Seabury claims state D-II volleyball title

By Fred Guzman

MauiNow.com

Seabury Hall became the first MIL team to win a state volleyball championship when the Spartans beat Pahoa in four sets to capture the boy’s Division-II crown. Bouncing back from a sloppy opening set, Seabury posted a 19-25, a 25-16, 25-8, 25-19 victory at the McKinley High gym.

Four Spartans were named to the all-tourney team: outside hitters Dylan Hamilton and Conner Snow, libero Josh Sutherland and setter Holden Awong. All four came up big in the title match. Hamilton had 17 kills. Snow contributed 13 kills and two service aces. Awong had 43 assists. Sutherland had 10 digs.

In the D-I final, Punahou lived up to its billing as the nation’s top ranked team by sweeping Kamehameha-Kapalama 25-18, 25-20, 25-20. In the fifth place match, Kamehameha-Hawaii swept Baldwin.

TRACK: The medals were few and far between for MIL athletes during the track and field championships. Baldwin’s Kristine Felix set a new state record in the girls’ pole vault at 11-8. Freshman teammate Amber Kozaki was third at 9-6. St. Anthony’s Ethan Kim took the boy’s pole vault title with mark of 14-6.

Seabury’s Lea Lunblad won the 800, while teammates Bailey Grossman were first in the 3,000 and Kailea Tracey-Visintainer was third in the 800. Maui High’s Rocky Balala was second in the 3,000 and the Sabers’Alana Seabury was third in the 400.

VICTORINO ON TEAR: Maui’s Shane Victorino enjoyed a banner weekend at Milwaukee’s Miller Park. The Phillies’ centerfielder played a key role in a three-game road sweep of the Brewers by going 8-for-15 at the plate. That’s a .533 average for those keeping score at home. And that’s not all. Victorino, who had a double and a homer over that span, also scored five times and drove in seven runs.

Suprisingly, given his physical size and batting in the leadoff spot in the absence of injured shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Victorino’s 32 RBI rank third in the National League – ahead of such noted sluggers as Albert Pujols and teammate Ryan Howard. Shane’s eight homers also rank eighth in the NL. Victornio’s offensive production helped lift his season average to .268 and boost the Phillies into first place in the NL East, four games up on Florida and surprising Washington.

Things didn’t go as well for Kurt Suzuki. The Oakland catcher went 0-for-4 in a 4-0 loss to the Angels on Sunday. It was Suzuki’s first outing since being placed on the disabled list with a strained muscle. The A’s went 7-12 during his absence.

Seattle reliever Kanekoa Texeira had his best outing in the bigs on Friday, pitching two scoreless and hitless innings while striking out three in the M’s 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. In his last eight appearances, the rookie right-hander has allowed only one run and five hits over 10 innings for an ERA of 0.90.