The U.S. men’s national volleyball team, with three former Hawaii prep standouts on the roster, will hold a training camp and two scrimmages in Honolulu in July.
Team members include Micah Christenson (Kamehameha), Erik Shoji (Punahou) and Kawika Shoji (‘Iolani), who were part of the 2016 Olympic squad that took bronze at the Rio Games.
Training camp sessions are July 23-26 from 9 a.m. until noon at Punahou School. The sessions are open to the public with no admission charge.
The Red-Blue intrasquad scrimmages are July 27 at Kamehameha School’s Kekuhaupi’o Gym and July 28 at Moanalua High. The matches begin at 7 p.m. with tickets at $10.
Lopez named first-team All-Big West
University of Hawaii third baseman Nicole Lopez closed her junior season with a second straight selection to the Big West softball all-conference first team.
The Big West announced its postseason honors on Tuesday and the Rainbow Wahine (23-27, 7-14 BWC) were represented by Lopez on the first team and sophomore catcher Callee Heen on the second team.
Lopez and Heen were among three UH players to start all 50 games this season. Lopez hit .306 overall with eight home runs and drove in 26 runs. In Big West play, the Mid-Pacific graduate was second on the team at .273 and tied for the team lead with 11 RBIs. She struck out just 10 times in 167 plate appearances overall.
Heen led the Wahine overall at .333 and 37 RBIs. She ranked second in the Big West with a team-high 14 home runs and a .704 slugging percentage.
Cal State Northridge shortstop Savannah Horvath was named player of the year and Long Beach State’s Cielo Meza was named the Big West pitcher of the year. LBSU’s Kim Sowder and Cal State Fullerton’s Kelly Ford shared the coach of the year award. Cal State Fullerton won the conference title and LBSU earned an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament.
Florence, Lau and Zietz advance in Brazil
Hawaii surfers John John Florence, Ezekiel Lau and Sebastian Zietz advanced out of Rounds 2 and 3 on Tuesday at the Oi Rio Men’s Pro in Saquarema, Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
Florence won his Round 3 heat by a score of 17.97-8.26 over Brazilian Miguel Pupo.
Lau took out Australian Adrian Buchan 8.33 to 7.44 to win a third-round heat.
Zietz edged out Joan Duru in Round 2 15.86 to 15.67, then defeated Tomas Hermes 14.27 to 9.17 in Round 3.
Keanu Asing fell in Round 3 to Filipe Toledo of Brazil, 6.90 to 6.37.
Zietz and Lau are in the same heat in Round 4 with Brazilian Gabriel Medina. Florence’s heat consists of Brazil’s Yago Dora and Austrailian Wade Carmichael.
Carissa Moore is the only female surfer from Hawaii who remains. Her third-round heat features Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb and American Sage Erickson.
The contest continues today, surf permitting.
Baron named to national team
Shelby Baron of Honolulu will compete with the U.S. team in the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, the United States Tennis Association announced on Tuesday.
Baron, a Punahou graduate, is part of the four-player U.S. women’s team in the event often referred to as the “Davis Cup or Fed Cup of wheelchair tennis.” The 44-team tournament is set for May 28-June 3 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Twelve countries are entered in the women’s event.
Sawada wins local qualifier
Jared Sawada of Mililani shot a 1-under-par 71 at the Ocean Course at Hokuala on Tuesday to claim medalist honors at the U.S. Open local qualifier on Kauai.
Sawada advances to sectional qualifying for this year’s U.S. Open, set for June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Course in New York.
