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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, March 4, 2009

HOMEGROWN REPORT
Ehrman shoulders load for UCSD volleyball

By Kalani Takase
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Punahou alum Will Ehrman has recovered from shoulder surgery to lead UC San Diego in kills and digs per game.

UC San Diego photo

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In the mix of last weekend's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men's volleyball matches, one result stood out among the rest: UC San Diego 3, UCLA 0.

The upset of the the Bruins — a program with a record 19 national titles — was "a big win for us here at home," UCSD coach Kevin Ring said.

Leading the way for UCSD Saturday night was sophomore outside hitter Will Ehrman, who had a match-high 14 kills against three errors and hit .458. Ehrman, a 2006 Punahou graduate, also led all players with 10 digs.

"He's so important to what we're doing on the court," Ring said. "He's a real steady passer, a solid defender and just a tenacious player."

Ehrman redshirted last year while recovering from shoulder surgery in December of 2007. He said the injury occured in a match against UCLA, late in his freshman year.

"After the game it was really bothering me and when I came back home I saw some doctors and they said I had a torn labrum and rotator cuff," Ehrman said. "I've been really pleased this season after being kind of questionable after my surgery last year, but I've been able to play consistently."

Ehrman is averaging team-highs of 3.69 kills and 1.59 digs per game. Not bad for a guy who, at 5 feet 11, is two inches shorter than libero Eric Leserman.

"I've always played with a chip on my shoulder because I'm a little smaller and tend to get over looked, but I'm pretty used to it," Ehrman said.

Said Ring: "At 5-11, he's definitely one of the smaller outside hitters in the MPSF, but he has a big arm and definitely won't back down against anyone."

The Tritons are 7-9 overall, 3-8 in the MPSF.

"In our league, we have to keep bringing it every night and play at our best every night and I think that's been a motivating thing for us as a program as we've progressed," Ehrman said. "We're starting to get that confidence now that if we play our game and play well we can win."

MORE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

  • UC Irvine senior libero Brent Asuka ('Iolani '05 of 'Aiea) had eight digs in a sweep of UC San Diego last Wednesday. He had 11 digs in Friday's four-set win over Long Beach State.

  • USC sophomore setter Riley McKibbin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) had 54 assists, eight digs and was in on seven blocks in a four-set win over UC Santa Barbara Thursday. He had 41 assists, seven digs and assisted on three blocks in Saturday's three-set loss to Cal State Northridge.

  • Stanford freshman libero Erik Shoji (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) had 35 digs in a pair of sweeps over Hawai'i last weekend, including a match-high 23 Saturday. Junior setter Kawika Shoji ('Iolani '06 of Honolulu) totalled 87 assists, 25 digs, 10 kills, three blocks and two service aces in the two matches. Sophomore outside hitter Parker McLachlin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) had 23 kills and 19 digs and freshman outside hitter Brad Lawson ('Iolani '08 of Honolulu) added 20 kills, nine digs and four blocks.

  • Lindenwood (Mo.) senior outside hitter Devin Shiroma (Damien '05 of Honolulu) had 15 kills in a four-set win over Warner Southern (Fla.) and 12 kills in a four-set win over St. Ambrose (Iowa) Saturday.

    MEN'S BASKETBALL

  • Colorado School of Mines senior guard Kyle Pape ('Iolani '05 of Honolulu) had 14 points, three assists and two rebounds in Saturday's 78-66 loss to Nebraska-Kearney. Pape had nine points and two assists in a 59-56 win over Chadron State Friday. CSM finished the season 14-13, 9-10 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Pape averaged a team-high 17.2 points per game.

  • Linfield junior guard Cody Tesoro (Baldwin '06 of Kahului) had 14 points and eight assists in a 74-66 loss to Whitworth in the first round of the Northwest Conference Playoffs. The Wildcats finished their season with a 12-14 mark. Tesoro was named second team All-Northwest Conference Monday.

  • Lewis and Clark (Ore.) junior guard Tyler Tsukazaki (Maryknoll '06 of Honolulu) scored 14 points in Thursday's 86-74 loss to Puget Sound in the Northwest Conference Tournament semifinal round. The Pioneers ended their season 16-10.

    WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

  • UNLV freshman wing Jamie Smith ('Iolani '08 of Kailua) had 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in Wednesday's upset of first-place Utah, 68-55. UNLV visits Air Force tonight and concludes the regular season against San Diego State Saturday.

  • Pepperdine senior forward Taylor Smith (Kalaheo '05 of Kailua) had 12 points and four rebounds to lead the Waves to a 55-47 win over San Francisco Saturday. Pepperdine meets the winner of Friday's game between San Diego and USF in Saturday's quarterfinal round of the West Coast Conference tournament.

  • Idaho freshman guard Shaena-Lyn Kuehu (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) had 11 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block in Friday's 63-60 win over Hawai'i.

  • Concordia (Calif.) sophomore guard Nicole Fu (Maryknoll '07 of Honolulu) had 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 63-53 win over Fresno Pacific Saturday. Fu had 10 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals in Monday's 69-57 win over San Diego Christian. The Eagles finished 14-14 overall, 7-13 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

  • Holy Names (Calif.) freshman forward Britni Ronolo (Moanalua '08 of Honolulu) scored 22 points Saturday in a 75-74 win over Menlo and the California Pacific Conference championship. Menlo senior Kelci Fushikoshi (Lahainaluna '05) scored a game-high 35 points. Fushikoshi and Holy Names' junior Larisa Nakasone (Roosevelt '05 of Honolulu) were named first team All-Cal Pac earlier in the week. Fushikoshi, a unanimous pick for her third all-conference selection, was also named Defender of the Year. HNU senior Chelsie Kadota (Roosevelt '05 of Honolulu) was an honorable-mention pick.

    SWIMMING & DIVING

  • Fairfield (Conn.) freshman Michelle Yoshida (Punahou '08 of Kane'ohe) placed sixth in the 50-yard freestyle (24.29 seconds) and seventh in the 100 freestyle (51.86) at last weekend's Eastern Conference Athletic Conference championships in Boston. The Stags finished 11th. Yoshida now owns or is a part of 14 school records after her first collegiate season.

  • UCLA sophomore Brittany Beauchan (Punahou '07 of Kailua) finished 12th (fourth in the B-final) in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Pac-10 Championships last weekend in Federal Way, Wash. Beauchan posted a time of 1:03.19.

  • Northern Arizona sophomore Meredith Egloria (Kapolei '06) and senior Tami Binek (Waiakea '04 of Volcano) made up half of the runner-up 200-yard freestyle relay team at last week's Western Athletic Conference Championships in San Antonio, Texas. NAU set a school record in 1:33.31.

  • Pacific (Calif.) senior April Woo ('Iolani '05 of Honolulu) was on the third-place 200 medley relay team at last week's Big West Conference Championships at Long Beach, Calif. They posted a mark of 1:42.39. Woo also was on the 200 freestyle relay team that finished third in 1:34.04.

  • Coast Guard senior Jack Sauve (Leilehua '05) swam on the 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams that both finished second at Friday's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Championships in Norton, Mass. Coast Guard had times of 1:33.51 and 3:26.28, respectively. Sauve also placed third (58.95) in the 100 breaststroke and sixth (2:11.99) in the 200 breaststroke.

    BASEBALL

  • Northwestern's Hawai'i connection contributed to the Wildcats' only win at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven, Fla. Paul Snieder (Punahou '08) homered, doubled and drove in three runs and Michael Jahns (St. Anthony '08) pitched three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in a 7-6 win against Massachusetts Saturday at Chain of Lakes Park. In the tournament, Snieder batted 5 for 11 with four RBIs. Jahns totaled 3 2/3 innings in two appearances and didn't allow a run.

  • Southern Utah's four starting hitters from Hawai'i played a vital part in the Thunderbirds' taking 2 of 3 from Utah Valley over the weekend. Keli'i Zablan (Saint Louis '05) batted 5 for 12 with four runs; Nick Freitas (Kamehameha '05) was 5 for 9 with two doubles, two home runs and three steals; Chester Wilson (Saint Louis '05) was 6 for 13; and Bucky Aona (Punahou '06) hit a home run.

  • Seven players from Hawai'i helped Shoreline Community College (Wash.) sweep Pierce (Calif.) over the weekend. Kama Moises (Word of Life '08) batted 5 for 14 with six RBIs; Jordan Agcaoili (Maui '08) went 6 for 16 with five RBIs; Tyler Abasial ('Aiea '08) hit 6 for 12 with three RBIs, and Bryson Nakamura (Pearl City '08) batted 7 for 18. Game one starter Cody Aquino ('Aiea '07) gave up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts over four innings; game four starter Jordan Buster (Kaua'i '08) gave up two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts over five innings, and Jaran Iwane ('Aiea '08) tossed three scoreless innings of relief.

    SOFTBALL

  • East Carolina junior left fielder Marina Gusman-Brown (Pearl City '06 of 'Ewa Beach) batted 2 for 5 with a double and two runs scored in a 9-2 win over Towson Friday. Junior shortstop Kaui Tom (Kamehameha '06 of Kailua) had two RBIs and junior third baseman Cristen Aona (Punahou '06 of Kapolei) had an RBI and scored twice for the Pirates. Gusman-Brown also had an RBI in a 2-1 win over Fordham later that day.

  • New Mexico State sophomore Hoku Nohara (Kamehameha '07 of Waimanalo) batted 2 for 3 in a 6-2 loss to No. 8 Arizona State at last weekend's ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. Nohara walked twice and drove in a run in a 8-4 win over Northern Colorado. Freshman outfielder Shaleese Javillo (Kamehameha '08 of Kapa'a) walked, stole a base, drove in a run and scored another in a 4-2 win over Utah State. She stole three bases last weekend and is now 8-for-8 this season. Southern Utah sophomore infielder Shannon Lum (St. Francis '07 of Kane'ohe) drove in a run in a 3-1 win over South Alabama Saturday.

    GOLF

  • Point Loma Nazarene senior Sam Cyr (King Kekaulike '05 of Makawao) placed third at the PLNU/Snee Builders Invitational, which concluded yesterday at the par-72 Steele Canyon Golf Course in Jamul, Calif. Cyr shot 72-71-71 for 2-under 207.

  • Pacific (Ore.) sophomore Max Bonk (Hawai'i Prep '07 of Kamuela) took medalist honors at the 36-hole Boxer 3-way Tournament last weekend in Banks, Ore. Bonk shot 68-69 for 7-under 137.

  • Willamette (Ore.) senior Whitney Ueno (Hilo '05) took home medalist honors at Sunday's Lewis & Clark Invitational in Oregon City, Ore. Ueno, who shot a 79 and won by five strokes, was named women's golf Student-Athlete of the Week by the Northwest Conference Monday. Pacific (Ore.) sophomore Valerie Kitamori (Waiakea '07 of Hilo) finished third with an 85, and junior Jasmine Ching (Waiakea '06 of Hilo) and sophomore Tami Park (Waiakea '07 of Hilo) tied for ninth at 98.

    TRACK & FIELD

  • Wyoming's Kekoa Chavez (Hilo '05) finished seventh in the men's 400-meter dash in 48.83 seconds at the Mountain West Indoor Championships that finished on Saturday. Chavez was also a member of the fourth-place distance medley relay team (10:31.74) and sixth-place 4x400 relay team (3:20.41). Teammate Larissa Edwards (Ka'u '08 of Pahala) was 12th in the women's 60 hurdles in 9.03.

  • Fran Weems (Kealakehe '05 of Kailua, Kona) ran on the California distance medley relay team that finished third in 11:41.10 at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Championships. Weems was 14th in the 800 in 2:15.47.

  • Linfield (Ore.) sophomore Chelsea Machida (Maui '07 of Kahului) tied for first in the women's high jump with a leap of 1.55 meters at Saturday's outdoor Frank Haskins Invitational. Teammate Lani Speer (Kahuku '08 of Hale'iwa) won the women's triple jump (9.92 meters) and was third in the long jump (4.55).

  • Portland's Pono Hanson (Kamehameha '07 of 'Aiea) finished 14th in the men's 200 dash (24.6 seconds) at Saturday's Willamette Opener.

  • Mark Miller (St. Anthony '07 of Kahului) of Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) placed 13th in the men's discus throw (117 feet, 9 inches) and 20th in the hammer throw (94-2) at Saturday's outdoor Rossi Relays in Claremont, Calif. Deryck Lim (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) was 13th in the men's 110 hurdles in 16.25. Teammates Christopher Wong (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) was 17th in the 400 hurdles in 1:04.72 and Matt Tsujimura (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) placed 13th in the 100 dash (11.60) and 19th in the long jump (19-6).

    WOMEN'S WATER POLO

  • Occidental sophomore Karie Nickle (Kamehameha '07 of Honolulu) scored four goals with two assists and four steals in Saturday's 9-8 win over Grove City College at the Chapman Tournament in Orange, Calif. Earlier, Nickle had two goals and an assist in a 9-8 win over Cal State East Bay.

    Reach Kalani Takase at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser.com.