(From the Honolulu Advertiser, Sunday, April 6, 1997)


PACIFIC DOWNS HAWAII - 
Rainbows go 1-3 on crucial road trip


STOCKTON, Calif. -- Hawaii lost a volleyball match and
a chance to cut down its playoff competition last night.

Tenth-ranked Pacific (14-9) stayed in the race for the
final Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament 
berths with a 13-15, 15-10, 17-16, 9-15, 15-10 victory
over the ninth-ranked Rainbows.

A Spanos Cener crowd of 561 watched UOP beat UH for 
the first time.

Hawaii (16-10) dropped to 8-9 in the MPSF.  It closes
the regular season against 12-ranked Southern Cal, 
Friday and Saturday at the Special Events Arena.

The battle for the final three playoff sports is down
to UH, USC and No. 7 Long Beach (both at 9-7), Pacific
(7-9) and No. 14 Northridge (8-9).

The Tigers close against UC-San Diego, San Diego State,
and fourth ranked Stanford.  The Trojans final match is
against Long Beach, which also plays Loyola Marymount
and SDSU.  CSUN closes against top-ranked UCLA and No.
8 Santa Barbara.

"This was a big, big loss tonight," UH coach Mike 
Wilton said.  "We were real tired.  The longer the match
went, the tougher it became."

Hawaii let leads get away in the second and third games.
It was never ahead in the rally-scoring fifth game.

"We've got to give (the Tigers) credit," Wilton said.
"They knew their season would have ended -- absolutely,
positively, for sure -- and they got us."

Friday, the Rainbows outblocked and outhit - by 100
points - UOP in a four-game win.  Last night, the Tigers
turned that around despite 34 kills by Hawaii's Naveh 
Milo and 29 for Aaron Wilton.

* * *

QUICK SETS:  Curt Vaughan became Hawaii's career assists
leader last night.  He has 4,285 in four seasons - 90 
more than Albert Hannemann (1991-'93).   ... The Rainbows
have lost all four five-game matches this season.