For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 31, 2001
Remarks by the President in Photo Opportunity with University of Nebraska 2001 NCAA Women's Volleyball Champions
The Rose Garden
Listen to the President's Remarks
8:55 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT:
Welcome, thank you. Be
seated. It's my honor to welcome some true champs to the
Rose Garden. And thank you all for coming.
To the team, I'm honored you're
here. To the family and friends who are
here, thank you so much for accompanying the
champions. Coach Cook, thank you for being
here. And I want to thank the Athletic Director, as well.
I've spent some time watching Big XII
sports.
(Laughter.)
Ever since
the Big XII combined, some of
my Texas teams haven't fared too well --
(laughter)
--
including the Texas volleyball teams.
So I want to
congratulate you all for being
here. When I ran for office, I told the
voters I would surround myself with
excellence. I did so again today. (Laughter.)
This has been an unbelievably strong
team, made up of some unique individuals, starting with the Player of
the Year, Greichaly Cepero. It is a huge honor to
be the Player of the Year. And Greichaly, congratulations to
you, and Amber Holmquist and Laura Pilakowki.
But it's more than just to be great players,
it's important to be good people, too. And that's
the thing that I have been most impressed with by this
club. Not only are the girls up here champs on the court,
but they've been champs in the
classroom. And it's important for young men and women
who look at the Nebraska champs to understand that quality
of life is more
than just blocking shots.
Good quality of life means excelling in the classroom and
also in the neighborhoods across America.
One of the reasons I'm so thankful to
be able to welcome sports champions to the Rose Garden is
that it gives me a chance to remind people
about what a responsible society
should be about, and it should be about
loving a neighbor like you'd
like to be loved yourself, or setting good strong examples when you
have an opportunity to do so.
And finally, I can't go without saying
how impressed I am by the
Nebraska fan base.
(Laughter.) Whether it be for women's volleyball or
maybe football. (Laughter.)
But there's nothing like the Big Red. So again, I
want to congratulate you all for coming.
The other thing I want to
say about the coach is that obviously it
requires -- a good team requires
somebody who knows how to build a team. And that's why your coach is
Coach of the Year, and deservedly so.
So on behalf of a well-oiled unit of people
who came together to serve something greater than themselves,
congratulations. (Applause.)
*
* * * *
(A presentation was
made.) (Laughter and applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: So
here's what we're going to do. Why don't you all
come -- and if you'd complete the
trip, why don't you come into the Oval
Office, so I can show you one of the great
shrines of America. Thank you all for
coming. (Applause.)
END
9:05 A.M. EDT
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