to them," said Valdez, whose ace serve won the intrasquad scrimmage for her side.
The students' love for volleyball was obvious, even if some had to play barefoot for the lack of court shoes. It's an interest that is lacking in the rest of the U.S., Team USA coach Terry Liskevych said.
"In other countries, our (sport's) prestige is so much greater that it's frightening," said Liskevych, who retires in December after 12 years as the U.S. coach. "Those countries expose volleyball more. We need a better marketing plan and approach to sell the national (volleyball) team.
"I think it hurt women's volleyball that we (the U.S.) didn't win a medal in the Olympics. Certainly, this team was capable of doing that, as we are proving again in the Grand Prix."
Team USA is 4-2 heading into this third stop of the five-stop, eight-team tour. The top three teams, along with host China, qualify for the finals in Shanghai, Sept. 27-29.
This is the farewell tour for Liskevych as well as a number for the American players. Among those hanging up their red-white-and-blue uniforms is former University of Hawaii All-American Teee Williams, who sparked the U.S. to a 3-0 win over Russia last weekend.
Williams will return to Europe to play professionally.
Liskevych isn't sure what his future holds.
The same can be said for USA women's volleyball. No coach has been named, although the leading candidates appear to be Mary Jo Peppler, Chuck Erbe of Michigan State, Long Beach State's Brian Gimmillaro and Mick Haley of Texas.
"Personally, I think the (USA Volleyball) organization is remiss in how they're going about choosing a coach," said Liskevych. "They need to name an executive director, a general manager, a national training director. You need to have a plan in place, then you choose a coach."
At least Liskevych is leaving the program in better shape than when he took over for Arie Selinger after the U.S. won the silver medal at the 1984 Olympics. Liskevych said he arrived at the team headquarters in San Diego to find there were no players, no file on prospects and no video tapes of previous U.S. matches.
"I said when I was interviewed for the job, that if they wanted someone that will just train a team X number of hours, then don't hire me," said Liskevych. "I told them if they wanted me to build a program, then I should be hired.
"I think we now have a good system intact of knowing what it takes to win internationally. There's a whole library of tapes and match analysis for whoever comes in. And, even though none of our current players have been approached about staying on through Sydney (the 2000 Olympics), I'm sure some will stay and become role models for our younger players."
Liskevych, who turns 48 in October, has invested a quarter of his life in USA Volleyball. The former coach at University of the Pacific said he'll walk away with less hair than when he started but also with few regrets.
"I don't look back on what has or hasn't happened," he said. "I look forward. And I'm looking forward with anticipation and a little anxiety about what happens to me in my next life. I'm excited about it. I'm turning over a new leaf and I don't know what it is."
What Liskevych does hope is to see his team play up to its potential and perform as it did a year ago when winning the Grand Prix. Sunday's meeting with top-ranked Cuba will be the litmus test; it was the loss to Cuba in the Olympic quarterfinals that knocked the U.S. out of medal contention.
"It's been a long 12 years for me but I feel honored and privileged to be the coach of the United States team," said Liskevych. "I've pinched myself many a morning and said, 'My god, I'm the USA coach.' It's been wonderful."
The facts
What Women's World Volleyball Grand Prix