ISLE FILE
UH volleyball season over
Advertiser Staff
The University of Hawai'i's volleyball season ended last night when Long Beach State upset top-ranked UC Irvine, 30-26, 30-20, 30-23, in the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament.
The Warriors, who finished second during the regular season but were ousted in the quarterfinals, believed their season would be extended if Irvine won the tournament and earned the accompanying automatic berth in next week's NCAA Championships.
If Irvine won the automatic bid, the Warriors were the overwhelming favorites to claim the NCAA's at-large berth. In the past 24 years, the MPSF, volleyball's strongest conference, provided the at-large team 23 times.
But last night's outcome means Long Beach State and UCLA, a 30-26, 30-28, 30-23 winner over Pepperdine in the other semifinal, will play in tomorrow's MPSF title match. UC Irvine will earn the at-large berth, and the Warriors' season will come to an end.
"It's been a wonderful season," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "Each player has grown and made tremendous progress. We had a true team. It was just a wonderful year."
BOWLING
HICKAM AFB OPEN STARTS ROLLING TODAY
The Hickam AFB Open, the first of two Professional Bowlers Association West/Northwest regional tour events on O'ahu, is today at Hickam Bowling Center.
The tournament begins at 8 a.m., with the round of 16 starting at 2:30 p.m., followed by the rounds of 8, 4 and 2.
Seventy bowlers are scheduled to compete.
The second O'ahu event is the 28th annual Hawai'i Open at Schofield Bowling Center, tomorrow and Sunday.
Tomorrow's pro-am is at 5 p.m., with the tournament beginning Sunday at 9 a.m.
Robert Smith, of Captain Cook, Hawai'i, won the Rice Shopping Center Open at Lihu'e, Kaua'i, on Tuesday.
Smith, who recently moved from Thousand Oaks, Calif., has won six PBA national titles and a U.S. Open, according to the PBA.
He finished the tournament 7-3 and won $2,000.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
POWER FORWARD OWSLEY SIGNED, SEALED FOR UH
The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team received an official letter of intent from recruit P.J. Owsley yesterday.
Owsley, a 6-foot-8 power forward, will join the Rainbow Warriors next season. He averaged 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season at Salt Lake Community College (Utah).
"P.J. is a great addition to our frontline," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "We've been very pleased with the student-athletes that have come from SLCC. All have done well academically and athletically for us."
Current Hawai'i center Ahmet Gueye and former 'Bows Troy Ostler and Jeff Blackett also played at Salt Lake CC.
Owsley will be a junior at Hawai'i next season and will have two seasons of eligibility.
He is the fifth recruit to sign with the 'Bows for next season. The others are 7-foot center Todd Follmer, 6-2 point guard Todd Lowenthal, 6-5 guard/forward Riley Luettgerodt and 6-8 forward Alex Veit.
COLLEGE WATER POLO
RAINBOW WAHINE WIN, PLAY CAL IN QUARTERFINAL
Iefke Van Belkum scored four goals and got plenty of help from Kelly Mason and Lisa van Raalte as fourth-ranked University of Hawai'i rolled past No. 19 Cal State Northridge, 13-5, yesterday in the opening round of the 2006 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women's Water Polo Championship at the Anteater Aquatics Complex in Irvine, Calif.
The Rainbow Wahine (15-9), seeded fifth in the championship, advanced to today's 1:15 p.m. (HST) quarterfinal against California, which defeated Pacific, 21-4, earlier yesterday.
Hawai'i led 6-3 after one quarter, 8-3 at intermission and the Matadors (12-20) never threatened in the second half.
Mason and van Raalte each added three goals, while Anna Sieprath, Kristy Bagnall and Amy Logan also scored. Goalie Meike De Nooy had five saves for the Rainbow Wahine.
TENNIS
ODA, MAHARAJ EARN TOP SEEDS FOR HAWAI'I OPEN
Former Rainbow and Hawai'i state high school champion Malino Oda and former Tennessee All-American Sabita Maharaj are the top seeds for this weekend's Hawai'i Open Sectionals.
The $2,000 event starts today at 3:30 p.m. at the University of Hawai'i Tennis Complex. Finals begin at 8:30 a.m. Sunday with the women's championship.
Oda, 26, won state high school titles in 1997 and '98 for Lahainaluna. He has been playing professionally, mostly in Japan, since graduating from UH.
Rainbow freshman Sascha Heinneman, from Germany, is seeded No. 2 in the men's draw. Mikael Maatta is third and Jan Axel Tribler fourth.
Maharaj, 21, from Florida, was ranked in the Top 50 during her three-year career at Tennessee. She graduated in three years, married and moved to Hawai'i. Maharaj served as a volunteer assistant for the Rainbow Wahine this past season.
Kana Aikawa, No. 1 for UH this season, is seeded second in the 14-player women's draw.
Spectators and competitors can participate in a free Prince Clinic on Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
The men's winner receives air and accommodations to compete in the Guam Open next month, and a wild-card entry into the main draw of the Honolulu Futures in November.
