Rainbow Wahine dominate All-WAC volleyball awards

LAS VEGAS >> Hawaii junior Kanani Danielson is again the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year in volleyball, and Dave Shoji and Emily Hartong earned the conference’s other major awards, announced tonight at the annual banquet at Orleans Arena.
Danielson, a two-time All-American, led UH (27-1, 16-0 WAC) through a perfect conference season. For the first time in its dominant WAC history, Hawaii did not drop a set, with Danielson among the Top 10 nationally in kills (4.47 per set). 
She is a three-time first-team All-WAC honoree. It is the 15th straight year a Wahine has earned WAC player of the year honors, in 15 seasons as a conference member.
Hartong, a middle blocker, who is second in the conference in hitting percentage, is the eighth Wahine to earn freshman of the year. She was also named to the second team.
Seniors Dani Mafua and Elizabeth Ka‘aihue, junior Chanteal Satele and sophomore Brittany Hewitt join Danielson on the first team. Michelle Waber joins Hartong on the All-Freshman team.
The WAC tournament begins here tomorrow. Under Shoji, last year’s national coach of the year, the third-ranked Rainbow Wahine are seeded first and favored to win their 13th consecutive championship, and the automatic NCAA Tournament berth that comes with it. Shoji has been named WAC coach of the year eight times.
Saint Francis graduate Kylie Harrington, a senior at Nevada, is on the second team.
Hawaii gets a bye tomorrow and opens Tuesday against the winner of tomorrow night’s match between fourth-seeded Boise State and fifth-seeded Idaho.