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University of Hawaii outside hitter McKenna Granato was selected Monday for the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis.
Granato, who will be a junior in the fall with the Rainbow Wahine, will train alongside 35 of the nation’s top collegiate players in Minneapolis from June 22 to 26. She is the lone representative from the Big West Conference.
The CNT-Minneapolis squad is part of USA Volleyball’s High Performance pipeline and is considered a second tryout for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
Texas Tech libero Tita Akiu of Honolulu also was selected to the roster.
The athletes will be assigned to one of three 12-member teams and compete in a round-robin tournament from June 27 to 30.
Granato, who is from Kailua, is one of nine outside hitters on the roster. Last season for Hawaii, she was second with 293 kills (2.9 kills per set) and third with 24 aces. She also had 30 total blocks and 167 digs.
Heen named Big West player of the week
University of Hawaii freshman Callee Heen was named the Big West softball field player of the week on Monday after hitting three home runs in UH’s series win over UC Santa Barbara.
Heen launched two-run homers in three consecutive at-bats against the Gauchos. She hit a tie-breaking homer in the fourth inning of Friday’s series opener, then went deep again in the sixth in UH’s 5-1 win. In her first at-bat Saturday, Heen hit a two-run shot and the Rainbow Wahine went on to clinch the series with an 8-4 victory. She was intentionally walked in her next two at-bats.
The Rainbow Wahine catcher drove in six runs and scored three in the series and reached base in seven of 10 plate appearances. She’s tied for second in the Big West with nine home runs, trailing UH sophomore Nicole Lopez.
UH (27-19, 6-9 Big West) faces Cal Poly (31-16, 7-8) in its final road series of the season starting Friday.
Kaneko tied for 10th at Big West golf
University of Hawaii sophomore Cameron Kaneko shot a first-round 1-under-par 71 on Monday and is tied for 10th at the Big West Conference Men’s Golf Championship at Santa Barbara, Calif.
The Rainbow Warriors are last at 301. UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and Long Beach State are tied for first at 282.
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