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Friday, November 10, 2000

Hawaii Pacific
scoops up top
PacWest awards

Women's volleyball team
members Tuitele, Garbelotti
and coach Ahuna honored

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Star-Bulletin staff

Setter Nia Tuitele, middle blocker Susy Garbelotti and coach Tita Ahuna of the nationally top-ranked Hawaii Pacific University women's volleyball team have swept the top individual awards in the Pacific West Conference

Tuitele, a junior from Kalihi, was selected Player of the Year. Garbelotti, a sophomore from Brazil, was named Newcomer of the Year and Ahuna, a former University of Hawaii star, Coach of the Year.

Ahuna guided the Lady Sea Warriors to a 21-0 regular-season finish and second successive PacWest title.

They play Brigham Young-Hawaii in the first round of the conference tournament today at 5 p.m. at the Blaisdell Center. Western Washington meets Seattle Pacific at 7:30 in the other semifinal match.

Tuitele became HPU's all-time career assists leader and Garbelotti led the team in kills and blocks.

Tuitele and Garbelotti were joined on the Pacific Division all-star first team by Debbie Sant'Anna of HPU, Vanessa Valansi and Karla Ribeiro of BYUH and Vanessa Tsukano of Alaska Anchorage, who is from Honolulu.

HPU's Flavia Gabinio and Roberta Robert, BYUH's Kapu Elkington and Chaminade's Julianne Hastert were second-team selections.

Honorable mention awards went to Jessica Robins and Audrey Brady of Chaminade and Ave Matsuzaki of BYUH.

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