Three players with Hawaii ties were among 19 named to the U.S. men’s junior national volleyball training team on Tuesday.
Selected were current University of Hawaii setter Joe Worsley, incoming Warrior hitter Austin Matautia (Moanalua) and libero Kelsey Yogi (Punahou), an incoming freshman at Cal State Northridge.
The roster will be trimmed to 12 with the team competing in next month’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Worsley was on the 2014 Boys Youth National Team that won the NORCECA U19 Continental Championship and was on the BYNT that finished seventh at last summer’s FIVB U19 World Championship.
Anae returns to BYU-Hawaii
Former Brigham Young-Hawaii women’s basketball coach Wendy Anae is returning to the Laie campus as assistant athletic director and compliance officer, athletic director Brad Jones announced on Tuesday.
Anae was the inaugural coach of the Seasider program, coaching from 2006-2010. While pursing a master’s degree at Brigham Young, she was the Cougars’ director of basketball operations, a position she also held for one season at the University of Hawaii.
Shoji brothers help U.S. defeat Cuba twice
Brothers Kawika and Erik Shoji helped lead the U.S. men’s national volleyball team to two victories over host Cuba in Havana.
Starting setter Kawika Shoji (‘Iolani) had three blocks, a kill and an ace, and had the U.S. hitting .388 in a 25-21, 24-26, 25-17, 25-18 victory Monday at the Coliseo Ciudad Deportiva. Libero Erik Shoji was credited with four digs and one save that fell for a point on the Cuban side.
On Saturday, Kawika Shoji had two kills and two blocks, and Erik Shoji had five digs as the U.S. won the friendly 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-22.
The U.S. begins FIVB World League pool play on June 16 in Rio de Janeiro.
Crabb brothers second at AVP Seattle
Honolulu’s Taylor and Trevor Crabb finished second for a second consecutive AVP Tour tournament Sunday, falling to Billy Allen and Theo Brunner in the championship of the Seattle Open.
The second-seeded Punahou products lost to the fourth-seeded Brunner-Allen duo, 21-19, 19-21, 15-12. The pair also finished second at last month’s Huntington Beach (Calif.) Open and finished third in April’s New Orleans Open.
The AVP Tour’s next stop is the New York City Open, June 16-19, on Pier 25.
BYUH’s Zhang finalist for Honda Award
Brigham Young-Hawaii junior Nannan “Dallas” Zhang was named the tennis nominee for this year’s Division II Honda Athlete of the Year, one of 11 finalists who will be considered for the national award.
Zhang, a Chinese national, also was the tennis nominee last year. The three-time PacWest Player of the Year has been ranked No. 1 nationally in both singles and doubles for the past two seasons, posting a 19-0 record in singles and 22-0 in doubles with Summer Wen.
Payne advances to Round 3 of Fiji Pro
Maui’s Dusty Payne defeated Nat Young in Round 2 of the Fiji Pro on Monday in Tavarua, Fiji. Payne scored a 16.50 and will face Brazil’s Filipe Toledo in the third round.
Kauai’s Sebastian Zietz fell in the second round to Kanoa Igarashi. Zietz posted a 10.53 to Igarashi’s 13.17.
Keanu Asing and John John Florence clinched their first-round heats to reach Round 3. Asing will face Brazil’s Adriano de Souza in Heat 6, while Florence will take on Australia’s Taj Burrow in Heat 10.
