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Double honors for Moanalua's Vazquez

Amanda Vazquez earned the first Big West Conference women's volleyball player of the week honor for the week ending Aug. 29.

The senior from Moanalua helped the UC Irvine Anteaters to a 2-1 week. She averaged 3.77 kills, 0.31 aces and 1.62 blocks per game as UCI took five-game victories over the Hofstra Pride and Long Island Blackbirds.

The 6-1 middle blocker posted a career-high 20 kills with just one error in 35 attempts (.543) in the win over Hofstra.

Against the Blackbirds the next day, Vazquez re-established her career high with 22 kills. She hit .390 (22-6-41) with three service aces and 10 blocks.

Vazquez hit .438 (49-10-89) for the week.

She followed up by being voted the UCI-Holiday Inn-Costa Mesa Sunset Classic tournament's most valuable player Saturday.

Vazquez hit .426 with 27 kills, five service aces, nine digs and seven total blocks over the two-day tournament.

The Anteaters fell in the championship match to Santa Clara 30-32, 31-29, 30-22, 30-28.

Higa off to a good start at Fairfield

Brandi Higa, 2005 graduate of Hawaii Baptist Academy, was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rookie of the week ending Aug. 29.

She averaged 5.83 assists per contest, for a total of 70 in the three matches at the ASICS Invitational at the University of Maine. The freshman setter also had a .333 hitting percentage, four service aces and 1.67 digs per game (20 total).

Against the host Black Bears, Higa recorded her first double-double, with 26 assists and 11 digs.

Cravalho's TDs spark Evangel

Micah Cravalho scored three touchdowns Saturday to help the Evangel University Crusaders of Springfield, Mo., to a 51-48 victory over the Missouri Valley College Vikings in a Heart of America Conference game.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior wide receiver from Kaahumanu Hou High School caught three passes for 97 yards, returned kickoffs for 93 yards and had 71 yards in punt returns. His first punt return was for 72 yards and a touchdown to open the scoring 4 minutes into the NAIA game.

Cravalho's 261 all-purpose yards leads the conference after one week of action.

Wong's goal wins game for Bears

Patricia Wong, a freshman from Iolani, scored the winning goal in the second overtime period at 104:02, as the Northern Colorado Bears beat Charleston Southern 2-1 Aug. 29. The golden goal, Wong's first as a collegian, came off a Megan Miller corner kick.

Wong and Kamehameha's Jordan Weeks, both listed as midfielders/defenders, have come off the bench in the NCAA Division II Bears' first three matches. The Bears are 2-0-1.

Lau's timely assist huge for Harvard

Rachel Lau earned a starting midfield berth in Harvard's first match Saturday, an away game at Binghamton (N.Y.) University. The freshman from Punahou launched a corner kick at 80:09 that fellow freshman Erin Wylie headed into the net for the only score.

It was the Crimson's first season-opening victory since 2002 and made a winner of first-year coach Stephanie Erickson.

Big rig and truck show Saturday

The third annual JN Chevrolet Big Rig and Trucks Drags and Show is set for Saturday at Hawaii Raceway Park at 6 p.m.

There will be races between semis, garbage trucks, 4X4s, vans, SUVs and tow trucks. Maui Monster II will put on a car crushing exhibition, and a Paradise Lua Foodbank food drive competition will include a T & T Towing truck lifting another tow truck in the air.

Admission is $12, with a $2 discount for those who bring Foodbank donations of two or more canned goods. For information, call 485-8767 or go to www.hrpdragracing.com.

Surfrider Foundation paddles for clean water

The Surfrider Foundation will hold its second annual National Paddle for Clean Water Sept. 17 -- the Oahu chapter's event will be at Sunset Beach from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Surfers around the country will paddle out and form a circle to express concern about the state of coasts and oceans.

The Oahu paddle out will include a BBQ and beach cleanup.

The event, in conjunction with the North Shore Community Land Trust, will also serve as a fundraiser for Campaign for Pupukea-Paumalu to buy the land above Sunset Beach.