Long Hair Don’t Care for "Tui" at BJNC

Becky Murdy
Assistant, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (July 4, 2011) – The saying “long hair, don’t care,” describes Larry “Tui” Tuileta perfectly.

The 15-year-old outside hitter who plays for the Ka Ulukoa M15 Mizuno team has dominated within the volleyball world for years and is continuing that tradition at the 2011 USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships (BJNC).

Tuileta is as laidback as they come. His long hair and neat curls make him easy to spot, but his talent on the volleyball court makes him impossible to ignore. His Ka Ulukoa club team reflects that same attitude.

“I kind of just go with the flow,” Tuileta said. “I like to enjoy the time now and not worry about too much else.”

Tuileta has been a member of the Ka Ulukoa volleyball club since he competed with the 12s team. His team has been named the national champions in the 12 Club division (2008), the 13 Club division (2009) and the 14 Open division (2010) over the past three years at the BJNC.

Not only have Tuileta’s teams won every gold medal that they competed for at the USA Volleyball BJNC, but they also have never lost a match in any of the tournaments. Ka Ulukoa kept its record unblemished Monday as it captured the gold over Borinquen Coqui 15-1M (Puerto Rico) 25-21, 30-28.

Tuileta’s intuitiveness allowed him to dig what seemed like every attack from the Borinquen team. His performance earned him the 15 Open most valuable player and an all-tournament team position. 

The volleyball standout is also the quarterback of the Punahou high school football team. This coming fall as a sophomore will be his first year on the varsity level.

“Football is really big in Hawaii,” Tuileta said. “It is a really competitive sport. The feeling when you walk into the stadium is just electric.”

With football residing in the fall and volleyball in the spring, Tuileta has been able to balance the two sports, focusing on each at different times.

“Volleyball and football are two very different sports,” Tuileta said. “Volleyball is more a mental game for me and football is a broad game.”

Volleyball has been a family tradition for Tuileta. He has six sisters and a brother who all play the sport as well.

“In Hawaii volleyball is a family sport,” Tuileta said. “A lot of us have big families, so we play it all of the time growing up”

Tuileta doesn’t have any concrete college plans at the moment as he will only be a sophomore in high school this fall. He hopes to be able to continue playing both sports and to have success as quarterback on his football team. At the moment, that is about the only future he is looking to.

“I want to be able to soak in all that I am doing now,” Tuileta said. “I’m not sure about what I see myself doing in the future, I am sure everything will work out.

Though the future isn’t mapped out for Tuileta, there is no doubt that he will continue dominating on the volleyball court and possibly on the football field.