56 from Hawaii suit up for D-I volleyball

The 2014 NCAA volleyball season kicks off this week with 56 Hawaii high school graduates suiting up for mainland Division I schools.

Five teams ranked in the first AVCA Division I Women’s Top 25 poll include players from Hawaii.

No. 15 Missouri features sophomores Carly Kan (Punahou) and Loxley Keala (‘Iolani), who led the Tigers to their first SEC title last season and a 35-1 record.

Their only loss came in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Kan, who was the only player in the country to finish the season hitting more than .350 while attempting at least 800 kills, was named to the preseason All-SEC team. She also played with the USA Collegiate National Team in the summer, playing a June tournament in China.

No. 2 Texas is the highest-ranked team with a player from Hawaii in junior libero Kat Brooks (Punahou).

Recent Kamehameha graduate Alohi Robins-Hardy will begin her freshman season with No. 9 BYU, while ‘Iolani alumna Hoakalei Dawson will debut with No. 24 American University.

Senior setter Shannan McCready (Punahou) is 53 assists shy of 1,000  as she begins her final season with No. 25 Arizona State.