Persistent McRaven willed way from Moanalua to Long Beach

Brock Jones | SL

To say its been quite the journey for DiAeris McRaven would be a bit of an understatement, with helping to raise national championship banner for Long Beach State the icing on top of the proverbial cake.

A two-sport standout during his time at Moanalua High School, volleyball didn't really become a primary focus for McRaven until relatively late in his prep career.

"He was a talented basketball player, he was just a talented athlete but basketball was his main sport," said Moanalua head coach Alan Cabanting of McRaven as a prep player. "When he transitioned to volleyball (as his main sport) I think it was one of those things where he saw what he could do with the game and what he could get from the game."

That transition started with club volleyball, where he played for Outrigger Canoe Volleyball Club after his days as a Na Menehune were over.

"After high school he was playing with some of the best players in the state when he joined the (Outrigger) club," said Cabanting. "He made the right moves in what he wanted and he's one of those guys that say 'okay, let me start doing the things I need to get from where I am to where I want to be.'"

One of those things that McRaven needed to do was take yet another incremental step, as his volleyball soujourn continued at Orange Coast College.

"The community college route was best because of the lack of experience that he had starting so late," continued Cabanting. "But you can see that he is the result of what happens when you take a look at what you want and work hard enough at it."

His one season in the California Community College Athletic Association not only provided him game reps, but also culminated in the Pirates winning the CCCAA Men's Volleyball Championship in 2022.

"The game is just a little bit faster, definitely something I wasn't used to coming to California after playing here, but we have some much talent coming out of Hawaii so it wasn't that drastic of a change," remarked McRaven. "Both Hawaii and California both have very unique styles of volleyball."

Credit his adapatability or his work ethic, but some combination of the two ultimately allowed him to move on to the next stage of his volleyball journey, national powerhouse Long Beach State.

And his role at LBSU also meant yet another form of transition, a move from the outside at OCC to the middle blocker spot.

"He's played other positions, so he's had to work on ball control, he had to work on all that stuff so I think it really helped him out now in the middle blocker position," said Cabanting. "He made some incredible digs (against Hawaii) and I was like a regular middle wouldn't be able to that up but (his) ball control helped."

Its this adaptability coupled with his motivation and drive that have gotten him to where he is now, playing a starting role on the team that just claimed the program's fourth NCAA title and first since 2019.

"It's been a long road to get to where I am and it definitely has not been easy. I had to go the junior college route and transferred to Long Beach after two years but I think all of those little moments kind of made me who I am both as a player and a person," said McRaven reflecting. "I think that I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for the adversity that I had to go through. It definitely made me a better player, a better person so I'm grateful for the journey. Really grateful and thankful that I'm able to play on one of the biggest stages for volleyball in the country."

McRaven's path to success wasn't on the fast track, and maybe that's the best possible success story for future Moanalua players seeking a shot at the next level to witness, and the 2025 Na Menehune roster did, literally.

"The entire Moanalua boys team was at the game (against Hawaii on April 11, 2025) and a couple of guys still knew DiAeris and were cheering for Long Beach and the other half was cheering for Hawaii and JT (another former Na Menehune standout, Justin Todd) and played with him," said Cabanting.

When asked about his advice for future student athletes looking to make their mark at the next level, he had this in response.

"Keep working, don't give up no matter what they say. I started volleyball later than most of my teammates that I was playing club with but I'm so stubborn I just never gave up and I kept going," he said.

"I tried to take the right steps. You can work hard but if you don't take the right steps to get to where you want to be, you're just going to get stuck in one spot too. Remember where you come from, and have a strong support system, my family definitely helped me out so much."

"It's not going to be easy but if really really want it you can definitely do it."