LAS VEGAS – For the second consecutive year, the University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team swept the Western Athletic Conference's top awards, announced Sunday at the WAC postseason banquet. UH captured the Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards as voted by the league's nine coaches.

 

Junior Kanani Danielson was named WAC Player of the Year for the second straight year. It also marked the 15^th consecutive year a Rainbow Wahine took home the award. For the third straight year and seventh time overall, a UH freshman captured Freshman of the Year honors as Emily Hartong was this year's recipient. Head coach Dave Shoji earned his eighth WAC Coach of the Year award.

 

A total of six Rainbow Wahine earned all-WAC honors, including five players named to the first team. Along with Danielson, setter Dani Mafua, libero Elizabeth Ka'aihue, outside hitter Chanteal Satele, and middle blocker Brittany Hewitt were first-team selections.

 

Hartong was named to the second team as well as to the All-Freshman team along with outside hitter Michelle Waber.

 

Danielson averaged 4.51 kills per set and hit .280 during conference play. Overall, she ranks 10^th nationally in kills and earlier this season, became the 17th player in program history to reach the 1,000-kill milestone. Danielson also was a two-time WAC player of the week pick this season.

 

Hartong follows in the footsteps of Hewitt and Danielson as WAC Freshman of the Year recipients. In WAC play, she averaged 2.13 kills per set and hit .365.

 

Shoji guided UH to its 13^th overall undefeated conference record, and 11^th undefeated WAC season. The Rainbow Wahine did not drop a set in conference play for the first time in school history. Shoji's Coach of the Year honor is his eighth WAC honor and 11^th overall.

 

Hewitt, a second-team all-WAC selection last season, finished WAC play with averages of 2.39 kills and 1.70 blocks per game while hitting at a .364 clip. Overall, she leads the nation with a 1.76 blocking average. Mafua was selected to the all-WAC first team for the second straight year after averaging 11.62 assists per set and leading UH to a .310 team hitting percentage in WAC play.

 

Ka'aihue earned first-team honors after being named to the second team a year ago. She is on pace to break the school's single-season digs per set average at 4.52. In her first year with Hawai'i, Satele ranked second on the team in kills (3.11) and blocks (1.17) in conference play.

 

Waber earned a starting outside hitter position and averaged 2.03 kills, 0.36 digs, and 0.56 blocks per set.

 

The third-ranked Rainbow Wahine open the WAC Tournament on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. PT against the winner of the Boise State-Idaho match.

 

Elizabeth Ka'aihue

 

 

 

Player of the Year: Kanani Danielson

Freshman of the Year: Emily Hartong

Coach of the Year: Dave Shoji