Remembering the Volleyball Matriarch Elissa Sato
The Sato Family Hall of Fame Placard located near the SMC Gynamsium. Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2020 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Johaira Dilauro / The Corsair)
Teaser: Volleyball matriarch and Hall of Famer Elissa Sato passed away last month at the age of 84. She leaves behind an admirable legacy as the volleyball community in Santa Monica around the world mourn her loss.
The volleyball community and the world mourns the monumental loss of Elissa Sato (84). The volleyball matriarch and mother of six (Gary, Glenn, Scott, Liane, Eric, and Tedi) was a staple to the community. She is remembered for her loving personality and dedication to both her children and the sport.
The mother of six met her spouse Richard Sato playing volleyball on an asphalt court in Waikiki, Hawaii. The two of them would later make the move to Santa Monica where they would plant roots and eventually blossom a family volleyball legacy.
The oldest son, Gary, played at UC Santa Barbara and coached multiple NCAA championship winning Pepperdine teams, three U.S Olympic teams, and the USC Men’s Volleyball team. Eric won Olympic gold in 1988 and bronze in 1992 with the U.S. Men’s Volleyball team, with Gary as an assistant coach on that team. Liane played on the U.S. Women’s Volleyball team in the 1988 Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics, as well as a bronze medal in the 1990 World Volleyball Championships. Scott played at San Diego State and Glenn at Loyola Marymount University, both playing excellent collegiate volleyball.
Three of the Sato’s — Gary, Liane, and Eric — are also in the Santa Monica College (SMC) Hall of Fame, recognized for having begun their sports careers at SMC. You can find their plaque inside of SMC’s gymnasium along with other illustrious inductees like four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist and SMC professor, Dr. Tommie Smith.
With a family of six children, Elissa needed a way to keep her kids active and out of the house, so she turned to sports. “There really wasn’t any room for us to play inside the house, so my mom would [say] you guys either need to be outside, or go to the park, or go to the beach” said Scott. Although they played baseball, soccer and football, they all eventually gravitated towards volleyball.
For Elissa, it didn’t matter what sport or where the game was. Whether it was a junior high tournament or the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, you could find her in the stands cheering for her kids.
“In Hawaii they talk about the Aloha spirit, and I think she brought that with her in all the different things that she did” said Gary.
Elissa was awarded the first ever Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame Lifetime Service Award for her involvement in the volleyball community for almost 50 years. She worked as a scorekeeper for many years at UCLA, USC, LMU, and Pepperdine volleyball games. She also ran volleyball camps for former Pepperdine head coach Marv Dunphy and assisted with volleyball programs at both Santa Monica High School and SMC.
“She deserves all the accolades I could ever think of. She’s just a great woman, a great mom, and a great leader in volleyball” said Rudy Suwara, the former U.S volleyball Olympian who coached many of Elissa’s kids.
Elissa leaves behind a great legacy beyond volleyball. While the Sato family will be known for their success in the sport, they will always be remembered for their backbone and support system, Elissa Sato.
Suwara said, “I know there will be other people that [Elissa] affected that will help grow the sport some more. She had a big impact on the sport of volleyball in California, in the nation, and in the world”.