The UCLA football team can thank Kai Maiava for a larger Hawaiian presence on the offensive line.

Maiava, a sophomore center and 2007 Baldwin graduate, hosted junior college-transfer Eddie Williams, a 2006 Damien graduate from Kalihi, and Stanley Hasiak, a 2009 Kapolei graduate, on their respective recruiting trips to Westwood last year.

"I guess I did a good job," laughed Maiava. "I just told them to do what they thought would be best for them."

Williams and Hasiak have made immediate impacts this fall.

Williams started all six games at right guard, but a broken right ankle suffered in Saturday's loss to California will keep him out at least four weeks. Hasiak, who competed for a starting job during camp, finished the game at right guard.

"They both picked things up really quick,"Maiava said. "I tried to help them with some of the smaller stuff, but they were ready to contribute right away."

Williams' injury is another for the offensive line, which also lost left guard Micah Kia (Mililani alum) to a torn ACL in his right leg in August.

"When that happened, I was really bummed," said Maiava, who started every game this season. "I look up to him because he's the oldest and he would help all of us. When he went down, I knew I would have to step up and be a leader on the line."

The Bruins opened the season with a win over San Diego State and followed that with hard-fought road victory at Tennessee. A 23-9 win over Kansas State at the Rose Bowl gave UCLA a 3-0 start for the first time since 2005, but the Bruins lost the next three games — all against Pac-10 opponents.

"We have to get it back together and get back on that roll we were on in the beginning of the season," Maiava said. "Once we get that first conference win, we'll get some of that confidence back. We're still a team trying to make our mark, which we haven't done in the last three games."

Maiava earned freshman All-America honors at Colorado in 2007. He is the younger brother of former USC and current Cleveland Browns linebacker Kaluka Maiava.

"It was a lot of things (that led to leaving Colorado)," Maiava said. "I wanted to get closer to my family so they can watch me play."

After his freshman year, Maiava said he was asked to move to fullback.

"It had a little to do with that, too. I've played offensive line my whole life and I wasn't trying to become a fullback," said the 6-foot, 313-pound Maiava.

However, with NCAA transfer rules forcing him to sit out last season, Maiava never got the chance to play against his older brother.

"As soon as my brother got offered by USC (out of high school), I knew I wanted to go to UCLA because I always wanted to play against him," Maiava said.

"It gives us a little more to talk about," said Maiava, who recalled watching last year's game from the sidelines. "It was an experience that I had never been through. As soon as you walk in the stadium, you can feel the tension between the teams and the coaches — even the fans. It really opened my eyes to how big the rivalry is."

But the Bruins have much work to do before the season-ending Nov. 28 game against the crosstown Trojans, starting with Saturday's game at Arizona.

"We gotta get this win; it's basically a must-win game for us," Maiava said. "I know our guys are ready though.

Maiava said UCLA is headed in the right direction under second-year head coach Rick Neuheisel.

"Some of the fifth-year seniors have been through three different coaching staffs, so it helps us to have last year under our belts," Maiava said. "Everyone is more comfortable this season. We put the foundation down last year, now we can built upon it and we got a good freshman class this year, so everything is evolving how it should be."

MORE FOOTBALL

• Notre Dame freshman linebacker Manti Teo (Punahou '09 of Läie) tied for a team-high with eight tackles in Saturday's 34-27 loss to USC.

• Washington senior defensive end Daniel Teo-Nesheim (Hawaii Prep '04 of Waikoloa) had two sacks for a loss of 12 yards and forced a fumble in Saturday's 24-17 loss at Arizona State. The Sun Devils broke a 17-all tie with five seconds left on a 50-yard touchdown pass.

• Colorado outside linebacker B.J. Beatty (Kahuku '06 of Kaaawa) started at strongside linebacker and had four solo tackles and a quarterback hurry in Saturday's 34-30 win over Kansas.

• Utah junior defensive end Nai Fotu (Kahuku '07 of Läie) made four tackles and senior linebacker Kepa Gaison (Kamehameha '05 of Käneohe) added two, with one for loss, in a 35-15 win at UNLV Saturday. Junior defensive end Malo Taumua (Aiea '05) made four tackles for the Rebels.

• Weber State junior quarterback Cameron Higgins (Saint Louis '06 of Hawaii Kai) was named Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Higgins was 23-of-30 passing for 290 yards with five touchdowns in Saturday's 49-10 win over Sacramento State.

• Claremont senior wide receiver Mike Hirokawa (Iolani '06 of Aiea), who plays for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, caught three passes for 50 yards in Saturday's 21-14 win over Cal Lutheran, including an 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Senior defensive back Landon Patoc (Iolani '06 of Honolulu) had six tackles and one interception and junior linebacker Adam Morris (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) also picked off a pass and had six tackles for the Stags.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

• Washington senior libero Tamari Miyashiro (Kalani '05 of Käneohe) had a season-high 30 digs and three service aces in a five-set win over USC. Miyashiro is the career digs leader for the Huskies and has the third-most in Pac-10 history.

• Long Beach State sophomore defensive specialist Lauren Minkel (Iolani '08 of Honolulu) had a career-high 24 digs with two aces in a five-set loss at UC Irvine Friday. Junior junior outside hitter Larissa Nordyke (Punahou '07 of Honolulu). Minkel had 12 digs in Saturday's sweep of Cal State Northridge.

• Pacific (Calif.) sophomore outside hitter Rebekah Torres (Kamehameha '08 of Wahiawä) had 15 kills and hit .433 in a five-set win at Cal Poly Saturday. Senior defensive specialist Dancyne Kama (Kamehameha-Hawaii '06 of Hilo) added nine digs for the Tigers. Cal Poly freshman setter Anuhea Keanini (Punahou '09 of Kailua) had a match-high 56 assists.

CROSS COUNTRY

• At Saturday's Bronco Invitational hosted by Santa Clara, Pepperdine's Chelsea Wishard (Kaua'i '07 of Läwa'i) finished 12th in the women's invitational 5K in 17:43. In the women's open 5K division, Nevada's Nicole Painter (Mililani '09) placed 15th in 19:34. In the men's 8K, Jordan Lerma (Kamehameha-Hawai'i '09 of Kea'au) of St. Mary's (Calif.) placed 139th in 27:37.

• At Saturday's Inter-Regional Rumble hosted by Oberlin (Ohio), Haley Abing (La Pietra '09 of Honolulu) of Kenyon (Ohio) finished 109th in the women's 6K in 24:28. Teammate Dai Shen (Roosevelt '09 of Honolulu) finished 240th in the men's 8K in 32:02.

• Kevin Acacio (Waipahu '07) of Illinois Tech finished 302nd in 27:25.57 in the men's 8K at Saturday's Brooks Invitational hosted by Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

• Bryce Jenkins (Leilehua '09 of Wahiawä) of host Idaho State finished 12th in the men's 5K in 16:21 at Saturday's Oktoberfest Invitational.

• Amanda Tamanaha (St. Andrew's '09 of Honolulu) of Willamette (Ore.) finished 42nd in 19:36.03 at Friday's Mike Hodges Invitational in Oregon City, Ore.

• Patrick Understeller (Kea'au '09 of Mountain View) of Viterbo (Wis.) finished 38th in 28:25.6 in the men's 8K of Saturday's Wisconsin Private College Championships hosted by Ripon (Wis.).

MEN'S SOCCER

• Gonzaga senior forward Tye Perdido (Seabury Hall '06 of Kula) scored a goal in the 78th minute and assisted on another in the 21st minute of Sunday's 2-0 win at San Francisco.

• Swarthmore (Pa.) senior midfielder Dylan Langley (Iolani '06 of Honolulu) scored in the 16th minute of a 1-0 win over Franklin & Marshall Saturday.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

• Denver senior midfielder Lizzy Carlson (Punahou '06 of Honolulu) scored a goal in the 73rd minute of a 3-0 win over Arkansas State Friday. Carlson also had an assist in Sunday's 3-1 loss to Arkansas-Little Rock.

• Pacific (Calif.) junior defender Kylee Ah Choy (Kamehameha '07 of Mililani) assisted on the game-winning goal in the final minute of Sunday's 2-1 win over UC Davis. Junior forward Sammi Teramae (Iolani '07 of Kapolei) assisted on the Tigers' first goal in the 13th minute.

MEN'S GOLF

• Pacific (Ore.) junior Max Bonk (Hawaii Prep '07 of Kamuela) finished second at the Northwest Conference Fall Classic at the par-72, 6,491-yard Heron Lakes Great Blue Course in Portland, Ore. Bonk shot 71-71 to finish 2-under par.

WOMEN'S GOLF

• UCLA sophomore Stephanie Kono (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) was one of four Bruins to finish in a seven-way tie for sixth at the Stanford Intercollegiate. Kono shot 69-75-68 (1-over par) at the par-71, 6,156-yard Stanford Golf Course. Denver freshman Kimberly Kim (from Pähoa) shot 77-73-69 (6-over par) to finish tied for 30th.

• Furman (S.C.) junior Jaclyn Hilea (Moanalua '07 of Käneohe) tied for 66th at the Mercedes-Benz Championships at the par-72, 6,317-yard Fox Den Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn. Hilea shot 83-72-79 (18-over par).