Overall 2013 was another rough year for Hawaii sports fans, with some strange twists. The state’s favorite team fell on hard times again. Hawaii’s most famous college athlete became more well known for a mythical girlfriend. The new University of Hawaii athletic director got hurt in a fight. The national stage of the World Series proved embarrassing for a local product.

On the positive side, another player from Hawaii shined at the Series, and volleyball coach Dave Shoji’s consistent excellence was validated in the record books.

Those stories ranked at the top in voting by the Star-Advertiser’s sports staff:

MORE WOES FOR UH FOOTBALL

In its second year under coach Norm Chow, UH football fell from 3-9 in 2012 to 1-11. Frustration among fans grew each week, a faction calling for Chow’s removal. Some continued to preach patience for a program in transition.

Sophomore walk-on running back Willis Wilson drowned in the waters off Sandy Beach the morning of the final game, UH’s only win.

The contracts of defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer and linebackers coach Tony Tuioti were not renewed for the 2014 season and a search for replacements began.

INTO THE FIRE

It was a bizarre first year for new UH athletic director Ben Jay.

Jay jumped into a financial mess and a department with low morale. His first major decision was to streamline the teams’ nicknames by changing them all to "Warriors" for men and "Rainbow Wahine" for the women. He drew criticism from some and praise from others when he amended that decision to again add "Rainbow" in front of "Warriors" for all men’s teams.

Upper campus forgave an accumulated debt of $13 million, so Jay started with a clean slate.

On Nov. 17, Jay was injured while trying to break up a brawl at a UH-West Virginia women’s basketball game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

ALONE AT THE TOP

Dave Shoji and his Wahine provided the biggest purely positive sports story of the year in Hawaii, as Shoji became the career leader in Division I women’s volleyball with victory No. 1,107, on Sept. 6 against Santa Clara.

Led by All-American Emily Hartong, UH went 25-5, including a season-opening win against No. 1 Texas. But the Wahine lost at home in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Brigham Young.

NOT WHAT IT SEEMED

Punahou graduate Manti Te’o went from Heisman Trophy runner-up to national punch line to starting NFL linebacker.

The most celebrated college football player ever from Hawaii played way below expectations when Alabama beat his Notre Dame team 42-14 in the BCS national championship game Jan. 7.

But Te’o was picked in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Chargers. A foot injury forced him to miss the start of the season, but he made 61 tackles in 13 games.

VICTORY FOR VICTORINO

For the first time in World Series history, players from Hawaii were in both dugouts: St. Anthony graduate Shane Victorino with the Red Sox and Kamehameha-Hawaii and UH product Kolten Wong with the Cardinals.

Pinch runner Wong was picked off of first base for the final out of Boston’s 4-2 win in Game 4.

Victorino came through in the clutch. He had four RBIs in Boston’s 6-2 Game 6 win to clinch the series.