"Volleyball has long been woven into Hawaii's culture, and on the boys' side, the sport continues to reach new heights. The Islandfest College Showcase highlighted that, with college coaches from some of the nation's top programs in attendance. I think the rich history that Hawaii has, I mean, volleyball runs in the roots. So for us, it's really, we've had a ton of Hawaiian players that have played at CSUN. And so just keeping connection with that and continuing to invite the guys that are continuing to train at this level to want to kind of aspire to play at the next level. The showcase gave athletes more than just an opportunity to highlight their skills. It allowed them to show who they are as a person and teammate. You know, I say this all the time with all the fluidity of just college sports, especially in our sport and all that type of stuff. At the end of the day, it's an eight foot net with a rectangle on the floor with a volleyball. Put the ball onto their side on the floor, keep it off the floor on your side. It's really simple. Just find a bunch of people who love to do it and they're driven towards a goal. And while the goal of the game is simple, as coach Nygaard put it, it takes more than just athleticism to be great. Yeah, I think for us, it's always been culture, right? Like, obviously, the talent is always going to be part of it, right? So finding good athletes is a big piece, but personality is a big part of what it takes to win and really what it takes to be a great teammate. So getting to see these guys interact with one another and getting to see their personalities a little bit, that's kind of what we're here for. And I know when you talk about personalities and always being drawn to the islands, what are some things in players that you have from the islands that make it stand out that make you want to come back? Yeah, there's definitely a culture of brotherhood. There's a family Ohana connection, right, that you sense from the Hawaiian players that I think is unique. And for them to be able to share that with their counterparts and the guys that end up on our roster is pretty special. While showcases like these continue to draw big time coaches, it's the athletes on the islands who make them want to keep coming back. Emily Paulson, KHON2 Sports."