Posted on: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
HOMEGROWN REPORT
HOMEGROWN
Kneubuhl force on, off court for Northridge
By Kalani Takase
Advertiser Staff Writer
As the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men's volleyball tournament comes to a close this weekend, just one player from Hawai'i has his team still in the hunt for a final four berth.
Cal State Northridge senior outside hitter Isaac Kneubuhl (Kamehameha '03 of Pukalani) had 12 kills on 19 attempts with no errors (.632 hitting percentage) to help the Matadors sweep then-No. 6 Stanford in the MPSF quarterfinals Saturday. Kneubuhl, who is 6 feet 1 and 190 pounds, also had nine digs, two service aces and an assist.
"Isaac is our leader, our best all-around player and the backbone of our team," Matadors coach Jeff Conover said. "We consider him to be the fifth coach on our staff, he knows what we expect as coaches."
Kneubuhl averaged 3.73 kills, 1.57 digs and 0.34 digs per game. His 321 kills this season was the second-highest total on the team and for the season he hit .335.
"He is extremely well rounded, but his best skills are passing, serving and defense," Conover said. "Without his passing we wouldn't be able to have done so well offensively this year. He passes half the court and is the best passer in Northridge history."
Conover believes Kneubuhl's defensive prowess could carry him to the next level.
"His defense is outstanding. He makes tough plays look routine. His passing and defense are so good that he could compete internationally as a libero," Conover said.
The fourth-ranked Matadors meet No. 3 Brigham Young in one of two semifinals Saturday at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. No. 5 Pepperdine and No. 2 Long Beach State meet in the other semifinal.
As Kneubuhl's collegiate career comes to a close, Conover admits he will miss the fifth-year senior.
"We appreciate that he leads by example for the younger players in both the classroom and as an athlete," said Conover. "He is a special person, who as good a player he is, he is a much better person. We have been very thankful to have him on the team these past five years."
The winner of the MPSF Tournament earns a berth in the Final Four, May 1 to 3 at the Bren Events Center at UC Irvine.
MORE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Stanford sophomore setter Kawika Shoji ('Iolani '05 of Honolulu) had 22 assists, nine digs, one kill, an ace and was in on two blocks in the loss to the Anteaters. Freshman outside hitter Spencer McLachlin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) finished with a team-high 10 kills against three errors on 25 attempts (.280 hitting percentage). Freshman libero Jordan Inafuku (Kamehameha '06 of Honolulu) recorded three digs and two assists. Stanford concluded its season at 17-11.
UC Irvine junior libero Brent Asuka ('Iolani '05 of 'Aiea) had nine digs in a five-game win over USC Wednesday. USC freshman setter Riley McKibbin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) appeared in one game, but did not record any statistics.
Asuka had 11 digs in a four-game loss to Brigham Young Saturday in the MPSF quarterfinals. UC Irvine ended its season at 16-15.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Stanford junior Mari Chun (Kamehameha '05 of Pearl City) is tied for 17th (75-75—150) heading into today's final round of the Pac-10 Championships at Palos Verdes, Calif.
Portland State junior Kayla Morinaga (Sacred Hearts '05 of Waipahu) is tied for 18th (80-75—155) heading into today's final round of the Big Sky Conference Championships at the par-72 Foothills Golf Club in Phoenix, Ariz. Earlier in the week, Morinaga was named to the Big Sky Conference's second team for the second consecutive year. Her career scoring average of 78.83 ranks fifth-best all-time for the Vikings.
Yale senior Lindsay Hong (Punahou '04 of Honolulu) finished in a tie for 12th at the Ivy League Championships last weekend in Atlantic City, N.J. Hong shot rounds of 80, 76 and 76 to finish 16-over par at 232.
New Mexico sophomore Britney Choy (Leilehua '06 of Wahiawa) shot a four-over par 223 to finish tied for fourth at the Mountain West Conference Championships last week in Albuquerque, N.M. Choy fired rounds of 74, 71 and 78 to help the Lobos win the team title by 19 strokes.
Willamette (Salem) junior Whitney Ueno (Hilo '05) won medalist honors at the Northwest Conference Championships at the Aspen Lakes Country Club in Sisters, Ore. last weekend. Ueno, who shot the only round under 80 in cold and windy conditions, carded rounds of 79 and 82 to finish at 161. Ueno was named NWC Golfer of the Year and earned her third consecutive All-NWC distinction. She also won the tournament as a freshman in 2006.
Pacific (Ore.) freshman Tami Park (Waiakea '07 of Hilo) finished tied for third at the Northwest Conference Championships after shooting rounds of 81 and 86 to finish at 167. Sophomore Jasmine Ching (Waiakea '06 of Hilo) finished sixth (87-85—172) and freshman Valerie Kitamori (Waiakea '07 of Hilo) tied for 13th (87-90—177) to help the Boxers win NWC team title. and a berth to the NCAA Division II Championships, May 13 to 16 in Waverly, Iowa.
MEN'S GOLF
Oregon freshman Sean Maekawa (Honoka'a '07 of Pa'auilo) finished in a tie for 62nd at the U.S. Intercollegiate last weekend at the par-70 Stanford Golf Course. Maekawa carded rounds of 74, 76 and 79 to finish 19-over par, 229.
Pacific (Forest Grove, Ore.) freshman Max Bonk (Hawai'i Prep '07 of Kamuela) won medalist honors at the Northwest Conference Championships last weekend at the Apple Tree Golf Course in Yakima, Wash. Bonk opened with a 4-under-par 68 Saturday then followed with a 73 to finish with a score of 141. He was four strokes better than the runner-up.
FOOTBALL
Arizona redshirt freshman quarterback Bryson Beirne (Mid-Pacific/Pac-Five '06 of Honolulu) completed 7 of 11 passes for 72 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown pass during a spring game. Sophomore defensive lineman Kaniela Tuipulotu (Kahuku '06 of Lahaina) had three tackles, including a sack and sophomore defensive lineman Lolomana Mikaele (Damien '06) had one tackle.
SOFTBALL
Seattle University junior designated hitter/catcher Kaha Weir (Punahou '05 of Honolulu) went 2 for 4 with a double and scored twice in a 9-2 win over Northwest Nazarene Thursday.
BASEBALL
Penn State junior second baseman Landon Nakata (Punahou '05) drove in two runs in an 8-1 win over Indiana Saturday. He reached base in each game of the four-game series with the Hoosiers and the Nittany Lions won the series, three games to one.
BYU junior first baseman Kasey Ko (Punahou '05 of Kailua) went 4 for 5 with an RBI and run scored in a 16-5 loss to TCU Thursday. Ko had a double and drove in two runs in Friday's loss to the Horned Frogs and he 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored Saturday, an 11-7 TCU win.
Eastern Arizona freshman infielder John Abreu (Mililani '07) went 3 for 6 with two RBIs and two runs scored in a pair of losses to Yavapai Saturday.
Pacific sophomore shortstop Brandon Kon (Castle '06 of Kane'ohe) drove in six runs in a 14-4 win over Lewis & Clark (Portland, Ore.). In the second game of the doubleheader, Kon batted 4 for 4, but the Boxers lost, 4-3.
San Diego State shortstop Troy Hanzawa (Mid-Pacific '03), of Wahiawa, batted 10 for 19 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight runs and 10 RBI against UNLV over the weekend.
Sacramento State second baseman Taylor Watanabe ('Aiea '03) went 4 for 8 with two runs and two RBI in the Hornets' four-game sweep of UH-Hilo over the weekend.
WOMEN'S WATER POLO
Siena junior Lauren Garrigan (Kamehameha '05 of Kailua) tied a school record with eight goals in an 11-4 win over Wagner Monday. Garrigan also had five goals and three assists in a 14-9 win over Villanova and six goals in a 12-8 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) to send the Saints to their first-ever Mid-American Athletic Conference Championships next week in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
COMMITMENTS
Kamehameha senior libero Cassidee Young has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Regis University in Denver, Colo. Regis is a member of the NCAA Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Reach Kalani Takase at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser.com.
