Citius. Altius. Fortius.
Faster. Higher. Stronger.
The Olympic motto wears Size 121⁄2 Steph Curry 7 Sour Patch Kids Lime shoes for the Hawaii men’s volleyball team. But, in Chaz Galloway’s athletic world, there is a fourth tenant in his pursuit of athletic greatness:
Captiosus.
Smarter.
The 6-foot-3 Galloway might be considered undersized for high-level collegiate play — think of former Warrior All-American Stijn van Tilburg at 6-8 as a standard — then think again. Galloway’s team-best 45.5-inch vertical and his 11 feet, 10 inch touch has the San Diego native breaking into the starting lineup for No. 1 Hawaii as a true freshman.
He is as dynamic and explosive as senior teammate Colton Cowell. Add a quarterback mentality — four concussions ended that in eighth grade — and the work ethic to get back to where he was before oral surgery during Christmas break and few will be surprised if Galloway makes his third consecutive start against Queens in tonight’s second match of the 26th Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Invitational.
“F.J., F.A.,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said of Galloway. “Fast Jump, Fast Arm. That translates into point-scoring everywhere in the world.
“What it says (about a freshman starter) is that he’s a pretty high-level player. He touched 11-9 in the preseason and he’s continued to work hard, done what we’ve asked of him.
“I know he has a style of play our fans love to see. He’s going to have a great career here.”
Galloway’s debut was put on hold while he recovered from having all four wisdom teeth pulled in December. Coupled with the flu, he said said he lost about 12 pounds from his usual weight of 170.
Galloway missed the season opener against Charleston on Jan. 3, arriving in time to watch the Jan. 4 rematch against the Golden Eagles. He wowed the Stan Sheriff Center crowd during warmups on Jan. 9, making his Warrior debut in Set 3 against Emmanuel, and finishing with six kills and no errors in seven attempts.
His first two starts were on the road in Tennessee in sweeps of King and Lincoln Memorial. His performances — a combined 13 kills, .667 hitting percentage and nine digs — led to him being named the Big West Freshman of the Week on Jan. 27.
“Missing that time … it was hard, I argued with my mom (about the oral surgery),” he said. “I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to prove myself. But it had to be done.
“It gave me a chip on my shoulder. I obviously had taken a couple of steps back and I knew I had to work twice as hard to fight for a starting spot and prove myself.”
And improve his game.
“Definitely need to improve my serving,” said Galloway, who has one ace with seven errors in 13 sets. “And improve my passing. Everything really. I can’t get enough reps at this point. Be bigger, stronger, faster, smarter.”
Galloway was exposed to volleyball through his sister Cambria, a junior right-side hitter at the Air Force Academy. He considered it a girls’ sport, opting to play Pop Warner football until “my mother said four concussions was enough,” Galloway said.
He ended up playing for Wave, his sister’s club team, then followed her to Cathedral High. When the family moved to 4S Ranch in San Diego’s North County, he transferred for his senior year to Del Norte, right across Camino San Bernardo from his new home.
Last May, Galloway led the Nighthawks to their first CIF title in boys volleyball. His resume also included a stint with the U.S. men’s junior national training team.
Galloway had his choice of colleges, including Long Beach State, Lewis, UCLA and USC. But he chose Hawaii for “the volleyball and its family culture,” he said. “the coaches were really welcoming and, when I met the guys, it felt like home.
“The best thing is the team culture. I can’t stress that enough. The boys are so tight. I’ve never been with a group of guys like this. It’s what gets me up in the morning.”
Galloway said his recruiting visit was an eye-opener.
“I didn’t know much about the program,” he said, “but when I came out, I thought, ‘This is legit.’
“I love the fans. It was cool watching but playing in front of them is completely different. They love volleyball and they love you whether you’re doing well or not doing so well. I feel they appreciate you and all the work you’re putting in to represent the island and the state.”
As for the neon lime green shoes, it’s a reflection of his personality.
“I like the color, they stand out,” he said. “That’s kind of how I do things. My parents liked it because they could always find me on the court.”
The vertical helped, too.
26TH OUTRIGGER HOTELS & RESORTS INVITATIONAL
Stan Sheriff Center
Thursday
>> No. 4 UC Irvine (5-3) vs. No. 14 Concordia Irvine (5-4), 4 p.m.
>> Queens (4-4) at No. 1 Hawaii (9-0), 7 p.m.
>> TV: None
>> Radio: 1500-AM (Hawaii match only)
Friday
>> UC Irvine vs. Queens, 4 p.m.
>> Concordia Irvine at Hawaii, 7 p.m.
>> TV: None
>> Radio: 1420-AM/92.7-FM (Hawaii match only)
Saturday
>> Concordia Irvine vs. Queens, 4 p.m.
>> UC Irvine at Hawaii, 7 p.m.
>> TV: Hawaii match only, Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: Hawaii match only, 1500-AM
>> Series: Hawaii leads Queens, 2-0; leads Concordia Irvine, 4-0; leads UC Irvine, 38-22
