Holiday out as Mid-Pacific coach

Dwight Holiday, a member of the iconic University of Hawaii Fabulous Five basketball teams of the 1970s, will not return as head coach at Mid-Pacific Institute.

Holiday, 63, coached one season at MPI, his first high school head coaching job. His team won one game in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, coming in the regular-season finale against Saint Louis.

Both parties admitted that "it wasn’t a right fit."

"I truly thank him for all that he did this season, and for his time and effort with the players. I wish him well in all that he does," MPI athletic director Scott Wagner said.

Wagner said he will begin the search for a new program head/varsity head coach for basketball in the coming weeks.

Holiday became a household name as the starting shooting guard for UH’s Fabulous Five, a group that also included former University of Hawaii head coach Bob Nash, Al Davis, John Penebacker and Jerome Freeman. The Fab Five captivated the attention of the state, with its up-tempo, free-flowing style of basketball that drew national recognition and large crowds to the Honolulu International Center (now Blaisdell Arena). The Fab Five played in the postseason NIT in their junior year and the NCAA Tournament their senior year.

‘Imi ‘Ike earns volleyball gold medal

‘Imi ‘Ike Volleyball Club, coached by Hawaii assistant women’s coach Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, won the 18 Open divisions at last weekend’s 28th SCVC Las Vegas Invitational girls volleyball tournament.

‘Imi ‘Ike went undefeated in the 136-team division , dropping just two sets in 11 matches. They defeated Rancho Valley (Calif.) 21-17, 25-23 in the gold-medal match.

Team members are Adora Anae, Clare-Marie Anderson, Mariah Berard-Kamakeeaina, Bailey Choy, Sydney Fanoga, McKenna Granato, Kayla Guerrero (Maryknoll), Kaylen Higa, Savannah Kahakai, Faith Maafala and Sara Watanabe.

The assistant coaches were former Rainbow Wahine players Aneli Cubi-Otineru and Mita Uiato, and current volunteer assistant Kaleo Baxter.

Also medaling was North Shore Volleyball Club, coached by Camilla Ah-Hoy and assisted by her mother Mona, the BYU-Hawaii coach. The team tied for third in the 220-team 18 Club division, going 9-1. The only loss came in the championship semifinals when they fell to OK Charge of Oklahoma, 25-23, 22-25, 16-14.

Top-10 finishes also were achieved in the 144-team 17 Club division by Asics Rainbows and Pilipa’a, both sharing fifth at 8-1; and Hawaiian Style, tying for ninth at 9-1.

Vulcans sixth at Lady Rattler golf

Led by Kacie Harada’s eighth-place finish, the Hawaii Hilo women’s golf team placed sixth at the Lady Rattler Invitational on Tuesday in San Antonio.

Harada carded a 3-over 75 in the final round to finish the 36-hole event tied for eighth at 154. Haley Haught of team champion St. Edward’s earned medalist honors at 141.

The Vulcans finished with an aggregate 643, 44 strokes behind St. Edward’s (599) in the 18-team field.

Hawaii Pacific drops 2 in softball

Hawaii Pacific lost both ends of a Pacific West Conference softball doubleheader Tuesday, falling to Azusa Pacific 8-3 and 10-9 in Azusa, Calif.

In Game 2, the Sea Warriors (1-3, 1-3 PacWest) took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second, helped by Sharae Esprecion’s three-run homer. After giving up four runs in the fifth, HPU regained a 9-8 lead in the sixth with four runs, including Esprecion’s fourth RBI of the game.

The host Cougars (12-3, 3-1) tied it in the bottom of the seventh on Renae Chappelle’s lead-off homer. Katrina Oviedo’s one-out single to left-center scored Desiree Chavez from second for the walk-off win.

In the opener, the Sea Warriors trailed 6-0 after one inning and never got closer than 7-3 after Dorian Acierto’s run-scoring double for HPU in the fifth.

Chaminade sweeps softball twin bill

Aja Keyes’ inside-the-park home run highlighted a five-run fourth and Chaminade completed a sweep of an exhibition softball doubleheader with Regina with an 11-3 victory in Tuesday’s six-inning nightcap at Central Oahu Regional Park.

In the opener, the Silverswords shut out the Cougars 13-0 in a game shortened to five innings due to the eight-run rule.

Chaminade broke a 3-3 tie in the fourth with five runs, extending its lead to 10-3 in the fifth on Kylie Nishino’s two-run single to right. The Silverswords got their second run-rule shortened game against the Canadian team when Kaleen Terayama scored from second on Shannan Hokama’s single up te middle for the walk-off win.