Asing advances at J-Bay surfing

Tour rookie Keanu Asing, the only remaining Hawaii surfer, will face Australia’s Mick Fanning in a Round 5 elimination heat Sunday at the World Surf League J-Bay Open in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

Asing finished second to Brazilian Alejo Muniz in Round 4. Muniz, a wild-card entry, advanced into the quarterfinals of the sixth stop of the WSL Championship Tour with an 8.17, the highest score of the day.

U.S. men to play for World League bronze

The U.S. men’s national volleyball team rallied from down 0-2 but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling to Serbia 25-23, 25-21, 25-27, 20-25, 15-12 in an FIVB World League semifinal Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.

The Americans, winners of this event last year, were to play Poland for the bronze medal Sunday (2:10 a.m. Hawaii time). Serbia takes on France for the gold.

Starting setter Micah Christenson (Kamehameha) had 31 assists and reserve setter Kawika Shoji (‘Iolani), who played briefly in Set 2, added four assists. Christenson also had four blocks, two aces and six digs, and libero Erik Shoji (Punahou) had four digs before leaving the match with a knee injury incurred when going after a ball in Set 2.

The U.S. appeared poised to gain the final when leading 12-10 in Set 5. A U.S. service error sparked a 5-0 Serbia run to close out the match.

U.S. women fall to China in volleyball

In a rematch of last month’s USA Volleyball Cup in Honolulu, No. 3 China outlasted the top-ranked U.S. women’s national team 22-25, 25-13, 25-22, 19-25, 15-12 Saturday in the FIVB World Grand Prix preliminary round finale in Hong Kong.

It was the first loss for Team USA in the tournament, while China went 9-0. Both teams advance to next week’s finals in Omaha, Neb., the first time the U.S. has hosted the championship round in the 23-year history of the event.

Jordan Larson-Burbach led the Americans with 10 kills, four blocks and three aces. Libero Tamari Miyashiro (Kalani) did not play.

Third Transpac wave sets sail

The third and final group of 66 yachts in the 48th Transpacific Yacht Race set sail Saturday from San Pedro, Calif., heading to the finish line off Diamond Head.

Among the wave is Waikiki Yacht Club-based Grand Illusion, the Santa Cruz 70 monohull that won the overall title and King Kalakaua Cup in 2011. Skippered by James McDowell, Grand Illusion is one of two Hawaii yachts entered, the other being CaZan, a DK 46 also out of WYC and skippered by Scott Bradley.

Davis, Shin at Quarterback Club

Recent National Senior Games competitors Joan Davis and Cliff Shin headline the program for Monday’s Honolulu Quarterback Club luncheon at the Maple Garden Restaurant.

Davis entered four events at the competition in Minneapolis and was eighth in the hammer throw, 14th in the javelin, 16th in the discus and 17th in the shot put in the 75-79 division. Shin’s competed in the basketball tournament, where his team finished third.

Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by the noon program. The event is open to the public.

Paddleboard championship field loaded

Eight-time women’s winner Kanesa Duncan-Seraphin of Hawaii and three-time men’s winner Brad Gaul of Australia headline the elite field at the 19th Molokai-2-Oahu Paddleboard World Championships on July 26.

Also in the field is Australia’s Jordan Mercer, a four-time winner, who set the women’s course record of 5 hours, 22 minutes and 31 seconds in 2011 at age 17. The men’s record is 4:40.31, held by 10-time champion Jamie Mitchell of Australia.

Sixteen countries will be represented in the 32-mile race across the Kaiwi Channel from Kaluakoi, Molokai, to Maunalua Bay, Oahu. The solo and team paddleboard divisions start at 7:30 a.m., followed by the solo and team SUP divisions at 8 a.m.

The top finishers are expected around 11:30 a.m. There is also a M2O expo at the Maunalua Bay Beach Park that opens at 10 a.m.