The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team has been selected by league coaches to win the Western Athletic Conference for an 11th consecutive time.

The Rainbow Wahine received eight of nine first-place votes and had 64 total points in a preseason poll released yesterday by the conference. New Mexico State earned the remaining vote and had 57 points. Nevada is third with 48 points.

Hawai'i has a 125-match winning streak against WAC opponents.

The Rainbow Wahine finished last season with a 27-7 record and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

This year's team returns five starters, including All-America setter Kanoe Kamana'o.

Hawai'i's first match of the season will be Aug. 25 against Pepperdine at the Stan Sheriff Center.

JUNIOR OLYMPICS

ONIPA'A VOLLEYBALL CLUB CAPTURES 14-UNDER TITLE

The Onipa'a Volleyball Club won the 14-and-under club Gold (top) Division title yesterday at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Boys Championship in Minneapolis.

Onipa'a was one of more than 20 Hawai'i teams that competed in the event.

Onipa'a defeated Gigantes 14 M of Puerto Rico in the championship, 25-20, 25-21. Onipa'a beat Pitirres, another team from Puerto Rico, in the semifinals by 25-19, 25-21.

The club, which finished 12-0 in the tournament, has players from all around O'ahu.

"Just ecstatic. It's a great feeling," coach George Ehia said. "As coaches we just tell them to put their best effort forward and they did."

Ehia said his team returned just two players from last year, but the team has been practicing together since November. He said what gave his team confidence was that it had already defeated the Puerto Rican teams during pool play.

"I would say that it was a team effort all the way around," Ehia said.

The team members are Jeremy Carter (Damien), Gabriel Ching (St. John's in Kalihi), Kalanikoa Elders (Kamehameha), Michael Gomez (St. Joseph's in Waipahu), Daniel Hirata (Saint Louis), Justin Kealoha-Salvador (Kamehameha), Noah Puaala-Ortiz (Damien), Anthony Robinson (Wai'anae), Bronson Sagon (Word of Life), Reo Tafai (Kalakaua Intermediate), Jetson Yee (Maryknoll), and Donovan Nieves (Pearl City). No all-tournament team was named on this level.

Three other Hawai'i teams also advanced to Gold Division contention.

In the 17-under open division, Pali Black of Pacific Palisades, Calif., defeated Outrigger in the championship, 20-25, 25-22, 17-15. Outrigger, a team coached by University of Hawai'i women's coach Dave Shoji, advanced to the final by defeating 17's Gold of Canada in the quarterfinals, 25-19, 26-24, and Epic 17 Matt of Poway, Calif., 25-16, 25-23, in the semifinals. Outrigger finished 9-2.

"The boys are disappointed but happy. We had a good showing," Shoji said. "We don't get the opportunity to play other junior teams, so we had no idea how we'd stack up. Hawai'i volleyball is very good on the junior level. We're very competitive."

All the Outrigger teams played in the open division and had to either qualify or be selected.

Setter Erik Shoji, who will be a junior at Punahou, and outside hitter Brad Lawson, an Iolani junior, and opposite Reese Haine, a Mid-Pacific senior, were named to the all-tournament team.

In the 15-under club division, Ku'ikahi 15 RoShamBo beat Vaqueros of Puerto Rico, 32-20, 25-20, but lost to Pitirres of Puerto Rico in the championship, 25-17, 25-23. Ku'ikahi of Honolulu finished 9-1.

In the 15-under open division, Outrigger B15 lost to Pali Blue of Pacific Palisades, Calif., in the semifinals, 25-12, 25-18. Outrigger of Honolulu was 5-5.

There were teams in different age groups from Onipa'a, Kuikahi, Asics Rainbows, Pilipaa, and Outrigger.

PAN AMERICAN CUP

AH MOW-SANTOS NAMED TOURNEY'S BEST SETTER

Robyn Ah Mow-Santos (Honolulu, Hawai'i), starting setter for the U.S. women's national volleyball team, was named the Pan American Cup Best Setter following conclusion of the event at Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 7.

Ah Mow-Santos turned in 117 running sets and 451 still sets with just two faults in 570 total attempts. The U.S. hit .337 as a team for the tournament with 361 kills on 823 attempts.

The U.S. finished fourth in the event for the second consecutive year. Brazil won the tournament with a four-set victory over Cuba in the championship match.