NCAA committee approves
libero for women’s volleyball

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The NCAA women's volleyball rules committee approved the use of the libero --a defensive specialist that cannot serve, attack or set inside the 10-foot line --at its meeting last week in Scottsdale, Ariz.

It is the first year the NCAA is writing rules for collegiate women's volleyball. The National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) previously wrote the rules.

The libero is used in international and men's collegiate volleyball. The player can replace any front-court teammate in the back row without counting as one of the team's substitutions. The libero also wears a different color uniform than the rest of the team.

"We believe the adoption of the libero will add a new element of excitement to the game, raise the level of play, and it has the potential to create opportunities for the smaller athlete," said former Nebraska coach and NCAA chair of the committee Terry Pettit in a release to head women's volleyball coaches.

Rainbow Wahine drop 2 to Sun Devils

Arizona State swept Hawaii 3-1 and 5-2 in a softball doubleheader yesterday in Tempe, Ariz.

In the first game, the Sun Devils broke a 1-1 tie on Phelan Wright's RBIbunt single and Kara Brun's RBI ground out.

The Rainbow Wahine outhit the Sun Devils 9-5, and got three singles from Trisha Ramos, two hits from Denise Dahlberg and an RBIsingle from April Crowell.

Arizona State starter Erica Beach went five innings and earned the win with relief help from Kirsten Voak.

UH's Sheri Oronoz pitched a five-hitter in the loss.

In the second game, Arizona State (16-4) scored single runs in the first three innings and added two in the fifth.

Brun led the 11-hit Sun Devils attack, going 3-for-3. Erica Beach added a two-run homer, while Voak earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of no-hit relief.

Kate Judd and Dahlberg hit solo homers for the Rainbow Wahine(9-8). UH starter Melissa Coogan was saddled with the loss.

Hawaii in last after first day

Hawaii is in last out of six teams after the first day of the Western Athletic ConferenceSwimming and Diving Championships in San Antonio, Texas.

UH has 54 points, 26 behind Southern Methodist's 80 after just two events.

The Rainbow Wahine's Katia Sarakatsani, Katie Seall, Brandie Smith and Karan Toews took fifth in the 800-yard freestyle relay, while Michelle Vos, Morgan Hoestert, Cindy Goudie and Sarakatsani finished sixth in the 200-yard medley relay.