Two teams that finished last season in the NCAA Tournament will join host Hawaii in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic’s return in December.

The holiday-season basketball tournament returns for its 12th year after being canceled in 2020, and the eight-team field was announced on Thursday.

BYU, the West Coast Conference runner-up, and three-time Atlantic Sun champion Liberty will be part of the field, which also features Northern Iowa, South Florida, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Wyoming and the Rainbow Warriors.

The tournament, a highlight of UH’s nonconference schedule, is set for Dec. 22, 23 and 25 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Tickets are expected to go on sale in October.

Vulcans upset top seed in softball regional

Hawaii Hilo sophomore Chloe Domingo delivered a two-out double to drive in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Vulcans upset top-seeded Concordia 4-3 in the NCAA Division II softball West Regional on Thursday in Irvine, Calif.

The Vulcans (19-11), seeded fifth in the six-team regional, knocked off No. 4 seed Western Washington 3-0 on Wednesday and remained in the winners bracket by avenging two one-run losses to Concordia in last week’s Pacific West Conference AQ Pod Series.

UH Hilo faces No. 2 seed Biola today at 8:30 a.m. The winner advances to the regional final. The loser plays in an elimination game at 2 p.m.

The Vulcans took a 3-0 lead Thursday on home runs by Kiarra Lincoln and Vevesi Liilii in the top of the third inning. Concordia answered with Missy Nemeth’s three-run homer in the fourth. Liilii led off the eighth with a double, and with two out Domingo broke the tie with her double to left-center.

Valerie Alvarado retired the host Eagles in order in the bottom of the eighth and earned the win with three innings of shutout relief. Alvarado held Concordia without a hit and struck out two and walked two.

Regional honors for Alo and Kaupe

Oklahoma outfielder Jocelyn Alo and Hawaii shortstop Nawai Kaupe were named to NFCA all-region teams on Thursday.

Alo, a Campbell graduate, was a first-team selection in the Central Region. Alo was also announced as one of three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award on Wednesday. Alo, the Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the nation with 47 home runs and is hitting .479 entering the NCAA tournament.

Kaupe was named to the West Region third team. The Maui alumna led the Rainbow Wahine with six home runs, three triples and 22 RBIs. She was named to the All-Big West second team on Wednesday.

Moniz eliminated at Rottnest

Honolulu’s Seth Moniz was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Rottnest Search at Strickland Bay in Australia on Thursday.

Moniz faced off with Australia’s Liam O’Brien, an injury replacement making his debut in the World Surf League Championship Tour. Surfing in slowing conditions, O’Brien defeated Moniz 10.83 to 8.10 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Moniz and O’Brien were the last of three heats to run before the day was called with conditions rapidly slowing over the high tide and the swell continuing to drop.