ISLE FILE
U.S. men to play in World Cup volleyball
Advertiser Staff
Hawai'i's Clay Stanley scored 19 points Monday to help the U.S. men's national team take the first step toward qualifying for next year's Olympics.
Team USA defeated Cuba, 25-20, 25-22, 26-28, 25-20, in the semifinals of the NORCECA Zone Championships, at Culiacan, Mexico, to clinch a spot in the 12-team World Cup.
Reid Priddy scored a match-high 23 points for Team USA.
The first Olympic qualifier of the quadrennial is Nov. 16-30 in Japan. The top three teams at the World Cup qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Stanley, a Kaiser High grad who played for the University of Hawai'i, has been out with hand and abdominal injuries much of the summer. He came back for NORCECA, but was limited to the back row until Monday, when he went for 17 kills and two blocks.
The United States, winners of four NORCECA championships (1973, 1983, 1985, 1999), played Canada in the gold medal match last night. Canada has never won the zone championship.
MORE VOLLEYBALL
• BYUH slips to No. 3: Despite winning both its matches last week, the Brigham Young-Hawai'i women's volleyball team dropped one spot to No. 3 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 poll yesterday.
The Seasiders (9-2), the defending Division II champions, swept host Montana State-Billings.
Meanwhile, Hawai'i Pacific (9-2) climbed three places to No. 11 after winning four road matches in five days. The Sea Warriors earned a pair of victories against Western New Mexico and Montana State-Billings.
Cal State-San Bernardino (11-2) moved up two places to No. 1 after upsetting previously top-ranked UC-San Diego (11-2). UC-San Diego fell to No. 2.
GOLF
• UH men finish sixth: The University of Hawai'i men's team moved up three spots and finished tied for sixth with 888 yesterday at the Ron Moore Classic at Brighton, Colo.
Colorado State won the 12-team tournament with 850.
UH senior Matt Kodama shot a 3-under 69 to finish tied for eighth with 216.
Colorado State's Nolan Martin won with 204.
