‘Eleu Choy is used to his teammates calling him “uncle,” but he has to admit he can’t do anything about it, anyway.
The sixth-year Rainbow Warriors senior libero is the lone remaining player who was on the 2021 team that won the first of back-to-back national championship coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He’s also, by definition, an uncle. His older sister, former Rainbow Wahine setter Bailey Choy, had her first child in October.
“They are making me feel old,” Choy said of his teammates. “But it’s true. I’ve held the baby multiple times, but changing the diapers is something I have to work on. I told my sister I will try to get better at it.”
If he focuses on that like he has his volleyball career, he could become the best babysitter around.
It has been a long process for the 2019 Farrington alum, who played in only 19 matches in his first four years in the program.
He vaulted into a starting position last season when he more than doubled his career match total and ranked third in the Big West in digs per set.
This season, he is one of three returning starters and has elevated his game to the point that coach Charlie Wade said he can’t have Choy and setter Tread Rosenthal on the same side of the court in practice.
If he does, the other team will never win.
“We’ve had some of these stories over time, but his journey is as impressive as anyone,” Wade said. “For a kid who didn’t play the big-time high school or club and now to be one of the best players in the country at his position, he has played at a really high level. He’s just one of the greatest humans you could ever meet and is a joy to be around. I’d take my chances with six of those on the court against anybody. We wouldn’t block many balls, but we would be a really tough out.”
Choy is the only returning senior with significant playing time.
He has played alongside some of the best players ever to come through the program and has been on some very experienced teams.
Choy is excited about the youthfulness of the team around him this season.
“Especially this group of young men. They are very talented. Obvious they have to develop, but I am very excited to see what they do on the court,” Choy said. “I remember when I was the freshman, we had a lot of older veterans and they would always help me and tell me what to do, and it’s one of those things where now I have to be one of those leaders to guide them, but they are such good people.”
After playing in every match last season, Choy said he is a different player now than he was a year ago.
“The inspiration I get from playing in front of the fans and having the whole state of Hawaii behind you is wonderful to have that support to push you forward,” Choy said. “I think I have definitely developed a lot, mainly because I’ve learned from so many different players and the cultures they have come from and how they like to play.”
Choy said it’s “all hands on deck” this season. The competition and competitive spirit in practice is as high as it has ever been in his entire time here.
“There are so many young people and they have so much energy and they are never tired, and that’s what we want to be,” Choy said. “We push each other in the practice gym and that competitive spirit is going to be what pushes us to that natty.”
Last season was the first season in Choy’s career that ended without making it to a national championship, dating back to the pandemic-shortened season in 2020.
In the high-power, above-the-net sport of men’s collegiate volleyball, liberos are sometimes overlooked. They rarely win major awards, but Choy said he drew inspiration from Rainbow Wahine senior Tayli Ikenaga, who just two months ago, as a libero, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Big West Conference tournament.
“I saw that and I was so proud of her,” Choy said. “Way to represent us libs, Tayli. But yeah, we’re very proud of her and she does such a wonderful job representing the libs and how she transitioned from being an outside hitter in high school.”
