Every college athlete strives to be a national champion.

Washington junior Tamari Miyashiro can call herself one as part of the 2005 Huskies volleyball team that accomplished that feat.

She participated in every practice, went on every road trip, and was in the gym for every game the Huskies played.

“;It was amazing,”; the '05 Kalani graduate said. “;Here I come in and I'm barely 19 years old and we're playing for a national championship and I'm kind of right in the mix, going through all the routines with the team and experiencing the whole thing. It was great.”;

But there was one drawback. As soon as the first whistle blew to start a match, Miyashiro would take her place on the bench. When the final kill was put down in San Antonio, site of the 2005 Final Four, Miyashiro had yet to move.

As a true freshman, Miyashiro was one of four girls who the coaching staff wanted to redshirt. But unlike the other three, Miyashiro was the backup setter, and had to go on every road trip in case something happened to the starter.

As happy as she was to be on Washington's first national-title team, the competitor inside of her was burning at having to watch the entire season from the bench.

So yes, Miyashiro can call herself a champion, but to experience it from the sidelines has driven her even harder to lead the Huskies to a second title. And this time, she wants to be on the court when it happens.

“;Every day goes by that you just wish to be in that position to be in the heart of it,”; Miyashiro said. “;For me, just experiencing that, that's the thing I want to be a part of, to be in that game making the decisions.”;

Her quest to achieve that goal begins today when the fifth-ranked Huskies open the 2008 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament at home against Portland State.

Unlike most Selection Sundays in years past, the Huskies got good news last weekend when they got to host the first two rounds. The regionals were already set up for Seattle, meaning Washington can reach the final four without leaving its home gym.

“;When we won the Pac-10 (2005) and came in second (2006), we got sent away for the first two rounds, so I went into it just wanting to know where we were going,”; Miyashiro said. “;It's just better to play at home because you're at someplace comfortable and you can keep your normal routines and everything you're comfortable with the same.”;

Comfort has always been important for the 2007 national defensive player of the year, and is part of the reason she's playing volleyball at Washington.

The free-spirited Miyashiro never thought she'd still be undecided on college in February of her senior year. But that's exactly the situation she faced after her three official recruiting trips.

She thought she'd secure a scholarship somewhere, but when things didn't work out, suddenly she was scrambling.

“;I was bummed,”; she said. “;I didn't know what to do.”;

A cousin who coached at Kalani helped her with a recruiting tape, which she sent out to every Pac-10 school. She got a reply from each school: no room at the inn.

“;Now I was really worried,”; she said.

Hawaii didn't show any real interest, and worry turned to panic before Washington called out of the blue. The Huskies didn't have a scholarship offer, but wanted to set up a visit.

On a cold, February night, she arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Taking the I-5 freeway to campus from the airport, she passed the giant baseball and football stadiums on the left and made her way through the heart of downtown Seattle.

Something felt right, but it was dark, so she couldn't see everything. She went to sleep that night feeling something, but wasn't sure what it was until she walked out of the hotel the next morning.

“;I don't know if it was just that I was so emotional because I needed to decide something, but I loved it when I got here,”; she said. “;As soon as I got out of my hotel and got to the street and started driving I was like, man, this is the place. It hit me right there I wanted to come here.”;

Everything has worked out perfectly since. Miyashiro has had to work for her spot on the team, the way she wanted it, and is now a vital part of one of the top programs in America.

Now, the only challenge is being a successful team in a sports town as cursed as Seattle. The Mariners lost 100 games, the Seahawks are 2-10, the professional basketball team is gone, and the UW football team is on the verge of an 0-12 season. UW volleyball has become Seattle's last hope.

“;Something good has to happen around here,”; Miyashiro joked. “;We know we won't be on the same level as football and basketball, but you can see the growing support for the volleyball team every day. Everything has been great.”;