Dates for the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Tournament at Stan Sheriff Center were officially changed to Nov. 20, 21 and 23 at recent conference meetings. On Hawai'i's preliminary schedule, the tournament ran Nov. 20 to 22, with the final the same day as a home football game against Idaho.
The conference, which announced its football schedule after setting volleyball dates, will help visiting teams pay some of the extra cost involved with the change.
The Rainbow Wahine are still scheduled to open the 2008 season Aug. 29 against defending NCAA champion Penn State. Two other matches originally scheduled for Saturdays, which conflicted with the football schedule when it finally came out, have been moved to Sunday: New Mexico State (from Oct. 11 to 12) and Fresno State (from Oct. 25 to 26).
Non-conference matches against Utah Valley State (Nov. 15) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Nov. 26 and 28) have been added.
In other news:
# Kristiana Tuaniga, a 6-foot-2 junior at Carson High School in California, has verbally committed to play for UH in 2009, according to her Mizuno Long Beach club team Web site. Tuaniga averaged more than five kills and an ace this high school season. She is among Prepvolleyball.com's Top 50 players in the class of 2009.
# Associate coach Kari Amrozich's first child is due July 7 and the program will replace her while she is on maternity leave. Ambrozich plans to be back at work in October in an administrative position, and back full time next year.
# The series of four Rainbow Wahine volleyball summer camps begins June 19. Camps are open to girls and boys entering grades 4 to 12. Head coach Dave Shoji, his staff and former and current players are instructors. Beginning, intermediate and advanced players are invited, with campers separated by age and skill level. There is an emphasis on individual training.
# Shoji's son Erik, a Punahou senior, 'Iolani senior Brad Lawson and Cal State Northridge freshman Tri Bourne (2007 Academy of the Pacific) have been picked to work with the U.S. Men's Junior National Training Team. The squad will be cut to 12 next month with the travel team competing in the NORCECA Under-21 Continental Championship, June 30 to July 5, in El Salvador.
# Former Rainbow Wahine setter Cayley Thurlby is now a professional beach volleyball player and runs beach volleyball clinics in Chicago. She played in tournaments in Wisconsin, Florida, Alabama and California the past two months and has a full schedule through September, on three tours. Next month she will play with her sister Chelsea in a Chicago event.
# Tickets for the 2008 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship are on sale exclusively through the Qwest Center Omaha and Ticketmaster. All-session prices are $59 for lower bowl seating or $49 for upper bowl with service and handling fees charged by Ticketmaster. Semifinals are Dec. 18 and the championship Dec. 20 in Nebraska.
