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The U.S. boys youth national team, with recent Punahou graduate Micah Ma‘a at setter and incoming Hawaii freshman Joe Worsley at libero, swept Mexico on Wednesday in the round of 16 of the FIVB Boys U19 World Championship in Resistencia, Argentina.
Ma‘a had six aces and a kill in the 25-18, 25-18, 25-22 victory that puts the Americans (5-0) into Friday’s quarterfinal against Russia (4-1). Wednesday’s win guarantees the U.S. a top-8 finish, something it has never done at this event.
Through five matches, Ma‘a is No. 1 in aces with 21 and ranked fourth among setters at 6.55 assists per set. Worsley is tied for fourth in digs with 2.50 per set.
Perfect Game honors Hawaii’s Rojas
Infielder Josh Rojas, who will play for Hawaii this upcoming season, was named to the Perfect Game Summer Collegiate All-America second team on Wednesday.
Rojas (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) will join UH in the fall of 2015. He played 22 games for the Southern California Catch in the California Collegiate League and hit .411 with 11 doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs.
He was picked up by the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod League and went 3-for-12 with three walks in five games.
HPU men picked fifth in soccer poll
Hawaii Pacific’s men’s soccer team received 135 points to place fifth in the PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll announced Wednesday. BYU-Hawaii’s squad finished eight points short in sixth place (127). Hawaii Hilo was picked to finish ninth (72) and Chaminade earned 52 points for 11th place.
Defending PacWest champion Azusa Pacific received 12 of 13 first place votes and 193 points to claim the top spot in the conference.
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