ISLE FILE
UH alums boost U.S. volleyball
Advertiser Staff
Former Long Beach State All-American Danielle Scott-Arruda scored a match-high 23 points with eight blocks to lead the U.S. women's national team to a 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 26-24 victory over Kazakhstan on Sunday at the 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix. The final day of Group E action was played at the Platinum Arena in Khabarovsk, Russia.
The U.S., No. 7 in the current FIVB world rankings, is 4-2 through the first two of three preliminary weekends. The Americans have victories over top-ranked Russia and fifth-ranked Cuba. Their losses came against Russia and defending Olympic champion China.
Team USA concludes World Grand Prix preliminary round action at Macau this weekend against China, Cuba and Netherlands.
Former Hawai'i All-Americans Robyn Ah Mow-Santos and Heather Bown play for the U.S. Ah Mow had 37 assists and helped the Americans convert 48 percent of their attack attempts against Kazakhstan.
After this weekend, the top five teams and host China advance to the Grand Prix final round in Ningbo.
SENIORS SHINE FOR U.S.
The U.S. Girls Youth National Team, featuring Kamehameha senior Kanani Herring and Punahou senior Sydney Yogi, finished 10th at the 2007 FIVB Girls' Youth World Championship.
The Americans closed with a 16-25, 18-25, 20-25 loss to Korea on Saturday in Mexicali, Mexico.
Team USA finished 3-5 with wins over Tunisia, Mexico and Italy. China defeated Turkey to earn the gold medal. Russia defeated Serbia & Montenegro for third. Both China and Turkey were in Team USA's opening round pool and advanced to the championship bracket, forcing the Americans into the 9th- to 16th-place bracket.
Herring and Yogi started for the U.S., at middle blocker and libero, and shared the bulk of the team's passing. Herring has made a verbal commitment to play for the University of Hawai'i next year, while Yogi has committed to Texas.
REFT SPARKS U.S. TEAM
The U.S. men advanced to the medal round at the World University Games yesterday with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-22 victory over Chinese Taipei, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Former Rainbow Alfie Reft was the only regular starter to begin the match, playing at libero. U.S. coach Alan Knipe rested the six other starters and the team still swept to its fifth straight win without a loss to win Pool C. Taipei is 0-5.
The U.S. will play Ukraine (4-1), the second-place finisher in Pool A, in tomorrow's quarterfinals.
BASEBALL
PROSPECT PICKS SCHOOL
With tomorrow being the last day for Major League Baseball teams to sign their June draft picks, recent Kalani High graduate Ridge Carpenter, a 32nd-round pick by the Boston Red Sox, said he will attend Hartnell, a junior college in California, to continue playing baseball.
Carpenter, an Advertiser all-state selection as an outfielder this past season for the Falcons, was the only high-school senior from here taken in the MLB First-Year Player Draft. The other six players with ties to Hawai'i who were picked were college players. Of the six, only Hawai'i-Hilo pitcher Lars Knepper had eligibility remaining. The 29th-round pick signed with the San Francisco Giants. He would have been a senior this coming season.
