In a double dose of good news, Hawai'i opposite attacker Lauri Hakala was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's volleyball Player of the Week, and the Warriors received a commitment from a top high school setter from Long Beach, Calif.

Hakala slammed 49 kills in a two-match sweep of Long Beach State, including a career-high 29 in Friday's match.

"I'm happy we won," said Hakala, whose team hosts Stanford on Friday and Saturday. "That's all I've got to say. I think when the team does well, we can get individual recognition like this, which of course is nice. You can send it home to mom. That's as nice as it goes."

Hakala said his right (swinging) arm was tender early in the second match. He took 55 swings in the five-game first match, 51 swings in the four-game rematch. He said his arm is now fine.

"It wasn't anything exceptional," he said of his swing totals. "I don't make a huge deal out of it. I'm glad we could win."

Hakala, who has overcome an abdominal strain, has emerged as the go-to hitter since moving back to opposite, where he hits on the right side in five of the six rotations. With Hakala at opposite and Eric Kalima as a primary passer, the Warriors have won eight in a row, moving into a tie for seventh place in the MPSF.

"Whether it's close at the end of the game or during a long rally, he comes up with the big swing for the big point," setter Brian Beckwith said. "It's nice to get that from your biggest hitter."

UH coach Mike Wilton said: "He's hitting a lot. He's serving well. He's blocking well. He's doing a lot of good things for us now."

In the meantime, the Warriors received a commitment from 6-foot-1 setter Robert "Sam" Morehouse of Woodrow Wilson High.

Morehouse is a member of the prestigious Balboa Bay Volleyball Club. He also has played on a national team.

Morehouse is expected to sign his letter of intent this weekend.

Beckwith is completing his NCAA eligibility in May, leaving Sean Carney and Nejc Zemljak as the returning setters.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.