Chaminade, HPU meet in 'huge' volleyball match
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Chaminade and Hawai'i Pacific women's volleyball teams will battle for their postseason lives tomorrow and Saturday at McCabe Gym.
In the highly competitive Pacific West Conference, the matches between second-place Chaminade (14-4 overall, 6-2 in conference) and third-place Hawai'i Pacific (10-6, 4-2) could make or break each team's postseason hopes.
Both teams are still aiming for the conference title and the automatic postseason berth to the six-team NCAA II Pacific Region Championship on Nov. 21-23. Also, both can still earn one of the four at-large bids to the regionals.
Tomorrow's match will count in the conference standings, while Saturday's match will not.
"As far as the conference race goes, (tomorrow's) match is huge," conference spokesman Travis Elam said. "With a small league like this, it always comes down to the last few weeks to get exciting."
In the latest Pacific Region poll, which is an early indicator for the postseason tournament, conference leader Brigham Young-Hawai'i (19-2, 7-1) was ranked third, Chaminade fifth and HPU eighth. If the season ended today, BYUH and Chaminade would earn postseason trips.
Chaminade has four regular-season matches remaining, including two conference matches, while HPU has seven matches, including four conference matches.
This week's battle between Chaminade and HPU will be a rematch of an Oct. 8 match won by HPU. Chaminade coach Glennie Adams said her team is capable of playing much better against the Sea Warriors.
"When we played (HPU) earlier this season, some impostor showed up," Adams said. "Call it getting the jitters out. We will be better prepared."
Adams said HPU has great team chemistry and is led by middle blocker Susy Garbelotti. The senior is in the conference's top 10 in hitting percentage (3rd, .317), kills per game (1st, 5.41) and blocks per game (2nd, 1.14)
"She's a stud of a player," Adams said. "She's definitely the glue for them."
HPU coach Tita Ahuna said the Silverswords are a much improved team compared to last year and feature a diversified attack.
"They have more guns this year, more people they can go to," Ahuna said. "Chaminade has always had a good team. I think this year they're even better."
Ahuna said sophomore outside hitters Valasi Sepulona and Kahala Kabalis, and senior middle blocker Audrey Brady propel the Silverswords. The three players average a combined 11.72 kills per game, while Brady is ranked seventh in hitting percentage (.256) and Kabalis second in service aces per game (0.54) in the PacWest.
"Their leader has to be Valasi Sepulona," Ahuna said. "Not only does she play excellent volleyball, she's also a leader on the court."
Last Week's Volleyball Results
Chaminade def. Montana State-Billings 30-24, 30-21, 30-26
BYUH def. Western New Mexico 30-28, 30-22, 30-26
Montana State-Billings def. Chaminade 30-26, 30-20, 34-32
Western New Mexico def. BYUH 30-27, 30-28, 20-30, 18-30, 15-12
BYUH def. Hawai'i-Hilo 30-18, 30-21, 30-23
BYUH def. Hawai'i-Hilo 30-15, 30-20, 30-27
Rocky Mountain def. Montana State-Billings 30-25, 30-14, 30-18
This Week's Volleyball Schedule
Tomorrow's Matches
Hawai'i Pacific at Chaminade*
Montana State-Billings at Western New Mexico*
Saturday's Matches
Hawai'i Pacific at Chaminade
Montana State-Billings at Western New Mexico
*--Pac West Conference match
BASKETBALL
• BYUH tops PacWest poll: Brigham Young-Hawai'i has been tabbed as the favorites to capture the Pacific West Conference title for the 2002-2003 season.
In a poll of the league's coaches, BYUH received three first-place votes and 22 points to edge Montana State University-Billings.
MSU-Billings received two first-place votes and 21 points. Chaminade received the other first-place vote and finished third. MSU-Billings was the only conference school in the NCAA's preseason top 25 poll, opening the season at No. 22.
Hawai'i-Hilo was picked to finish fourth, followed by HPU and Western New Mexico University.
The PacWest Conference schedule will begin January 4 when MSU-Billings and Western New Mexico travel to Hawai'i for three games each. The winner of the conference title will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• Halloween hoops: The Hawai'i Pacific men's basketball team will preview its upcoming season with the first annual Halloween Hoop-La tonight at St. Andrew's Priory.
The Sea Warrior team will be introduced at 8:20 and compete in an intrasquad scrimmage.
Before the scrimmage, the Associated Students of Hawai'i Pacific University will hold a trick-or-treat gala at Queen Emma Square in front of St. Andrew's Priory at 5 p.m.
The HPU season starts with an exhibition game against the Northwest All-Stars on Nov. 14 at Mid-Pacific Institute's Mills Gym.
GOLF
• UH-Hilo places ninth: The Hawai'i-Hilo golf team finished ninth in the 10-team Santa Clara Invitational Tuesday at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose, Calif.
The Vulcans finished at 944, a stroke ahead of Loyola Marymount University. St. Mary's (Calif.) won with 898.
On Sunday, UH-Hilo finished last in the 18-team The Nelson tournament, shooting 915 in Stanford, Calif. Duke won with an 11-under 841.
