The Hawaii women’s volleyball team was ranked No. 20 in the AVCA Coaches Division I Preseason Top 25 on Wednesday, the lowest ranking for a Rainbow Wahine team in over 20 years.
In 1993, Hawaii opened at No. 22 following a 15-12 season where the Wahine missed the postseason tournament for the only time. Hawaii has been ranked in the preseason poll every year since its inception in 1982.
This marks just the second time Hawaii has been ranked 20th or lower. The Wahine (23-6), the preseason pick to win the Big West conference, finished at No. 17 last year.
Texas (25 first-place votes) is ranked No. 1 followed by defending national champion Stanford (35 votes), Washington (2) and Minnesota (2). While no Big West opponents were ranked, four on Hawaii’s nonconference schedule were: BYU (10), UCLA (13), San Diego (22) and Utah (23). A fifth, Baylor, received votes.
Hawaii opens the season with the Texaco Rainbow Invitational on Aug. 25 against Marquette. The first match pits the 13th-ranked Bruins and 22nd-ranked Toreros.
Galdiano eliminated at Women’s Amateur
Pearl City’s Mariel Galdiano lost her Round of 64 match to Lucy Li at the U.S. Women’s Amateur golf tournament on Wednesday in Chula Vista, Calif.
Li, a native of Redwood Shores, Calif., advanced to today’s Round of 32 after beating Galdiano 4 and 3.
WSL to hold events on Oahu
The World Surf League Hawaii will hold new professional events for Hawaii surfers this fall at Turtle Bay Resort.
The Turtle Bay Resort Pro will include a WSL women’s qualifying series contest, a men’s and women’s pro junior contest and a men’s and women’s longboard contest.
The events will precede the annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, a series of three season-ending WSL North Shore contests at Alii Beach Park in Haleiwa, Sunset Beach and Pipeline.
Surfers can register for the Turtle Bay events at WorldSurfLeague.com or can get more information by emailing WSL tour manager Marty Thomas at mthomas@worldsurfleague.com.
Mililani KC edged in U.S. championship
Mililani KC’s run in the 12/70 Cal Ripken World Series ended with a 2-1 loss to Atlantic Beach (Fla.) in Branson, Mo., on Wednesday.
Atlantic Beach pitcher William Rollins tossed a complete game, allowing just one hit to go along with 10 strikeouts. Mililani KC finished the tournament at 4-2.
>> Pearl City KRU finished pool play at the Cal Ripken 10U World Series a perfect 4-0 after a 14-2 rout over Willamette Valley (Ore.) on Wednesday in Hammond, Ind.
Tobi Yamaguchi earned the win after tossing two shutout innings with two strikeouts and two hits. Shaveh Sarono went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. KRU earned the No. 1 seed from the national pool and receives a bye into the semifinals.
Lane Auto Group takes summer league
Second-seeded Lane Auto Group upset top-seeded and two-time defending champion Electricians Hawaii 129-118 in overtime for the Hawaii College Basketball League summer title on Tuesday.
Leon Ballard scored 31 points to lead Lane Auto (8-4), while Kyle Pape added 25 points, Nick Demusis 24 and Brandon Matano 17 at the Manoa Valley District Park gym.
Aukai Wong scored a game-high 38 points in the loss for the Electricians (11-1), with Negus Webster-Chan contributing 27 and Desmond Tautofi 19.
Electricians Hawaii had won both regular-season matchups.
