UH-Hilo Women’s Hoops Picked 10th in PacWest

The University of Hawai’i at Hilo women’s basketball team was picked to finish tenth in the PacWest Conference, according to a preseason vote by the league’s coaches.

California Baptist, last year’s national runner-up, received 10 first place votes and was picked to win the conference title. Azusa Pacific, Academy of Art, and Hawai’i Pacific followed the Lancers in second, third, and fourth, respectively.

UH-Hilo, under sixth-year head coach David Kaneshiro, returns only four players from last year’s squad. Point guard Alexa Jacobs, entering her third year with the program, averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 assists per game. The other three returnees, Feli Kolb, Alia Alvarez, and Keani Shirai, combined to play 11 games and scored a total of four points.

The Vulcans open their season with an exhibition game at the University of Hawai’i on Oct. 28

2015-2016 PacWest Preseason Women’s Basketball Poll (first place votes in parenthesis)

California Baptist (10) – 191 points

Azusa Pacific (2) – 173

Academy of Art (1) – 153

Hawai’i Pacific (1) – 150

Point Loma Nazarene – 149

Brigham Young University – 108

Concordia – 108

Dominican – 103

Dixie State – 90

Hawai’i-Hilo – 75

Fresno Pacific – 58

Chaminade – 57

Notre Dame de Namur – 31

Holy Names – 24

2015-2016 Preseason All-Pacwest Women’s Basketball Team

Guards – Kamille Diaz (California Baptist), Jasmin Guinn (Academy of Art), Cassidy Mihalko (California Baptist), Courtney Nelson (California Baptist)

Forwards – Kelly Hardeman (Azusa Pacific), Roya Rustamzada (Point Loma Nazarene)