[UH VOLLEYBALL]

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM A big crowd was on hand as the Rainbow Warriors returned to Honolulu as national champions. Costas Theocharidis was one of many signing autographs.

UH faithful turn
out in droves to praise
volleyball champs

The Warriors' fans are as amazed
as the players at winning
the NCAA championship

---

By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

Fifty-three-year-old Eva Yran rode her bike from Punahou to Honolulu Airport to greet coach Mike Wilton and the rest of the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team, who returned home last night with an NCAA Championship trophy.

For the last 18 years, Yran followed Wilton's career, and was elated to see Wilton bring home the top prize.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Tony Ching got a kiss yesterday from his aunty Vivian Carvalho.

"It was so awesome," Yran said. Still wearing her bicycle helmet, Yran congratulated Wilton for winning the competition.

Yran was among a horde of fans holding flower lei and signs. They greeted the Warriors, who made history on Saturday in defeating Pepperdine for the NCAA title in University Park, Pa., 29-31, 31-29, 30-21, 30-24. The national title is the first by any men's team at UH.

Middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic sprayed champagne on members of the University of Hawaii Men's Volleyball Booster Club 2002.

Holding a sign, "#1 Big Bad Warriors," Kaleo Johnson of Nanakuli said she was overwhelmed after she heard on the radio that the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team won the title.

"We were just screaming and jumping around in the living room," Johnson said.

Soon after she finished work at the Giving Tree at Pearl Highlands Center, she drove down to the airport with her boyfriend, Kaiu, to congratulate the team.

"They've done so much to get here," Johnson said.

Rebroadcast Oceanic Cable said today that it plans to rebroadcast the UH men's championship volleyball game on May 21 at 8 a.m. on ESPN (channel 22 on analog and channel 222 on digital cable).

Outside hitter Costas Theocharidis, voted most outstanding player in the tournament, said, "We were looking so forward to this moment, and it finally came."

Throughout the season, "we kept fighting, and things started turning around for us," said outside hitter Tony Ching, who slammed 17 kills during the match, a season high.

Ching was showered with lei from fans as well as his family.

Outside the United Airlines baggage claim area, Ching's grandmother June Carvalho said, "I'm so proud of him."

Through the flock of volleyball fans and frenzied media, Wilton was the first to be seated in the bus.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Coach Mike Wilton held the trophy as he eyed the huge crowd waiting for the team outside the terminal.

He watched with pride as fans placed lei around his players' necks.

"I was happy for the boys," Wilton said.

Though Wilton was content to become the first coach to take home the NCAA title for the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team, all he could think about was seeing his grandchildren and his dog, Duke, a German shepherd-labrador mix.

Along with congratulating the coach, Yran, a native of Israel, greeted outside hitter Eyal Zimet with a blue-and white lei. Zimet is also from Israel, and the lei represented the colors of their home country.

"Am I dreaming? This is unbelievable," said Yran.

---

UH Athletics