Wahine forge ahead after wild weekend of college volleyball

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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Hawaii outside hitter McKenna Granato had 33 kills, including eight in Set 5, in Sunday’s comeback win over Arizona at the Stan Sheriff Center.

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2016 August 28 SPT - HSA Photo by Jamm Aquino. Hawaii middle blocker Emily Maglio (19) puts down a kill against Arizona middle blocker Mckenzie Jacobson (18) and outside hitter Katarina Pilepic (6) during the final game of the 2016 Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational women’s college volleyball tournament on Sunday, August 28, 2016 at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.

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No one is looking ahead. A look back at last weekend’s women’s collegiate volleyball results is reason enough.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES CLASSIC

Stan Sheriff Center

THURSDAY

>> No. 8 UCLA (3-0) vs. Pacific (2-1), 4:45 p.m.

>> Missouri State (2-1) at No. 15 Hawaii (1-2), 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

>> No. 8 UCLA vs. Missouri State, 4:45 p.m.

>> Pacific at No. 15 Hawaii, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

>> Pacific vs. Missouri State, 4:45 p.m.

>> No. 8 UCLA at No. 15 Hawaii, 7 p.m.

ON AIR

>> TV: OC Sports, Ch. 16 /Hawaiian Telcom Ch. 89 (Hawaii matches only)

>> Radio: 1420-AM (Hawaii matches only)

Upsets — at least based on preseason rankings — reigned and rained down across the country.

Penn State falls at home to North Carolina, the earliest loss for the Nittany Lions since the 2011 opener to Oregon.

USC goes 0-3 at home, including being swept by the Big West’s UC Irvine, the Anteaters’ first win in 11 meetings with the Women of Troy.

And then there is injury-depleted Hawaii, which avoided its first 0-3 start since 1980 with an impressive reverse sweep in five over Arizona on Sunday. The Rainbow Wahine had four true freshmen — setter Norene Iosia, hitters Kirsten Sibley and McKenna Ross, and defensive specialist Emma Smith — on the floor at the end, the first time that has happened since 1984.

Hawaii got a big boost on Tuesday with senior All-America opposite Nikki Taylor being cleared to practice for the first time since injuring her left elbow in the Green-White Scrimmage on Aug. 20. Taylor was limited to non-blocking drills and is still day-to-day in terms of being cleared to play.

“It’s another challenging tournament,” Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. “We’ve got two non-marquee names, but they’re awfully good. Missouri State beating Illinois at Illinois is no small feat. That has to get your attention.

“And Pacific should have made the (NCAA) tournament last year. They’re a dangerous team. And UCLA is very strong again.”

In the uncertain world of college volleyball, there has been one constant: Hawaii vs. UCLA. The Bruins have played the Wahine every year since 1974 — Hawaii’s first collegiate season —and have won 10 Classic titles in 22 appearances, including last year.

Back as well is Hawaii’s former associate head coach Mike Sealy, in his seventh year at his alma mater. Asked about the rash of upsets the first week of the season, the UCLA coach said, “It’s college athletics.

“There’s no such thing as crazy. Every sport around the country has so much (more) parity than there used to be. Maybe there are mid-majors that aren’t marquee names, but there’s good athletes all over the country. There’s no easy win out there.“