The 2021 Maui Invitational will be relocated to Las Vegas due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions and COVID-19 protocols in Hawaii, officials announced Saturday.
The tournament will be hosted at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Nov. 22-24, with all programs from the original field participating.
Tournament officials said they plan to return the tournament to Maui next season. All previously purchased tickets will be refunded, and fans will have the opportunity to purchase new tickets for the event at the new venue. Ticket information for the relocation will be available soon.
“Maui is our tournament home, which is why we are disappointed that the current state COVID-19 restrictions will not allow us to host the Maui Jim Maui Invitational there this year,” said Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperLesnik, which operates the tournament.
Silverswords sweep Fresno Pacific
The 24th-ranked Chaminade women’s volleyball team made easy work of Fresno Pacific, winning 25-18, 25-12, 25-18 in just over an hour in Fresno, Calif.
The Silverswords (15-3, 5-1 PacWest) were led by Marcelle Butler, who had 12 kills while hitting .733. Corinne Acosta led the Sunbirds (4-12, 1-5) with 10 kills.
Academy of Art knocks off HPU
The Hawaii Pacific women’s volleyball team fell to Academy of Art on Saturday, losing 26-24, 25-14, 21-25, 25-14 in Belmont, Calif.
The Urban Knights (5-9, 2-4 PacWest) hit .324 in the match, compared to just .190 for the Sharks (2-12, 1-5). Nicole Ferris led the Sharks with 12 kills, while Isaura Santos had 16 to lead the Urban Knights.
Vulcans complete 4-0 road trip in volleyball
The Hawaii Hilo women’s volleyball team won its fourth straight game, 25-22, 25-18, 16-25, 25-19 over Holy Names on Saturday in Oakland.
The Vulcans (8-2, 5-1 PacWest) completed their road trip with wins in all four matches. Bria Beale led the Vulcans with 17 kills. Tani Hoke had four services ace for the Vulcans and added 14 digs.
Ayanna Barham had 15 kills to lead Holy Names (4-11, 1-6).
HPU dominates Sharks Invitational
Hawaii Pacific took the top two spots in the women’s and men’s races as the Sharks won the HPU Sharks Invitational at Kahuku Golf Course.
Jona Bodirsky won the men’s race by a margin of more than three minutes, covering the 8-kilometer course in 26 minutes, 10.9 seconds. Robyn Kaltenbrunn won the women’s 6-kilometer race in a time of 25:01.0.