Her final collegiate volleyball season doesn't start for a month, but honors are rolling in for University of Hawai'i setter Kanoe Kamana'o.

Yesterday, Kamana'o and Nevada basketball player Nick Fazekas were named recipients of the 2005-06 Joe Kearney Award by the Western Athletic Conference. The award is named after the former WAC commissioner and given annually to the top female and male WAC athletes.

WAC Senior Woman Administrators select the female honoree and WAC athletic directors the male winner.

Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohano-hano played on the Rainbow Wahine's inaugural team in 1974 and has been UH Senior Woman Administrator for nearly 20 years. She calls Kamana'o "the most accomplished setter in the history of the program" and attributes it to Kamana'o's attitude.

"She embraces every team member and she's just so smart in her volleyball," Moniz said. "That's not to put her physical attributes down because you have to have all that to be successful. And, she's just beautiful to watch, no doubt about it.

"She has control. Not in a dominant or intimidating or arrogant way, just a self-assured way that lets the team know they can rely on her no matter how tough it gets. I'm really looking forward to next season to see her play."

Kamana'o, an Iolani graduate, is a three-time All-American. She earned first-team honors as a sophomore and was second team last season and in 2003, when she was also national Freshman of the Year.

She is also a three-time first-team all-WAC member and the WAC Player of the Year the past two seasons. Kamana'o is the only player in the country to average more than 13.5 assists, 2.5 digs and one block per game each of the last two seasons.

Going into her senior year, Kamana'o is the school's career leader in assists with 4,955 and assists-per-game at 13.73.

"Her work ethic, dedication and talent have been an inspiration to the youth volleyball players who dream to be like Kanoe," Moniz said.

Baseball player Steven Wright was Hawai'i's male nominee for the Kearney Award.

Kim Willoughby is the only other student-athlete from UH to win a Kearney Award. She captured the honor twice (2003-04 and 2002-03). Other previous Kearney winners include Marshall Faulk, Stacy Prammanasudh, Andre Miller, Amanda Scott and Keith Van Horn.