Everyone who knew Joyce Morita knew how passionate she was about the University of Hawai‘i Wahine Volleyball program. The success of the program and its players was important to her and she committed her energy to the program as a booster, volunteering her time and energy to support the program.
In memory of Joyce, the University of Hawai‘i and the Wahine Volleyball program is establishing a scholarship fund for the volleyball program and will name it The Joyce Morita Annual Scholarship Fund to support Wahine Volleyball student athletes.
Under head coach Dave Shoji, the Rainbow Wahine is a national powerhouse in women’s volleyball. UH boasts four national championships and has made nine appearances to the NCAA Championships (national semifinal round). The Rainbow Wahine team has also dominated the Western Athletic Conference having won 14 consecutive league championships, including 10 straight tournament titles. In 2012 they captured the Big West Championship in their first year in the new conference.
Our goal for the 2013 is to raise $25,000 for the program. Donations of all sizes will make a difference for the program and the student athletes.
Joyce's Bio
The late Joyce Morita was born to parents Isaac and Lillian Kuroiwa. Her family owned a sporting goods store across the street from the old Honolulu stadium where she and her siblings created fond memories and nurtured their love of sports.
Joyce graduated from Roosevelt High School and attended the University of Hawai‘i. She then transferred to a college in California where she met and married another sports enthusiast, Walter Morita. Walter and Joyce have two daughters and two granddaughters.
Joyce began her career in the federal civil service in 1967 at Wheeler Air Force Base. In 1994 she retired as the supervisory budget analyst for the 25th Infantry Division after 26 years of government service. After retiring, Joyce started a second career working for State Senator David Ige. This allowed her to keep busy during the months that the legislature was in session and travel to watch the University of Hawai‘i participate in games away from home.
Joyce was an avid UH sports fan and devoted to all their programs. While much of her time and energy was spent supporting the various University sports programs, Joyce’s number one love was volleyball and she was a huge booster for the Rainbow Wahine Volleyball team. You could say that she lived and breathed Wahine Volleyball and the program and the team held a special place in her heart.
Each year, University of Hawai‘i Athletics honors an outstanding volunteer who has given his/her time to help further the department. In 2007, Joyce received the Charles Ushijima Memorial Award.
Make a Gift
Questions? / More Information
If you would like to learn how you can support UH students and programs like this, please contact us at 808 376-7800 or send us a message.
