Suzuki, Kan at Downtown Athletic Club

Kurt Suzuki and Carly Kan are the speakers at today’s Downtown Athletic Club Hawaii lunch meeting at the Hukilau restaurant.

Suzuki, born and raised on Maui, enters his eighth season in Major League Baseball. He recently signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal to play for the Minnesota Twins.

Kan, a former Punahou volleyball standout, helped the Missouri Tigers capture the school’s first-ever Southeastern Conference women’s volleyball championship and a 34-0 regular season record. Kan was also named the SEC’s freshman of the year.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m., with the program beginning at noon. Seating is limited, so reservations are recommended by calling 523-3460.

Pestolesi to receive men’s volleyball award

Former University of Hawaii’s men’s volleyball standout Tom Pestolesi will receive the Pae Makaukau Alumni recognition award at the 4th annual A’o a Koa Scholarship Dinner on Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Pestolesi was a two-year letterman for Hawaii in 1982 and ’83 and earned third-team AVCA All-America honors in ’83. He coaches the Irvine Valley College women’s volleyball team in addition to his duty as director of volleyball for the men’s program.

He is married to former Rainbow Wahine Diane Sebastian.

Past winners of this award include Manny Relator (2013), Mauli’a LaBarre (2012) and Pono Ma’a (2011).

UH is No. 7 in water polo preseason poll

Hawaii is ranked seventh in the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s preseason poll, released Wednesday. Defending national champion USC is No. 1. The Trojans held off Stanford 10-9 in triple sudden death overtime in last year’s final.

Other Big West schools in the poll are UC Irvine (6), Long Beach State (11), Cal State Northridge (14), UC Santa Barbara (17) and UC Davis (18).

The Rainbow Wahine finished No. 6 in the 2013 CWPA poll after enjoying one of the most successful seasons in program history. UH won both the Big West regular-season and tournament titles in the team’s debut season in the league and advanced to the NCAA semifinals, where it fell to USC. The team’s 22 wins were the most since the 2001 squad went 25-10.

UH returns 10 players from last year’s squad, but will no longer have the services of Monika Eggens, a three-time All-American and UH’s all-time leading scorer. UH must also replace two-time All-AmericanAmarens Genee, the school’s third all-time leading scorer. All-Big West performers Paula Chillida-Esforzado andEmily Carrare back for UH, which brought in nine new players.

The Wahine host their annual alumnae match Jan. 25, 4 p.m. at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. They open the season at Santa Clara on Jan. 30.