Hawaii freshmen Julia Barton and Femke Aan both scored three goals in their collegiate debuts to lead the seventh-ranked Rainbow Wahine water polo team to a 10-9 win over No. 4 California to open the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invitational on Friday in Santa Barbara, Calif.
UH fell behind 5-2 in the second quarter and rallied behind Aan’s three third-quarter goals to take an 8-7 lead going into the fourth. Cal reclaimed a 9-8 lead with 5:41 left and UH freshman Irene Gonzalez scored the tying goal 43 seconds later. Barton then gave the Wahine the lead for good with 1:14 left.
The Wahine returned to the pool later in the afternoon and edged No. 12 Michigan 11-10 in their second match of opening day. Junior Nikki-Marie Bell scored her fourth goal of the match with three seconds left to give UH the win. Gonzalez scored three goals for UH, Aan added two goals and Barton and Taylor Molde scored one each.
The three-day tournament continues today with UH facing No. 2 UCLA at 11:30 a.m. Hawaii time and No. 20 Wagner at 3:50 p.m.
Spike and Serve teams medal in California
Two teams representing the Spike and Serve Volleyball Club earned invitations of the national championships by earning medals at the Southern California Volleyball Association Junior Boys Invitational on Jan. 8-10 in Anaheim, Calif.
Spike and Serve’s Under-16 team claimed the silver medal in its division to earn a spot in the open division at the Junior Boys National Championships in July in Dallas. The team went undefeated through pool play and won three more matches in the gold bracket before falling in the final.
The club’s U14 team also rolled through pool play and reached the semifinals before claiming a bronze medal to also earn a bid to the national championships. Spike and Serve was founded by former Olympian Kevin Wong.
Locals shine at Sunset Pro
Big Island native Ulualoha Napeahi had a combined score of 14.50 on day one of the Sunset Pro at Sunset Beach on the North Shore.
Danny Fuller (Kauai), Hank Gaskell (Maui), Mason Ho (Oahu) and Jamie O’Brien (Oahu) all advanced despite the tricky conditions in 4- to 6-foot waves.
Zach Scott re-signs with Sounders
The Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer (MLS) announced that center back Zach Scott has signed a new contract for the 2016 season.
Scott, a Maui native and Maui High graduate, enjoyed a standout collegiate career at Gonzaga and will be entering his 15th season with the Sounders.
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Star-Advertiser staff
