Hartong earns BWC honor for No. 6 UH

Hawaii senior hitter Emily Hartong was named the Big West women’s volleyball player of the week Monday, the second time in four weeks for the All-American.

It’s the third time a Rainbow Wahine has been honored by the conference this month. Senior setter Mita Uiato was cited last week.

Also on Monday, Hawaii (11-1) moved up a spot to No. 6 in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25.

Due to a loss by then-No. 2 San Diego — the only team to defeat the Wahine — Nos. 2 through 7 all moved up a spot, with the Toreros (8-2) slipping to No. 8 following at sweep by unranked BYU in Provo, Utah.

Last week, Hartong averaged 4.18 kills and 3.09 digs en route to MVP honors at the Shocker Volleyball Classic. The Rainbow Wahine defeated South Dakota, No. 23 Creighton and host Wichita State.

Hartong hit .284 (46-13-116) for the tournament, with double-figure kills in each match and double-doubles in two of them. She had a match-high 20 kills on .311 hitting (20-6-45) while adding 16 digs and a pair of service aces against the Bluejays, helping UH to its third win over a ranked opponent this year.

She opened the tournament with 13 kills, 13 digs and three blocks against South Dakota. Hartong hit at a .278 clip with 13 kills — all coming in the first two sets — in the finale against host Wichita State.

She leads the Big West in kills per set (4.70) and has been named the MVP in three of Hawaii’s four tournament appearances. Uiato was named the MVP of the other.

In Monday’s poll, Penn State (9-1) remained No. 1, receiving 53 of 60 first-place votes. Washington (8-0) moved to No. 2, followed by Florida (11-1), USC (10-1), Texas (6-2), Hawaii (11-1) and Stanford (7-2). Nos. 9-13 remained unchanged, starting with No. 9 Minnesota (12-1), followed by Michigan (10-1), UCLA (9-1), Nebraska (8-2) and Ohio State (12-0).

The Rainbow Wahine return to the Stan Sheriff Center on Wednesday for an exhibition with Toyota Auto Body of Japan at 7 p.m. Hawaii opens defense of its Big West title Friday with Cal State Fullerton (7-6), also scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.

3 Hawaii players start for national team

The U.S. men’s national team, with three players from Hawaii, opened the NORCECA Continental Championship with a win over St. Lucia on Monday in Langley, British Columbia.

The winner of the biennial event, which brings together teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean, qualifies for the FIVB Grand Champions Cup. That will be in Japan, Nov. 19-24.

U.S. coach John Speraw’s interest in seeing lots of different faces this year has Hawaii’s Micah Christenson (USC) and Futi Tavana (Brigham Young) making their international debuts in Canada. Stanford graduate Erik Shoji remains at libero.

All three started in Monday’s 25-12, 25-10, 25-11 victory. Christenson, the setter, had a match-high five aces in two sets. Tavana got seven kills and four blocks.

The tournament ends Saturday. Cuba won the last two titles. The U.S. won the previous three. It finished 12th in World League this summer, going 4-6 and dropping to No. 5 in the world.

The U.S. women, playing without Hawaii’s Tamari Miyashiro, won the gold medal at the NORCECA Continental Championship, which ended Saturday in Omaha, Neb.

Led by tournament MVP Kelly Murphy, the U.S. defeated the Dominican Republic 25-19, 26-24, 21-25, 25-19 in the gold medal match.

The U.S. won all four of its matches, dropping just one set.

The victory qualifies Team USA for the FIVB Grand Champions Cup in November. It will compete against the winners of the four other zonals.

Hilo’s Reed Sunahara is an assistant coach for the team.

Services for Mosley-McAfee on Friday

Funeral services for Judy Mosley-McAfee have been set for Friday in Temecula, Calif.

Mosley-McAfee, the best player ever to wear a Hawaii women’s basketball uniform, died of cancer in her native California on Sept. 16. The two-time regional All-American and UH Sports Circle of Honor inductee is the program leader in points (2,479) and rebounds (1,441).

The former Judy Mosley helped take the Rainbow Wahine to their first NCAA tournament appearances in 1989 and 1990.

There will be a viewing from 9 to 10:30 a.m., with the funeral starting at 11 a.m. at Mountain View Community Church, 26201 Ynez Road, Temecula, Calif., 92591.