(photo courtesy of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald)

ANAHEIM, Calif.--Legendary volleyball coach and player Sharon Peterson will have to find a spot in her trophy case for yet another award, this time for being inducted into the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Peterson, the former UH HIlo head coach, will be inducted virtually in this pandemic year as a part of the hall of fame class of 2021. Peterson, already a member of the Cal State Long Beach Hall of Fame, the UHH Athletic Hall of Fame and the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, is a part of this fifth class of the SCIVHOF. Others being inducted include Wink Davenport, John Hyden, Ryan Millar, Fred Sturm, Tim Hovland, Tammy Leibl, Sude Woodstra, Bernie Holtzman, Holly McPeak, Reid Priddy and Linda Murphy.

If COVID permits, an in-person induction ceremony will take place next fall.

Peterson coached the Vulcans to six national championships in 25 seasons, including two in one year (1981). That year, the Vulcans won the NAIA and AIAW titles, the only team to ever do so. They finished 38-7. Under Peterson, the Vulcans also won NAIA national championships in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1988. Her record at UH Hilo was 511-251, a winning percentage of .671.

Long before her tenure at UH Hilo, she had a brilliant career as a player. She played at Long Beach State in 1962 and 1963, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1986. She was a member of the first two USA Olympic teams in 1964 (Tokyo) and 1968 (Mexico City) and played professionally in the IVA. After coaching at UH Hilo, she became the boys and girls volleyball coach at Hawaii Prep Academy in Waimea, winning a number of BIIF titles and qualifying for the Hawaii Division II state tournament. 

Now retired, Peterson still lives on the Big Island. 

"We are very excited that our fifth Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame induction class covers so much USA volleyball history and has such a great USA Olympic team presence," said Mike Gallups, president of the SCIVBHOF.

"We are very hopeful we can honor this group and the 2020 class by having a major induction event in the fall if our honorees have been able to obtain the vaccine for COVID-19 and the health situation has improved."