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Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Tuesday, September 26, 2000

Wahine Kahumoku is
WAC volleyball player
of the week

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Star-Bulletin staff

Lily Kahumoku, a leftside hitter for the University of Hawaii, has been named the Western Athletic Conference volleyball player of the week.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore from Lubbock, Texas, had 43 kills (4.77 kpg) on 97 attempts in leading the Wahine to two victories over the Pepperdine Waves.

She had a career high 23 kills in Friday's match and added 12 digs for her sixth career double-double. In Saturday's match she produced 20 kills and contributed nine digs.

Kahumoku ranks third in the WAC in kills (4.56 kpg) and is sixth in hitting percentage (.322).

Smith athlete of week

Cheryl Smith of the University of Hawaii has been named the Western Athletic Conference women's cross country athlete of the week.

Smith, from Kirkwood, N.Y., won the Hawaii Invitational five-kilometer race with a time of 17 minutes, 52 seconds. She finished 21 seconds ahead of the second-place runner.

Smith, in defeating 88 runners from 13 schools, also shaved nine seconds off the meet record she set a year ago. Her performance helped the Wahine finish second.

HPU's Blomme honored

Lisa Blomme, from Stockholm, Sweden, is the Pacific West Conference female cross country runner of the week.

The Hawaii Pacific University junior finished second in the Hawaii Invitational five-kilometer race with a time of 18 minutes, 13 seconds.

Blomme, who is ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II tennis singles, didn't start running cross country until the start of last season.

Punahou third in Vegas

The nationally ranked Punahou girls volleyball team finished third at the Maui Life-Durango Fall Classic last weekend in Las Vegas.

Punahou, ranked 10th by Fox and 25th by HighWired Sports, won three matches in pool play Friday and its first-round championship division match Saturday (over Irvine Vaquero, 15-13, 15-8).

But the Buffanblu lost to California powers St. Mary's (15-9, 15-8) and Mater Dei (15-6, 15-2).

St. Mary's (ranked 9th and 6th) finished first and Mater Dei (11th and 9th) second.

Punahou's Laura "Puna" Richardson and Milia Macfarlane were named to the eight-player all-tournament team.

Nation's tennis champs

The Clock & Trophy men's 4.0 team from Pearl City won the U.S. League Tennis National Championship Sunday in San Diego, defeating a team from Carlisle, Pa., 4-1.

Members of the team are: David Abe, Larry Ah Nee, Alfred Chow, Harris Fuchigami, Kirk Hortiuchi and Mark Kaimi. Also, Glenn Kita, Rodney Leong, Stuart Leong, Roy Morigawara, Tracy Nakahodo and Aaron Sato.

Hawaii finished second in the women's 4.0 competition. The team from Honolulu lost to Nashville, 5-0, in the final.

At the 5.0 national championships in Palm Springs, Calif., the men's team from Hilo finished second in its division, losing to Fort Worth, Texas, in the final.

Recognition for Tuitele

Nia Tuitele, a 5-foot-9 setter for Hawaii Pacific University is the Pacific West Conference volleyball player of the week.

Tuitele, from Kalihi, had 50 assists, a season-high 16 digs, four blocks, an ace and two kills as HPU defeated Brigham Young University-Hawaii in rally scoring last Friday.

Near-perfect good enough

Jon Yasuhara already had a trip planned to Las Vegas.

Now the Honolulu resident will have some extra spending money during his Hilo High class reunion later this year.

"I've had 9-1 (ballots) before but never got picked,'' said Yasuhara.

Yasuhara won the weekly $500 prize in the Star-Bulletin's Football Fever Contest. He went 9-1, missing out on perfection when choosing the New York Giants over Washington.

The best the Fever panel could manage was 7-3, turned in by both Randy Cadiente and Cindy Luis of the Star-Bulletin.

All ballots are eligible for the top prizes to be given away at the end of ther contest.