Hawaii Pacific
returns to the top
of AVCA poll

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Star-Bulletin staff

The Hawaii Pacific University volleyball team's 6-0 mark to start the season impressed the Division II voters enough to make the defending champions No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll released yesterday.

HPU, which has been rated No. 1 at some point in the season in each of the last three seasons, received 29 of 35 first-place votes to move up one slot. The Lady Sea Warriors, who were ranked fourth in the preseason poll, have now won 34 consecutive games.

HPU was ranked first in every regular-season poll last year.

They open their conference campaign Friday night against Hawaii-Hilo at St. Andrew's Priory gym.

Date set for women's Molokai to Oahu race

The 23rd annual 41-mile women's Molokai to Oahu world championship long distance outrigger canoe race is set for Sept. 23 at Hale O Lono Harbor on Molokai.

Last year, 62 teams from around the world competed in this event. The Big Island's Kai Opua Open won the event with a time of 5 hours, 56 minutes, 45 seconds. It was the first win for the defending champions. The record was set in 1995 by the Offshore Outrigger Canoe Club with a time of 5:24:32.

The event is free and open to the public. Spectators are invited to come to Duke Kahanamoku Beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Hawaii's Own

Benny Agbayani, Mets: The St. Louis and Hawaii Pacific alumnus underwent the bone scan on his right wrist and will have season-ending surgery Friday. He had been hitting .311 over his last 30 games and believed he was starting to come out of a year long power outage.

"I thought I was doing very good," Agbayani told Lawrence Rocca of the Newark Star-Ledger. "An injury like this sets me back. I can't do anything about it except just get ready for spring training."

Mike Fetters, Pirates: The Iolani graduate walked the bases loaded in the ninth, then struck out the Brewers' Mark Loretta for his seventh save in eight chances for Pittsburgh.

"There's no excuse for that," Fetters said of the three walks. "I've been struggling with my mechanics a little bit lately because I haven't pitched much. I felt like I found something on the last pitch to Loretta so we'll see if I take that out the next time. I'll battle through it."

Chris Truby, Astros: The Damien product finally got some action yesterday, pinch hitting for Astros pitcher Mike Jackson in the ninth inning of a 7-1 win. Truby earned a walk against Hector Mercado and advanced to second but was stranded when Julio Lugo struck out.

NFL Islander

Tevita Ofahengaue, Cardinals: The former Kahuku and Brigham Young standout tight end, who was cut by the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, was signed on Monday to be on the team's practice squad.

Ofahengaue was the 246th and final player selected in April's draft.