Hawaii Grown: Around the Nation

FOOTBALL

>> Kekaula Kaniho, Kahuku ’17: The junior safety for No. 20 Boise State recorded five total tackles, one for loss, in the Broncos’ 42-9 win over New Mexico. The win moved 20th-ranked Boise State to 9-1 this season.

>> Alexander Vainikolo, Maui ’16: The New Mexico senior linebacker made five tackles and had one sack against the Broncos.

>> Kanawai Noa, Punahou ’15: The Nebraska senior wideout made three catches for 72 yards in the Huskers’ 37-21 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin.

>> Alohi Gilman, Kahuku ’15: The Notre Dame senior safety made four tackles for the No. 15 Fighting Irish in their 52-20 win over Navy. The victory brought the Fighting Irish to 8-2 and they rose one spot in the AP Top 25 to No. 15.

>> Isaac Slade-Matautia, Saint Louis ’17: The sophomore linebacker for No. 6 Oregon made two tackles, broke up two passes and had one quarterback hit in the Ducks’ 34-6 win over Arizona. The win clinched the Pac-12 North Division title.

>> Andrew Aleki, Kamehameha ’17: The San Diego State junior linebacker made five tackles, one for loss, in the Aztecs’ 17-7 win over Fresno State on Friday.

>> Kaulana Makaula, Punahou ’19: The USC freshman safety had two tackles and broke up a pass as the Trojans took down Cal 41-17.

>> Kana‘i Mauga, Waianae ’18: The USC sophomore linebacker made five tackles against Cal.

>> Bradlee Anae, Kahuku ’16: The senior defensive end for No. 7 Utah recorded two sacks for a total loss of 23 yards and helped hold the opposition to just 50 rushing yards in the Utes’ 49-3 win over UCLA. Anae is ranked second in the Pac-12 with 10 sacks through 10 games. The win moved the seventh-ranked Utes to 9-1 and up one spot in the AP rankings.

>> Mika Tafua, Kamehameha ’15: The Utah sophomore defensive end was named Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording five tackles, one for loss, and returning a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown against the Bruins. Tafua is tied for first in the FBS and first in the Pac-12 with four fumbles recovered.

>> Feleti Afemui, Maui ’17: The Vanderbilt sophomore linebacker recorded five tackles as the Commodores lost to Kentucky 38-14.

>> Andrei Iosivas, Punahou ’18: The sophomore wideout at Princeton made two catches for 52 yards in the Tigers’ 51-14 loss to Yale.

>> Supilani Mailei, St. Francis: The Robert Morris junior defensive lineman made seven total tackles, ½ for loss, in Saturday’s 49-28 loss to Central Connecticut.

>> Kama Kamaka, Kamehameha ’17: The San Diego junior defensive back made five total tackles, 1½ for loss, with one sack and one fumble return in the Toreros’ 52-20 win over Morehead State.

>> Braeden Meyer, Saint Louis ’17: The Adams State junior linebacker made a season-high six tackles in a 35-10 loss at Dixie State. The Grizzlies finished their season with a 4-7 record.

>> Malik Smith, Kapolei ’15: The sophomore cornerback at Pacific (Ore.) tallied five total tackles in the Boxers’ 38-28 loss to Whitworth (Wash.).

>> Jerusalem To’oto’o, Waianae ’17: The Whitworth (Wash.) wide receiver reeled in three passes for 50 yards against the Boxers. The Pirates finished their season with a 6-3 record.

>> Solo Grey, Waianae ’17: The sophomore defensive lineman at Whitworth (Wash.) made two tackles, including one sack for a loss of 15 yards, against the Boxers.

>> Rudy Keopuhiwa, Waianae ’17: The Whitworth (Wash.) sophomore defensive lineman made six tackles with 1½ sacks against the Boxers.

MEN’S SOCCER

>> Alex Liu, ‘Iolani ’18: The sophomore midfielder will make his NCAA tournament debut with Loyola Marymount (11-5-3) as they take on Seattle (14-3-4) in the first round of the tournament on Thursday.

>> Riley Patterson, Hilo ’19: The Seattle (14-3-4) freshman midfielder is in the NCAA tournament after the Redhawks beat Utah Valley on Sunday 2-1 in penalty kicks to win the WAC title.

WOMENS’ SOCCER

>> Gracyn Buenconsejo, Punahou ’18: The Claremont-McKenna-Scripps sophomore was named to the SCIAC All-Conference First Team. CMS received an at-large bid to the D-III NCAA tournament, where they took down Emory and Cal Lutheran to advance to the round of 16. The Athenas face Washington University, St. Louis, on Saturday.

>> Kylee Kim-Bustillos, ‘Iolani ’17: The Sacramento State junior forward was named the Big Sky Offensive MVP after leading the conference with nine goals, four of which were game-winners. She was also named to the Big Sky first team for the second time in her career.

>> Aaliyah Fesili, Punahou ’17: The Sacramento State junior goalkeeper was named the Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year after keeping the most clean sheets in the conference, holding the opposition goalless in 10 out of 19 games this season. She was also recognized as a member of the Big Sky first team for the first time in her career.

>> Taiana Tolleson, Konawaena ’16: The Vanderbilt senior goalkeeper kept a clean sheet for the Commodores but ultimately fell to Clemson 5-4 on penalty kicks in Thursday’s first-round matchup. The senior closes her career after helping Vanderbilt to a 14-5-1 record this season.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

>> Shea Tsuha, Kealakehe ’19: The Whitman (Wash.) freshman won the 50 free (25.16 seconds) and came in second in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.06) in a dual-meet win over Willamette (Ore.) on Friday and took first in the 50 free (25.25), 100 free (55.31) and 400 free relay (3:42.52) in a win over Linfield (Ore.) on Saturday.

WOMENS’ VOLLEYBALL

>> Nikki Lum, Punahou ’16: The Army senior setter had 15 assists and nine digs on Tuesday in a sweep of Lafayette. She added 18 assists on Saturday in the Black Knights’ 3-1 win at Loyola.

>> Ana Oglivie, ‘Iolani ’17: The Army junior libero made 14 digs against Lafayette and led all players with 30 digs with four assists against Loyola.

>> Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker, KS-Hawaii ’16: The Cal State Northridge senior had 15 assists and seven digs in the Matadors’ 3-0 loss to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday.

>> Taina Leao, Hilo ’19: The Delaware State freshman opposite recorded seven digs, four service aces and two kills in the Hornets’ 3-2 win over Coppin State on Friday.

>> Brandee Markwith, Punahou ’16: The East Carolina junior libero had eight digs and six assists in Friday’s 3-0 loss to Cincinnati. She added a team-high 14 digs and five assists as the Pirates were swept by Wichita State on Sunday. She finishes her junior season helping her team to a 19-11 record.

>> Julia Fisher, Le Jardin ’18: The Eastern Michigan sophomore middle blocker had nine kills and three block assists in Friday’s 3-1 loss to Ball State. The Eagles closed their season on Saturday with a sweep of Toledo, bringing them to an 11-17 record. The sophomore finished third on her team in total kills with 165.

>> Shali Niu, Kahuku ’18: The George Mason sophomore opposite had 12 kills, six total blocks and six digs in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Rhode Island. She added eight kills and a season-high 14 digs on Saturday in the Patriots’ 3-2 loss to Fordham.

>> Sandra Zeng, Punahou ’17: The Harvard junior outside hitter had 13 digs and three service aces on Friday in the Crimson’s 3-0 loss to Cornell.

>> Kanile‘a Nomura, King Kekaulike ’17: The Jackson State junior middle blocker had seven kills and four total blocks in Thursday’s 3-0 win at Mississippi Valley State. The Tigers finished their regular season with a record of 17-18.

>> Nicole Hada, Punahou ’17: The Johns Hopkins junior libero guided her team to a 32-0 record, making the Blue Jays the only undefeated team in D-III volleyball. She recorded 16 digs on Sunday en route to a 3-0 victory over Stevenson, sending the Blue Jays to their first elite eight in school history.

>> Teana Adams-Kaonohi, Punahou ’19: The Kansas State freshman setter tallied 10 assists and six digs in the Wildcats’ 3-0 loss at No. 1 Texas on Wednesday. She added 13 assists and two digs on Saturday in a 3-1 loss at Kansas.

>> Michelle McGinn, Maryknoll ’18: The Lewis & Clark sophomore setter had 39 assists, seven kills and 18 digs in an upset win over NWC champions Whitworth last Friday. For her effort, she was named NWC Offensive Player of the Week. She was also named to the NWC All-Conference Second Team.

>> Kayla Afoa, Kamehameha ’17: The Nevada junior outside hitter had nine kills and 12 digs on Thursday in a 3-1 loss at UNLV. She had six kills, two block assists, and eight digs on Saturday as the Wolf Pack fell to New Mexico in three sets.

>> Kili Robins, Kamehameha ’18: The Nevada sophomore outside hitter managed nine kills and four digs in the Wolf Pack’s 3-0 loss at UNLV. She finished her week with eight more kills on Saturday as the Wolf Pack were swept by New Mexico.

>> Tihani Ehia, Castle ’18: The New England sophomore was named to the NECC all-tournament team after posting 16 digs and seven kills in the NECC championship final, where the Pilgrims fell to Eastern Nazarene in four sets.

>> Jaycie Kodama, Moanalua ’19: The New England freshman was named to the NECC all-tournament team following her 28-dig performance in the NECC championship final. The Pilgrims finished their season as NECC runners-up, losing to Eastern Nazarene 3-1.

>> Alleyah Galdeira, Kamehameha ’19: The North Texas freshman defensive specialist had 12 digs in the Mean Green’s 3-2 win over UTSA. North Texas finished their regular season with a 16-10 record and will face UTSA on Thursday in the first round of the C-USA Tournament.

>> Hana Lishman, Punahou ’16: The Pepperdine senior libero had nine digs for the Waves as they swept Saint Mary’s on Thursday. She then had a match-high 20 digs on Saturday in a 3-1 win over Pacific (Calif.).

>> Lexis Akeo, Kamehameha ’19: The freshman setter for No. 2 Pittsburgh had a match-high 32 assists and seven digs on Saturday as the Panthers swept Duke. With the win, second-ranked Pitt won the outright ACC championship, standing at 26-1. Akeo also ranks fourth in the ACC with 10.44 assists per set.

>> Kassidy Naone, Le Jardin ’17: The Portland junior outside hitter had five kills and six digs for the Pilots as they fell to Santa Clara in three sets on Thursday. She notched three kills, seven digs, and one solo block on Saturday in a 3-1 loss to San Francisco.

>> Carey Williams, Kahuku ’17: The Portland junior libero had 18 digs on Thursday in a 3-0 loss to Santa Clara. She led all players on Saturday with 25 digs to go with five assists in the Pilots’ 3-1 loss to San Francisco.

>> Shayla Hoeft, Seabury Hall ’16: The Portland senior middle blocker had a team-high seven kills and two block assists for the Pilots as they lost to Santa Clara 3-0. She had a match-high 17 kills on Saturday in a 3-1 loss to San Francisco.

>> Ally Wada, Hawaii Baptist ’18: The San Francisco sophomore setter had 42 assists, 13 digs and two aces as the Dons lost at Gonzaga in four sets. She grabbed her eighth double-double of the season on Saturday with 37 assists and 13 digs to go with two aces as the Dons defeated Portland in four sets.

>> Moana To’oto’o, Maryknoll ’18: The San Francisco sophomore libero had 14 digs and two assists in the Dons’ 3-1 loss to Gonzaga.

>> Natalie Piper, Le Jardin ’18: The St. Lawrence sophomore captain earned first-team AVCA New York All-Region honors in addition to her first-team All-Liberty League honors. She led the Saints with 422 kills and ranked third in the Liberty League with 3.70 kills per set. She also ranked second on her team in total digs with 406 on the season.

>> Kylie Alos, Mililani ’18: The St. Martin’s sophomore libero had 23 digs on Tuesday in a four set loss to Seattle Pacific University. She added a match-high 19 digs with six assists on Saturday as the team took down Montana State-Billings 3-1.

>> Averi Salvador, Punahou ’17: The Temple junior libero had a match-high 18 digs on Thursday as the Owls were swept by UCF. She again led all players by grabbing 24 digs on Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Southern Florida. Temple concludes its season with a 12-15 record.

>> Jhenna Gabriel, Maryknoll ’18: The sophomore setter for No. 1 Texas notched 21 assists and seven digs on Wednesday in a sweep of Kansas State. She added 31 assists and nine digs on Saturday in another sweep, this time over TCU. The top-ranked Longhorns have won their last 14 games and have only lost 2 sets in that span, sitting at 19-2 this season. Gabriel ranks second in the Big 12 with 10.52 assists per set.

>> Shelby Capllonch, Damien ’19: The UNLV freshman outside hitter had 20 digs and four kills in the Rebels’ 3-1 win over Nevada on Thursday. She had 11 kills, five digs and two aces in Saturday’s sweep of San Jose State.

>> Paris Oliveira, Kamehameha ’19: The UNLV freshman libero had a team-high 21 digs to go with four assists as the Rebels took down Nevada in four sets. She added six digs and four assists on Saturday in the Rebels’ 3-0 victory over San Jose State.

>> Saige Ka‘aha‘aina-Torres, ‘Iolani ’18: The sophomore setter for No. 16 Utah had 47 assists, eight digs, two block assists and two kills in Friday’s 3-1 win at No. 22 Washington State. On Sunday, she added 50 assists, 10 digs, two block assists, and two kills for her 10th double-double of the season in a 3-2 loss at No. 10 Washington. Averaging 11.32 assists per set, she is ranked 19th in the nation and second in the Pac-12.

>> Phoebe Grace, Kahuku ’17: The sophomore middle blocker at No. 16 Utah totaled six blocks and two kills for the Utes in their 3-1 win at No. 22 Washington State. She then added seven total blocks and six kills on Sunday as the Utes fell to No. 10 Washington in five sets. The games brought 16th-ranked Utah to a 19-8 record.

>> Syenna Masaki, Kalaheo ’17: The UTEP junior setter put up a team-high 20 assists with four digs in Thursday’s 3-0 loss at Charlotte. She added five assists and two digs on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to No. 21 Rice. The Miners close their regular season with a 13-14 record and will face 21st-ranked Rice on Friday in the first round of the C-USA tournament.

>> Sina Uluave, Punahou ’19: The Wichita State freshman outside hitter had 10 kills and 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the season in a 3-1 win over Tulsa on Saturday. She added six kills, 11 digs, and three assists on Sunday in a sweep of East Carolina as the Shockers closed out their season with a 9-19 record.

>> Siani Yamaguchi, Kalaheo ’16: The Winthrop (S.C.) senior setter had 29 assists and eight digs in Friday’s sweep of Gardner-Webb. The senior led the Big South with 10.37 assists per set in her final season. With the win, the Eagles finished their season with a 22-4 record and claimed the 2019 Big South regular-season title for the first time since 2006 after going 14-0 in the conference and 12-0 at home. Winthrop will play in a Big South semifinal matchup on Saturday.

Stats compiled by Quinn Goldstein, Special to the Star-Advertiser. To submit an athlete for nomination, email bhull@staradvertiser.com.