The Hawaii beach volleyball team matched its national ranking with the number of consecutive conference weekly honors on Monday when junior Emily Maglio and senior Ka’iwi Schucht were named the Big West pairs team of the week.
It was the third consecutive week that a Rainbow Wahine tandem was cited, with Maglio-Schucht following sophomore Morgan Martin and freshman Lea Monkhouse, winners the previous two weeks.
Maglio and Schucht have won nine straight and are 14-1 in their last 15 matches while playing at the top two flights. Schucht, the program’s all-time leader in dual-match victories, extended her record to 76 as Hawaii (18-3) ran its win streak to 13 by going 4-0 at last week’s Gamecock Challenge in Columbia, S.C.
Hawaii can break the program record set in 2015 with a win over Cal State Bakersfield in its opener of the Big West Challenge on Friday at Sacramento State.
Also on Monday, the SandBows remained at No. 3 in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Top 20. The rest of the top five stayed the same: top-ranked Pepperdine (15-2), No. 2 UCLA (18-3), No. 4 USC (15-6) and No. 5 Long Beach State (11-1).
Hawaii will see the 49ers and No. 6 Cal Poly (15-2), as well as host Sac State (0-8) during Saturday’s tournament play. The SandBows also meet much-improved Cal State Northridge in Friday’s second dual.
Warriors volleyball remains at No. 7
A bye week did not affect the Hawaii men’s volleyball ranking on Monday, with the Rainbow Warriors staying at No. 7 in the AVCA Division I-II Top 15.
There was no movement among the top 10, led by No. 1 Long Beach State (19-0) receiving all 25 first-place votes. Brigham Young (18-4) stayed at No. 2, followed by UCLA (19-5), UC Irvine (17-5) and Pepperdine (13-6). Loyola-Chicago (19-4) is No. 6.
Hawaii (13-6, 1-3 Big West) looks to end a four-match losing streak when it hosts UC San Diego (9-12, 0-4 BWC) in 7 p.m. matches Friday and Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Masuda, Rainbow Wahine lead at Kapalua
Kaci Masuda shot an opening-round 3-under-par 69 to take the first-round lead and the University of Hawaii women’s golf team topped the team standings at the Anuenue Spring Break Classic on Monday at the Kapalua Bay Course.
The Rainbow Wahine finished the day at 2-over 290 in the 13-team event. Louisville is second at 296 and Oregon State is third at 301.
Utah Valley’s Ana Margarita Raga is second at 70 and Louisville’s Lauren Hartlage and Santa Clara’s Kristin Le, a Punahou alum, are at 71.
Chaminade’s Najera honored by PacWest
Chaminade second baseman Jackie Najera has been named the Pacific West softball freshman of the week, the conference announced Monday.
Najera, of Santa Ana, Calif., batted 19-for-35 with 11 doubles, 13 runs and eight RBIs as the Silverswords went 4-5 during the week.
Najera has a 13-game hitting streak.
Fresno Pacific sweeps UH Hilo baseball
The Hawaii Hilo baseball team was swept by Fresno Pacific on Monday in Fresno, Calif.
In the first game, Hilo’s Drew Ichikawa pitched six scoreless innings, but Fresno Pacific scored three unearned runs in the seventh for a 3-0 victory.
In the seven-inning second game, the Vulcans’ Edison Sakata had two hits in a 5-2 loss.
The Vulcans dropped to 12-12, 8-8 PacWest, while the Sunbirds improved to 11-11, 8-8.
>> Hawaii Pacific was pounded by Dixie State 17-4 at St. George, Utah.
The Sharks (12-12, 6-10 PacWest) gave up 17 hits and issued seven walks.
The Trailblazers are 12-18, 8-12.
