Both Penina Snuka and Kalei Mau have found a home in Arizona.

The two juniors on the Wildcats women’s volleyball team have taken vastly different paths to get to the same spot as starters on a nationally ranked Pac-12 team.

For Snuka, who has started at setter for three consecutive seasons at UA, Hawaii was a one-year venture away from home in Gilbert, Ariz.

She played three years of volleyball at Gilbert High School before moving to the North Shore to play her senior season at Kahuku, where she finished third in the annual Honolulu Star-Advertiser Fab 15 behind current Missouri outside hitter Carly Kan and University of Hawaii setter Tayler Higgins.

Snuka returned to Arizona to be closer to her family and play for the Wildcats, where she was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and was the only Wildcat to play in every set of her freshman season.

Mau has had to travel a little farther to eventually end up at Arizona.

She won back-to-back Division II state titles at St. Francis before sitting out her senior season after transferring to Kaiser.

She spent one year at Minnesota, playing in only two sets, before transferring to Arizona, where she saw increased playing time as a sophomore.

This season, she is as a full-time starter, appearing in 63 of the team’s 67 sets.

“It’s an unreal feeling. I left high school early to go to Minnesota and be coached by one of the best coaches in the nation, but that didn’t work out too well,” Mau said. “I went into the Big Ten with only two years of volleyball experience and that was island volleyball.

“All I needed was a coach that could actually help me learn the sport and make me the best I could be, and when I met (Arizona coach Dave Rubio), I knew he had a plan for me.”

Mau was named the first Pac-12 defensive player of the week after the opening tournament of the season in which she surpassed her career digs total in one match.

Her 31 digs in a win over SMU was only the third time a Wildcats player totaled at least 30 digs in a four-set match.

Defense isn’t her only strength. She’s become Snuka’s favorite target on the outside, averaging 4.60 kills per set, which is more than two kills better than the next hitter on the team.

That mark ranks third in the Pac-12, ahead of Utah sophomore Adora Anae, who is sixth, averaging 4.06 kills per set.

Anae was teammates with Snuka during her one season at Kahuku when Anae was a junior.

Snuka leads the league averaging 11.10 assists per set and went over 1,000 career digs in her last match, a five-set win over Washington State last Friday.

Her 3.36 digs per set ranks second all-time at Arizona and she’s already sixth on the school’s all-time assists list with well over a season left to play.

“She’s one of the most competitive players I’ve ever played with,” Mau said. “She’s just an unreal defender and is always getting better at setting.”

The Wildcats are 13-5 overall and 3-3 in league play. Arizona has advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in each of the past two seasons but has failed to make it to the second weekend.

The Pac-12 has seven teams ranked in the latest AVCA Coaches poll for the eighth straight week with the Wildcats No. 14. Arizona will make its toughest road trip of the season this weekend, playing at No. 12 UCLA on Friday and at No. 1 USC on Sunday.

Arizona has a third player on its roster from Hawaii in freshman Reilly Killeen, a 2015 ‘Iolani graduate. Killeen has played in 51 sets with 22 digs, eight aces and seven assists.

ARIZONA’S PAIR OF ACES

Kalei Mau

Class: Junior

Height: 6-1

Position: Outside hitter

High school: Kaiser (2013)

Career Statistics

Penina Snuka

Class: Junior

Height: 5-6

Position: Setter

High school: Kahuku (2013)

Career Statistics

Khil is athlete of the week

Occidental (Calif.) forward Julie Khil was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference female student-athlete of the week on Tuesday.

Khil, a 2013 graduate of Mid-Pacific, scored both goals in a 2-0 shutout of first-place Redlands (Calif.) on Oct. 7 and added a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over La Verne on Saturday.

Khil has seven goals and five assists this season for the Tigers, who improved to 4-6-1 overall and 3-4-1 in conference play.

Billy Hull, Star-Advertiser

AROUND THE NATION

Football

» Taylor Taliulu, Kamehameha ’12:The Washington State safety made eight tackles and broke up a pass in a 45-38 double overtime victory over Oregon on Saturday.

» Hercules Mata’afa, Lahainaluna ’14:The Washington State defensive lineman made two tackles with a sack against the Ducks.

» DeForest Buckner, Punahou ’12:The Oregon defensive lineman made four tackles with two sacks against the Cougars.

» Peni Vea, Kealakehe ’11:The UNLV safety made seven tackles, broke up two passes, recovered a fumble and picked off a pass in a 33-27 overtime loss to San Jose State on Saturday.

» Tau Lotulelei,Maui ’12:The UNLV linebacker made eight tackles with three going for a loss against the Spartans.

» Manase Hungalu, Kealakehe ’13: The Oregon State linebacker made five solo tackles in a 44-7 loss to Arizona on Saturday.

» Titus Failauga, Mid-Pacific ’13: The Oregon State defensive end made four tackles vs. the Wildcats.

» Kalani Vakameilalo, Kapolei ’14: The Oregon State freshman defensive tackle made two solo tackles against Arizona.

» Kamalei Correa, Saint Louis ’13: The Boise State junior made two tackles and recorded his team-leading third sack of the season in a 41-10 win over Colorado State on Saturday.

» Kamu Grugier-Hill, Kamehameha ’12:The Eastern Illinois linebacker made eight tackles with four for a loss and assisted on a sack in a 33-28 win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday.

» Tristin Kamaka, Leilehua ’14: The Midland (Neb.) University sophomore returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and had seven receptions for 61 yards and another score in a 37-35 win over Briar Cliff University on Saturday. Kamaka also rushed for 41 yards on two carries to finish with 209 all-purpose yards.

» Jesse Correa, Saint Louis ’12: The Western Oregon kicker booted a 39-yard field goal and was 3-for-3 on extra points to help the Wolves to a 24-22 win over North Alabama on Saturday.

» Eli Biondine, Saint Louis ’12: The Linfield (Ore.) linebacker made six tackles in a 77-10 thrashing of Pacific (Ore.) on Saturday.

» Keanu Yamamoto, Hawaii Prep ’12: The Linfield (Ore.) defensive back made four tackles with one for a loss against the Boxers.

» Bronson Barretto, Kamehameha ’12: The Pacific (Ore.) running back rushed for the Boxers’ only touchdown on a 13-yard run and finished with 47 yards on seven carries against Linfield (Ore.).

» Warner Shaw, KS-Hawaii ’12: The Pacific (Ore.) quarterback was 11-for-21 for 68 yards against the Wildcats.

» Kamana Pimental, Saint Louis ’12: The Pacific (Ore.) running back rushed for 39 yards on 11 carries against Linfield (Ore.).

Men’s Soccer

» Jack Ewert, Pacific Buddhist Academy ’12: The Notre Dame de Namur senior assisted on the opening goal and scored in the 50th minute of a 4-2 win over Dominican University on Saturday.

» Tyler Matas, Mililani ’12: The Notre Dame de Namur senior assisted on Ewert’s goal against Dominican.

» Naia Graham, Kailua ’15: The Notre Dame de Namur freshman assisted on a goal in the win over Dominican University.

Women’s Soccer

» Brittney Gideon, Mililani ’13: The UNLV junior forward added an insurance goal in the 77th minute of a 3-0 victory over Utah State on Sunday.

» Kayla Watanabe, Mid-Pacific ’15: The Idaho freshman started and assisted on a goal in a 3-1 win over Montana on Sunday.

» Noelani Kong-Johnson, Punahou ’15: The Princeton goalkeeper started and played all 90 minutes, making four saves in a 4-1 victory over Army last Wednesday.

» Michaela Tsuha, Punahou ’12: The Occidental (Calif.) senior had two assists in a 3-1 victory over La Verne on Saturday.

Men’s Swimming

» Makoa Haneberg, Campbell ’15: The Pacific (Calif.) freshman finished second in the 100 freestyle with a time of 51.12 seconds and fourth in the 100 backstroke (50.46) in a dual meet against California on Saturday.

Women’s Swimming

» Jasmine Mau, Punahou ’14: The California sophomore finished fourth in the 100 freestyle (24.52 seconds) in a dual meet victory over California on Saturday.

Women’s Volleyball

» Zoe Leonard, KS-Hawaii ’15: The Dartmouth freshman had a team-high 19 digs, three aces and two assists in a four-set victory over Yale on Friday, and added a team-high 18 digs, four assists and three aces in a sweep of Brown on Saturday.

» Pati Anae, Kahuku ’13: The Portland State junior outside hitter finished with a team-high 11 kills, nine digs, three assists, two blocks and an ace in a four-set loss to Eastern Washington on Saturday.

» Sarah Liva, Mililani ’14: The Portland State middle finished with five kills, four block assists and two solo blocks against Eastern Washington.

» Sydney Fanoga, Punahou ’14: The George Mason middle blocker hit .333 with six kills and two block assists in a three-set loss to Dayton on Friday.

» Ashley Kelsey, Campbell ’12: The New Mexico outside hitter combined for 11 digs, a block and a kill in losses to Colorado State on Thursday and Wyoming on Saturday.

» Shae Kanakaole, KS-Hawaii ’13: The Whitman (Wash.) junior finished with a match-high 16 kills, 11 digs and two block assists in a sweep of Lewis & Clark on Friday.

» Codie Conching, Kamehameha ’15: The Whitman (Wash.) freshman had a team-high 12 digs, two aces and two assists against Lewis & Clark.

» Alexe Navarro, Mid-Pacific ’13: The Lewis & Clark junior had a match-high 16 digs and an assist against Whitman (Wash.).

» Lexis Satele, St. Francis ’13: The New Mexico Highlands junior had a team-high 27 digs, four assists and an ace in a four-set loss to Fort Lewis College on Friday and tallied 16 digs, three assists and an ace in a four-set victory over Adams State on Saturday.

» Alexa Dowdell, Maryknoll ’13: The Willamette (Ore.) junior totaled 18 digs, 13 kills, 10 block assists, a solo block and an ace in a loss to Whitworth on Friday and a win over Whitman on Saturday.

» Kaylen Higa, Punahou ’15: The Willamette (Ore.) freshman tallied 34 digs, five assists and four aces in matches against Whitworth and Whitman.

» Taylor Lum, Maryknoll ’13: The Willamette (Ore.) junior had eight kills, eight block assists and two aces in two matches.

» Macy Hayashi, Waiakea ’12: The Willamette (Ore.) senior had 11 digs and two aces in two matches.

» Erin Perez, Moanalua ’12: The Colorado Mesa senior outside hitter posted a double-double with 16 kills and 16 digs and added two aces and a solo block in a four-set victory over Western State on Saturday.

» Pua Mo’okini-Oliveira, Kamehameha ’12: The Cal Lutheran senior had eight digs and seven kills in a sweep of Caltech last Thursday to help the Regals improve to 18-2 overall and 8-0 in the SCIAC.

Compiled by Billy Hull, Star-Advertiser. To submit a collegiate athlete for publication, email bhull@staradvertiser.com.