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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 11:13 p.m., Thursday, September 7, 2006

Kamana'o, Hittle sit out UH win

Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Beat up but not beaten, ninth-ranked Hawai'i was forced into a new volleyball look last night and found itself in time to overcome Fairfield in the opening round of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge.

Senior Sarah Mason helped salvage a disturbing day for UH by setting a school record with nine aces. Hawai'i came into the match with nine aces for the season. Mason anchored a depleted Rainbow Wahine lineup with a performance — she also had 15 kills and 11 digs — that was an ace away from a rare triple-double.

The Rainbow Wahine (4-2) swept the Stags (3-4), 30-19, 33-31, 30-18, without All-American setter Kanoe Kamana'o and all-WAC hitter Tara Hittle, their best ballhandler. New UH policy does not allow the school to clarify why they did not play, but Hittle wore a walking cast on her right foot and has not been jumping in practice this week.

A spokesman could only say that neither was "cleared to play" and their problems were medical. Hittle and Kamana'o, a three-time All-American who had started every match of her UH career before last night, will be re-evaluated today and could play in tonight's match against Northwestern or tomorrow's with eighth-ranked Stanford, according to UH coach Dave Shoji.

He called their status "day to day." But after losses to top-10 teams last week and a ragged showing so far this season, medical problems big or small — and no one at UH is now able to deny these injuries might be serious — are only magnified. Neither were available for comment last night, according to UH.