History

Club Union Volleyball was established in 2001 by Sam Vaitai.  In 1976, Sam came from Tonga to attend Brigham Young University Hawaii and studied Vocational Education.  Sam desired to play for the BYU men’s Volleyball team.  To prepare himself he joined a volleyball club in Honolulu taking a bus into the city after classes each week.  He was determined to not only make the BYU team but to be a “starter.” With hard work and perseverance Sam made the team and filled the 6th spot to start.   In 1982, Sam visited the mainland and met his wife Popua.  Sam graduated with his Bachelor’s degree from California State University.  He went on to coach Leuzinger High School Boys volleyball team and Olympus High School.  When his daughters were of age he registered them at High Country Volleyball Club where he coached for a few years to help with fees.  Because of Sam’s association with the club, family and friends came to try out.  After the parents meeting detailing financial commitments to join the club most families did not return.   Many of those families requested that Sam start his own club.  With much persuasion Sam finally agreed to start his own club, with only one condition – that he would only coach and his wife Pua and others would manage the club.  The club management team has made every effort to keep fees reasonably low compared to other clubs in the valley.  The purpose of the club is to give everyone who wants to play at club level a chance to learn skills and develop talent for the game of Volleyball. Throughout the years teams have gone to Nationals and have been exposed to the highest level of competition.   Former club members have gone on to receive scholarships to play for Division 1 and Division 2 teams in college as well as Jr colleges.