2020-21 Season In Review

2020-21 Season In Review

The 2020-21 season was a season unlike any other.  The year started with disappointment as the fall sports of cross country, women's soccer and women's volleyball were postponed by the Big West, before eventually being cancelled for the season due to COVID. 

Eventually UH student-athletes and those across the country found their way back to competition. Through all the trials and tribulations, the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine found success on the playing field, in the classroom and even out in the community in a season that was punctuated by a historic and unforgettable national championship.

TEAM

  • The men’s volleyball team won the program’s first national championship - and first NCAA title for any UH sport since 1987 - with a straight-set win over BYU in the finals in Columbus, Ohio.
  • The football team earned an invitation to a mainland bowl game for just the third time in program history, defeating Houston 28-14 in the New Mexico Bowl in Frisco, Texas. 
  • The water polo team won their second-straight Big West Tournament title with a comeback win over UC Irvine in the championship game to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Rainbow Wahine led UCLA 2-1 after the first quarter of the NCAA Quarterfinal.

 

INDIVIDUAL - NCAA APPEARANCES

  • Men's Swimming and Diving
    • Max Burman, NCAA Championships, 1-meter (25th)  & 3-meter (28th)
    • Zach Lundgren, NCAA Championships, Platform (38th)
  • Women's Swimming and Diving
    • Daphne Wils, NCAA Championships, 1-meter (33rd) & 3-meter (20th)
    • Elma Lund, NCAA Championships, Platform (41st)

NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Football 

  • Polynesian Football College Player of the Year
    • Darius Musasu – Finalist

 

Men's Volleyball

  • AVCA National Player of the Year
    • Rado Parapunov
  • Off the Block National Awards
    • Bryan Ivie Award (best opposite) - Rado Parapunov
    • Erik Shoji Award (best libero) - Gage Worsley
    • Nicolas Szerszen Award (best non-U.S. born player) - Rado Parapunov
    • Steve Shondell Award (best passer) - Gage Worsley
    • Ryan Millar Award (best middle attacker) - Patrick Gasman

 

Baseball 

  • Brooks Wallace Award (best shortstop)
    •  Kole Kaler - Semifinalist

 

ALL-AMERICANS

Football 

  • Phil Steele All-America
    •  Darius Muasau - Honorable Mention
    •  Calvin Turner - Honorable Mention

 

Men's Volleyball

  • AVCA All-America
    • Patrick Gasman - First Team 
    • Rado Parapunov - First Team
    • Gage Worsley - First Team
    • Colton Cowell - Second Team 
    • Jakob Thelle - Honorable Mention

 

Water Polo

  • ACWPC All-America
    •  Lucia Gomez de la Puente - First Team 
    • Carmen Baringo - Third Team 


ALL-REGION 

Softball

  • NFCA, West Region
    • Nawai Kaupe - Third Team


CONFERENCE TOP AWARDS

Conference Coaches of the Year 

  • Elliot Ptasnik - Women’s Swimming (MPSF)
  • Mike Brown and Anita Rossing - Men's and Women's Diving (MPSF)
  • Maureen Cole - Water Polo (Big West)

 

Conference Players of the Year 

  • Max Burman - Men's Diving (MPSF)
  • Daphne Wils - Women's Diving (MPSF)
  • Rado Parapunov - Men's Volleyball (Big West)

 

Conference Freshmen of the Year 

  • Amber Igiede - Beach Volleyball (Big West)
  • Lucia Gomez de la Puente - Water Polo (Big West)

 

POST SEASON AWARDS

  • Calvin Turner, Offensive MVP, New Mexico Bowl - Football
  • Darius Muasau, Defensive MVP, New Mexico Bowl - Football
  • Emma van Rossum, Most Valuable Player, Big West Tournament - Water Polo
  • Rado Parapunov, Most Outstanding Player, NCAA Tournament - Men’s Volleyball

 

UH TOP HONORS

Jack Bonham Award   

  • Male: Rado Parapunov - Men's Volleyball
  • Female: Hannah Gaskins - Women's Track & Field

 

HALL OF FAME

Polynesian Football Hall of Fame

  • Alapati “Al” Noga
  • Falaniko “Niko” Noga
     

EARNING DIPLOMAS

  • A total of 129 current and former student-athletes—39 in the fall and 90 in the spring—earned their degrees during the 2020-21 school year. (List of Spring Graduates)
  • A total of 66 graduated from women's teams; 55 graduated from men's teams; and eight earned their degrees on coed teams.

 

MAKING THE GRADE

  • 175 student-athletes made the Dean's List in Fall 2020
  • 183 student-athletes were named to the Dean's List in Spring 2021.
  • Cumulative GPA for all student-athletes after the Spring 2021 semester is 3.20
  • A total of 165 student-athletes have cumulative GPAs of 3.50 or higher
  • 67% of student-athletes have cumulative GPAs of 3.00 or higher
  • Every member of the women's tennis and women's volleyball teams have cumulative GPAs of 3.00 or higher
  • 18 of 21 sports have team cumulative GPAs of 3.00 or higher
  • Record 356 student-athletes earned scholar-athlete honors

 

CONFERENCE ACADEMIC HONORS

  • Men's volleyball’s Colton Cowell and women's tennis’ Petra Melounova were named the Big West's Scholar Athletes of the Year for UH. It marked the third consecutive year that Melounova was chosen as UH's women's recipient and the third straight year a men's volleyball student-athlete was picked.
  • Over one-third of the football team was recognized as a program-record 40 student-athletes were named Academic All-Mountain West.
  • The Big West's winter & spring have not yet been announced.

 

THE JENNY AWARD

  • Katherine Koch of cheerleading and Justin Lisoway of swimming and diving are the recipients of the 2020-21 Jenny Matsuda Award, given to the University of Hawai'i Athletic Department's top male and female scholar-athletes.
  • "The Jenny" is named for the former Department Chair of Student-Athlete Academic Services, who passed away in 2015. It is awarded to the top scholar-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average and of the utmost character, standing for what Jennifer Matsuda dedicated her life to; the academic and personal success of student-athletes.

 

TOP SCHOLAR BY TEAM

  • Blake Hiraki, Baseball
  • Zoar Nedd, Men's Basketball
  • Olivia Davies, Women's Basketball
  • Harlee Kekauoha, Beach Volleyball
  • Katherine Koch, Cheerleading
  • Kelsie Grant, Coed Sailing
  • Olivia Hill, Women's Cross Country
  • Eliki Tanuvasa, Football
  • Kotaro Murata, Men's Golf
  • Sahara Washington, Women's Golf
  • Lia Jimenez, Women's Soccer
  • Haylee Clay, Softball
  • Justin Lisoway, Men's Swimming & Diving
  • Annika Donez, Women's Swimming & Diving
  • Lucas Labrunie, Men's Tennis
  • Léa Romain, Women's Tennis
  • Olivia Hill, Women's Track & Field
  • ‘Eleu Choy, Men’s Volleyball
  • Kyra Hanawahine, Women's Volleyball
  • Emma van Rossum, Women's Water Polo
Fall sports header

FOOTBALL

Turner Running - 12-5-20
  • UH concluded its first season under head coach Todd Graham, who led the Warriors to a 5-4 record in a season that included Mountain West games only.
  • For just the third time in program history, UH was invited to a mainland bowl game, where they defeated Houston, 28-14, in the New Mexico Bowl.
  • Linebacker Darius Muasau, one of five finalists for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, led the FBS with 66 solo tackles.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Mata Point
  • Did not compete due to the cancellation of the 2020 Big West fall season.

 

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

UH clinches share of BWC title
  • Did not compete due to the cancellation of the 2020 Big West fall season.

 

CROSS COUNTRY

Group of cross country runners
  • Did not compete due to the cancellation of the 2020 Big West fall season.
winter sports header

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Colina Skycam
  • UH posted an 11-10  mark and enjoyed a winning overall record for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
  • Four Rainbow Warriors -  Justin Webster (12.3), James Jean-Marie (12.2 ppg), Casdon Jardine (10.9), and Junior Madut (10.5) finished the season averaging double-digit scoring. All four were named All-Big West honorable mention.
  • Head Coach Eran Ganot picked up his 100th career victory with a 73-68 road win at UC Davis on March 5.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WBB_LayupLine_2021BWC
  • Notched back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2016 with a 9-8 overall record and a 7-6 Big West Conference record. 
  • Advanced to the conference tournament semifinals for the third consecutive year after knocking off CSU Bakersfield in the quarterfinals, 81-67. The season came to an end with a loss to eventual champion UC Davis.
  • Claimed six all-conference honors, including freshman guard Daejah Phillips being named the Sixth Player of the Year. 

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

Burman_MPSF2021
  • Scored a combined 750.50 points at the MPSF Championships, placing second overall.
  • A total of 11 ‘Bows were named All-MPSF first team, racking up 17 awards between the 11 and 46 honors among the team with the addition of the second team.
  • Junior diver Max Burman was named the MPSF Diver of the Year and became the first ever student-athlete to earn both Freshman of the Year and Diver of the Year honors in the MPSF during their career.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

December 11, 2020. HONOLULU, Hi. NCAA Swimming: Hawaii Intersquad at DKAC in Manoa.
  • Claimed the program’s fifth consecutive MPSF Championships on Feb. 20 by wracking up 794.50 points, 60 points better than second place BYU.
  • Earned eight first-place finishes at the MPSF Championships, including three team-relay championships.
  • A total of 12 ‘Bows were awarded with conference first-team honors, tallying a combined 25 awards between the 12 and 54 honors among the squad with the addition of the second team.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

Spring sports header

BASEBALL

Warriors vs UCSD 5/22/21
  • Was ranked 30th in the country by Collegiate Baseball News after winning 10-straight games over three weekends. It marked the first time the 'Bows had been ranked since the opening week of 2011.
  • Dustin Demeter was named National Player of the Week by two different national publications after driving in 14 runs with three home runs and 11 total hits in the Rainbow Warriors’ series win at Cal State Fullerton.
  • Demeter was named All-Big West first team as the conference’s top designated hitter in 2021.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

BVB- 210430 BWC7
  • Completed its first season under head coach Angelica Ljungqvist with a 17-10 overall record.
  • Finished the season ranked 13th in the final AVCA poll. The BeachBows have been ranked every single week since the poll's inception in 2013, a string of 77 straight appearances.
  • Advanced to the title match of the Big West Tournament for the fifth straight time.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

MEN'S GOLF

Justin Ngan Pearl Collegiate Classic
  • Recorded a team victory at the Pearl Collegiate Classic in February, where sophomore Kotaro Murata captured medalist honors with a 5-under 139 total.
  • Senior Justin Ngan was the team’s scoring leader with a 74.7 average and posted three Top 20 finishes while sporting the team’s best 54-hole totals of 4-over 214 at the Western Intercollegiate and 4-over 220 at the Big West Championship.
  • Ngan, who was selected all-Big West honorable mention, shared the first round lead at the Western Intercollegiate with a 3-under 67.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

WOMEN'S GOLF

Monica Johnson Pearl Collegiate Classic
  • Posted three Top 3 finishes in the pandemic-shortened season, including a win at the Pearl Collegiate Classic in February.
  • Freshman Monica Johnson took medalist honors at the Pearl Classic with a 149 total while playing in just her second collegiate event.
  • UH finished runner-up at the Anuenue Spring Break Classic while four Rainbow Wahine placed in the Top 10 led by senior Zoey Akagi-Bustin, who tied for fifth place and posted a second round 3-under 69.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

SAILING

Sailing April 2021 Practice
  • Due to a schedule ravaged by COVID, both the coed and women's squads were limited to one regatta on the season - the PCCSC Championships hosted by Stanford in late April.
  • The Rainbow Wahine finished third in the women's championship, while the coed team also finished third in both the dinghy and team race events.
  • The squad was once again guided by former Rainbow sailor and veteran head coach Andy Johnson, the longest tenured coach at UH with 32 years of experience. 

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

SOFTBALL

LBSU_Day2_WEB
  • The Rainbow Wahine finished the season with a 12-19 overall record and 11-13 mark in conference play.
  • The ‘Bows started the conference schedule by winning four of their first five series and remained in the top three of the standings till their second to last series of the season.
  • Junior shortstop Nawai Kaupe received regional honors as she was named to the All-NFCA West third team after leading the team in multiple statistical categories.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

MEN'S TENNIS

Ilagan and Lucas Labrunie
  • Finished the 2021 season by advancing to the Big West Tournament semifinals, where they nearly upset top-seeded Cal Poly but fell in a tight 4-3 decision.
  • Concluded the shortened season with a 5-4 record that included a three-match win streak.
  • Sophomore Andre Ilagan earned his second first-team All-Big West Conference award after compiling an overall mark of 7-2 singles on the No. 1 court. In conference play, he held a 3-2 record and ended the season on a five-match win streak. 

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Women's Tennis Celebrates Big West Tournament
  • Concluded the shortened 2021 season with a 7-8 record while falling in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament.
  • Advanced to the semifinal round for the fifth consecutive tournament after a win over UC Davis in the quarterfinals but failed to reach the championship match for the first time since 2015.
  • The 2021 season marked the end of an illustrious career for Petra Melounova, who will be remembered as one of the program’s most decorated players.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

TRACK & FIELD

Alyssa Mae Antolin and Tierra Sydnor
  • The Rainbow Wahine set nine new Top 10 program records including two different Top 10 times in the 400-meter relay.
  • Had three medalists at the Big West Championships, two of which were freshmen.
  • Posted the most points at a Big West Championship and had it highest placing at the conference meet since 2016.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Mens Volleyball National Champions with trophy
  • Captured the national title with a straight-set victory over BYU in the NCAA Championship match in Columbus, Ohio.
  • Finished the season with a 17-1 record and posted its first outright regular season conference title with a perfect 10-0 mark in Big West Conference play.
  • Five Warriors were named to the AVCA All-America teams including Player of the Year Rado Parapunov, who became just the third player in program history to win the award.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

WATER POLO

Team vs UCD
  • Claimed its second-straight Big West Tournament championship with a comeback win over UC Irvine.
  • Won its first outright Big West regular season title since 2018, while head coach Maureen Cole was named Big West Coach of the Year.
  • Advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed where they fell to host UCLA.

|  COMPLETE SEASON REVIEW  |

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