Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Wednesday, December 1, 1999

BYU-Hawaii launches
drive for national
volleyball title

The top-ranked Brigham Young-Hawaii women's volleyball team, seeking its first NCAA Division II title, opens play tomorrow against North Dakota State in the Elite Eight Tournament at Battle Creek, Mich.

The Seasiders (27-2), winners of nine NAIA championships since 1986, are in their second season of NCAA Division II competition. Last year's title was won by Hawaii Pacific over North Dakota State.

Senior All-Americans Arlete Silva, Vanessa Valansi and Juliana Lima are looking for their third title in four years. Should BYUH win tomorrow, the Seasiders would face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Northern Kentucky and North Alabama in a semifinal match Friday.

The championship match is scheduled for Saturday

Kern, Brooks help UCLA to top water polo seed

Top-ranked UCLA, with former Punahou standouts Sean Kern and Brandon Brooks on the roster, begins the quest for its third NCAA title in five years this Saturday with a semifinal match against Massachusetts.

The Bruins (20-3) are seeded No. 1, with Stanford second, host UC San Diego third and UMass fourth.

Kern, a junior 2-meter man, leads the team in scoring with 47 points. He was named to the all-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation team last week and scored three goals to help UCLA to the MPSF title with a 12-11 overtime win over Stanford.

Brooks, a freshman goalie, had 11 saves in the title match against the Cardinal. He has started in goal the past seven matches with UCLA going 6-1.