Walker wins debut as Hawai’i handles Georgia Southern

Walker wins debut as Hawai’i handles Georgia Southern

Aug 28, 2026

Walker wins debut as Hawai’i handles Georgia Southern

Hawai’i HC Joshua Walker looks on during his coaching debut for the Rainbow Wahine. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – The newest era of Rainbow Wahine volleyball is under way.

Under the direction of first-year head coach Joshua Walker, the University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team took care of business to begin the 2026 season with a four-set victory over Georgia Southern (0-1) on Friday night, (25-18, 25-20, 17-25, 25-18).

Tali Hakas led the way for the Rainbow Wahine (1-0) as she paced all players in the match with 15 kills on 42 swings, committing only two attacking errors while chipping in nine digs and a block in her first UH game action in nearly a year.

“It was beautiful,” Hakas said following the match when asked about her return from injury. “I don’t think I have enough words to describe the way I was feeling, even before the step out on the court.”

The junior outside hitter missed the majority of UH’s 2025 campaign with a shoulder injury, playing in the first three matches of the year before going on the shelf. While her on-court ability was sorely missed, the energy and emotion that comes with Hakas being active proved to be an even bigger hole for last season’s squad.

Miliana Sylvester followed closely behind Hakas for Hawai’i in the winning effort, chipping in 13 kills on 23 swings while Dayton transfer Panna Ratkai turned in a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs to go along with four service aces in her official Rainbow Wahine regular season debut.

Hawai’i started quickly, cruising to a 25-18 victory in the night’s opening stanza as the group hit .244 behind a bevy of different offensive options. Hakas had seven of her 15 kills in the first set, setting the tone with a fiery passion after every point.

Georgia Southern seemed to find a rhythm to begin the follow-up frame, but a 10-3 run by the Rainbow Wahine flipped the script of the set and pushed Hawai’i back towards a comfortable two sets to none lead over the Eagles.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Rainbow Wahine though, faltering in the third frame in a big way as Georgia Southern hit for their highest number of the night at .375 to force a fourth set.

Hawai’i would re-group heading into the night’s eventual final frame, seeing a slight lineup shift as Oregon State transfer Maëli Cormier came off the bench to provide a late lift. The sophomore OH/OPP tallied six of her seven kills in the fourth set and didn’t commit a single attacking error in the stanza.

The Rainbow Wahine also cleaned up the attack as a whole in the night’s final action, converting at a .419 hitting clip as a group to close out the victory.

Cormier completed her night with seven kills on just 10 attempts in a set and a half of work while Adrianna Arquette tied her career high of 17 digs to go along with 48 assists for Hawai’i.

Reagan Barth blasted down a team-high 14 kills in the loss for Georgia Southern while Beka Pfefferkorn closely trailed behind with 13 putdowns of her own for the Eagles.

Georgia Southern will look to bounce back on Saturday afternoon against San Diego, who fell in straight sets to No. 21 Baylor earlier on Friday.

Hawai’i will wrap up the Saturday action with a date with No. 21 Baylor, setting up a fun showdown between head coach Joshua Walker’s old program and new program. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. HT.

Molokai’s Jordyn McCutcheon went Rogue and became a record-setter

Molokai’s Jordyn McCutcheon went Rogue and became a record-setter

Oct 28, 2026

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Miles away in North Dakota, Rapozo still keeps Kauai in his heart

Miles away in North Dakota, Rapozo still keeps Kauai in his heart

Oct 27, 2026

VALLEY CITY, N.D. — Thousands of miles from home, Christopher Rapozo carries Kaua‘i with him every time he steps onto the football field. The Valley City State University junior has made the journey from Kapa‘a to North Dakota, where he has earned a starting role as...

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Kaimuki snaps 18-game losing streak with full team showing over Waialua

Kaimuki snaps 18-game losing streak with full team showing over Waialua

Aug 28, 2026

Kaimuki snaps 18-game losing streak with full team showing over Waialua

Kaimuki ATH Tieler Sufon sprints away from the defense for one of his three touchdowns from Thursday night. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

 

KALIHI – Bulldogs bite back.

In Thursday night’s “Bulldog Bowl” at Farrington High School, it was the guys in green that got off a near three-year slide as the Kaimuki Bulldogs used a punishing rushing attack, timely special teams plays and a hat trick of touchdowns from Tieler Sufon to take down the Waialua Bulldogs, 26-14.

Sufon didn’t need many touches to star for a win-starved Kaimuki squad, getting three total carries on the night for 122 yards and three scores. The sophomore also added a pair of tackles and had an interception that was called back after a wild sequence.

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Kaimuki (1-1, 1-0 league) ran for 228 total yards on the ground as a group as six different players finished with 10 or more yards rushing. Sohn Santos added 49 yards on seven carries while Kilifi Koli chipped in four rushes for 21 yards.

It was Waialua (1-1, 0-1 league) that got off to the quicker start, forcing three turnovers in the opening 12 minutes while taking a 7-0 lead behind a Jeremiah Clark 54-yard catch-and-run from QB Konan Riddleberger.

Despite the early turnover woes, Kaimuki’s defense didn’t flinch as it forced a fumble and turnover-on-downs to keep in a one-possession game more than midway through the 2nd quarter.

The Kaimuki offense finally repaid the defenders as halftime approached, seeing Sufon surge through the Waialua defense for a 30-yard touchdown with 3:18 left in the second frame. After an unsportsmanlike penalty against Waialua set up Kaimuki on the 1-and-a-half-yard line, the Bulldogs in green tried to go for two but were stopped after a faulty snap and remained down by a point, 7-6.

Kaimuki would catch Waialua off guard on the ensuing kickoff with an onside recovery, but the Waialua defense forced a fifth turnover of the first half to take the ball right back by the 50.

It looked as though Waialua played the end of the half perfectly, setting up in the middle of the hashmarks from 30 yards out for a field goal attempt with five seconds left before the break.

Then, the Kaimuki special teams unit turned the tide.

The kick was blocked and promptly recovered by Kaimuki’s Zephanaia Flaisek, who picked the ball up and sprinted 70 yards for a touchdown as the first half clock expired, giving Kaimuki its first halftime lead since November 2023.

With a 12-7 advantage in hand, Kaimuki sandwiched scores around the halftime break as Kilifi Koli returned the third quarter opening kick inside Waialua’s 10-yard line and Sufon finished the job with his second score of the evening.

Riding the momentum, Kaimuki’s defense forced a turnover on downs once again and bled the rest of the third quarter clock to push Waialua to the brink.

Kaimuki’s defense celebrates a stop during Thursday’s 26-14 win over Waialua. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

The Division II Bulldogs from the North Shore still showed resilience despite the nightmare stretch of middle quarters, punching back with a quick strike to begin the 4th quarter as Riddleberger connected with Clark for a 41-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game once again.

It didn’t matter much as Sufon sprinted away from the Waialua defense two plays later for an 83-yard touchdown, pushing Kaimuki back ahead by two possessions while deflating the energy that had just returned to the opposing sideline.

Riddleberger tossed his second interception of the night on the next drive, allowing Kaimuki to drain the clock to under a minute before giving the ball back to Waialua.

By then, it was too little, too late for the North Shore Bulldogs.

Waialua QB Konan Riddleberger had an up-and-down night, completing 18-of-33 passes for a career-high 245 yards and two touchdowns while also tossing a pair of interceptions. Junior WR Jeremiah Clark turned in his own impressive night despite the loss, hauling in five catches for a game-best 124 yards and both scores for his squad.

Thursday night marked the first win for Kaimuki since October 28, 2023, against Pearl City, snapping an 18-game losing streak for the Bulldogs. It was also the first career varsity tackle football victory for third-year head coach Kawehi Moefu.

Kaimuki HC Kawehi Moefu looks on during a complete team victory for his Bulldogs. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Waialua will look to re-group before hosting Riverdale (CO) on September 3 on the North Shore. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. HT.

Next up for Kaimuki will be a return trip to Farrington High School, hosting PAC-5 on September 4 with kickoff slated for 5:30 p.m. HT.

Molokai’s Jordyn McCutcheon went Rogue and became a record-setter

Molokai’s Jordyn McCutcheon went Rogue and became a record-setter

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Oct 27, 2026

VALLEY CITY, N.D. — Thousands of miles from home, Christopher Rapozo carries Kaua‘i with him every time he steps onto the football field. The Valley City State University junior has made the journey from Kapa‘a to North Dakota, where he has earned a starting role as...

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Kahuku clocks Kamehameha-Kapālama in first-ever trip to the hill

Kahuku clocks Kamehameha-Kapālama in first-ever trip to the hill

Aug 22, 2026

Kahuku clocks Kamehameha-Kapālama in first-ever trip to the hill

The Kahuku Red Raiders celebrate a Kamehameha turnover in the second quarter. | Photo: Riley Guillermo

 

HONOLULU – There’s a reason they play all four quarters.

After getting shutout in the first two quarters of the program’s first-ever trip into the hills of Kapālama, the No. 3-ranked Kahuku Red Raiders (2-0) turned up the heat after halftime on No. 1-ranked Kamehameha-Kapālama (1-2) to earn a hard-fought 13-5 victory over the Warriors on Saturday night.

In a battle between two of the best high school defenses in the entire state of Hawai’i, Kahuku and KS-Kapālama each tallied under 200 yards of total offense and combined for 17 total first downs throughout the night.

Kamehameha took advantage of the stout defensive performance throughout the first half as the offense struggled to get going, getting points on a 41-yard field goal from one of the premiere place kickers in the state, Tyler Fujimoto, before tacking on a safety midway through the game’s opening quarter to take a 5-0 lead.

That advantage would hold for the Warriors until the second half when Kahuku’s offense finally muscled its way down the field for a nine-play, 53-yard go-ahead scoring drive, capped off by a four-yard touchdown dash by QB Lucky Suguturaga with 5:11 left to play in the third quarter.

Kamehameha got the ball back with a chance to take the lead back at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Red Raiders defense stood strong to force a turnover on downs and take over at the Warriors’ 34-yard line with 4:14 remaining in regulation.

The Kahuku offense capitalized on the change of possession, milking three more minutes off the clock before Blake Alo broke away for a 15-yard touchdown to make it a 13-5 lead for the Red Raiders with 65 ticks left on the clock.

Kamehameha failed to move forward, going for one yard in four plays before turning it over on downs back to Kahuku and allowing the fans from the North Shore to head home happy as the Red Raiders kneeled out the victory.

Alo led Kahuku with 61 yards rushing on 11 carries along with his insurance score in the final minutes while Suguturaga tacked on 44 yards on the ground to go along with his 8-of-16 passing performance for 93 yards and two interceptions.

KS-Kapālama QB Loea Keopuhiwa struggled against the standout Kahuku defensive unit, going 8-for-17 passing for 98 yards and three interceptions. Junior running back Maddox Sharrer was able to find small pockets of success for the Warriors, taking 15 carries for 52 yards in the loss.

Kamehameha-Kapālama will head back to the drawing board, looking to clean up where things went wrong before traveling to take on Kapolei next Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. HT.

Kahuku hopes to keep cruising as their non-league schedule rolls on next week as well, taking on Punahou (1-0-1) on Saturday, August 29 with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. HT.

Molokai’s Jordyn McCutcheon went Rogue and became a record-setter

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Miles away in North Dakota, Rapozo still keeps Kauai in his heart

Miles away in North Dakota, Rapozo still keeps Kauai in his heart

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VALLEY CITY, N.D. — Thousands of miles from home, Christopher Rapozo carries Kaua‘i with him every time he steps onto the football field. The Valley City State University junior has made the journey from Kapa‘a to North Dakota, where he has earned a starting role as...

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Saint Louis shutout for first time since 2012 as Mililani makes statement

Saint Louis shutout for first time since 2012 as Mililani makes statement

Aug 22, 2026

Saint Louis shutout for first time since 2012 as Mililani makes statement

Mililani WR Hayden Bajet runs away from a Saint Louis defender during the Trojans’ triumph over the Crusaders. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

MILILANI – Mowed down in Millville.

The No. 2-ranked Mililani Trojans (2-0) made their case for the state’s top ranking on Saturday night, crushing the No. 7-ranked Saint Louis Crusaders (0-2) behind a dominant three-phase performance, 42-0.

According to Hawaii Prep World records, it’s the first time since the 2012 season finale against Punahou at Aloha Stadium that Saint Louis was shutout in a football game.

Mililani QB Hunter Fujikawa looked in full control from start to finish, turning in an efficient performance with 11-of-14 passes completed for 212 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The junior signal caller also added 22 yards on the ground but did take a pair of sacks in the first half before he gave way to backup QB Temaru Isaacs-Kalahiki to close out the third and fourth quarters.

Mililani QB Hunter Fujikawa navigates pressure against the Saint Louis defense. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Fujikawa found comfort again feeding WR Bless Cabrera-Hopkins, hooking up for six catches, 130 yards and two of Fujikawa’s three TD passes. Junior wideout Hayden Bajet chipped in with three receptions for 60 yards of his own while hauling in his first touchdown as a Trojan in the victory.

Despite Saint Louis winning the time of possession battle handily (28:53 to 19:07), the Mililani defense dominated from start to finish as the Crusaders mustered up just 174 yards all night while committing four of the team’s five turnovers.

The Crusaders began the night in peril as their opening drive came to an early conclusion with a lost fumble, but the defense stood tall with the help of Ricky Li’ili’I’s lone sack of the game and forced Mililani kicker Matthew Bolibol to pull a 31-yard field goal try wide right to keep things scoreless midway through the first quarter.

That was where the good stopped for Saint Louis.

After the Mililani defense forced a punt on the ensuing drive, Fujikawa and the Trojan offense marched 63 yards down the field in four plays to punch in the game’s first score as Toa Sam toted the rock into the end zone from a yard out.

Another forced punt to open the second quarter led to another masterful Mililani drive as Fujikawa connected with Cabrera-Hopkins for the first of their two touchdown strikes, this time on a 23-yard bullet right down the seam for the score to extend the lead to 14-0.

Mililani sophomore Ashton Grace got his hands on his first career pick to start the turnover fiesta back up in the second quarter and junior DB Nui Gilman followed it up two drives later with his first interception of the year, each leading to touchdown-scoring drives for the Trojans – Bajet’s first Trojan touchdown and Cabrera-Hopkins’ second of the night with Toa Sam’s encore score sandwiched in between.

Already leading 35-0 with just under 90 seconds left in the half, the Mililani special teams unit got in on the fun as they forced a fumble on kickoff coverage and Matai Sam picked up the pigskin and scampered to paydirt to put a bow on a 42-point first half for the Trojans.

With running clock in effect, the second half flew by as the Trojans and Crusaders traded stops with each other before giving way to some of the younger depth on each roster to close out the non-league contest.

Saint Louis QB Luke Shigeta had a rough night at the office against one of the top high school teams in Hawai’i, going 5-for-13 passing for 78 yards and two interceptions and a fumble in the loss. Fellow sophomore QB Zander Namoku came in and threw for 50 yards in relief, completing 6-of-11 passes in his limited action.

Senior WR Damien Diaz was one of the lone players on the Crusaders roster to find success throughout the night, grabbing a team-high four receptions for 92 yards in the loss.

Saint Louis continues an exceptionally challenging non-league schedule in two weeks, heading to the continent to face national powerhouse IMG Academy at Saddleback College in California on September 4 with kickoff scheduled for 9 a.m. HT.

Mililani will be back in action next Friday, hosting McClymonds (CA) for the second of three non-league games against opponents from the continent. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. HT.

Mililani WRs Bless Cabrera-Hopkins and Hayden Bajet celebrate big performances against Saint Louis. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Hawai’i take to road trying to continue strong conference start

Hawai’i take to road trying to continue strong conference start

Oct 13, 2026

HONOLULU – Get the fire extinguisher, the ‘Bows are blazing through the schedule again. More than midway through the 2026 campaign, the University of Hawai’i women’s soccer team has pieced together a pair of three-game win streaks and stands tied...

Win streak hits six as Hawai’i swiftly sweeps San Jose State

Win streak hits six as Hawai’i swiftly sweeps San Jose State

Oct 10, 2026

HONOLULU – Someone tell Joshua Walker to keep his dancing shoes handy. The University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team continued a perfect start to conference play on Saturday night, slicing through San Jose State (6-10, 1-5 Mountain West) in...

Arizona State rolls along as Hawai’i road rally falls short

Arizona State rolls along as Hawai’i road rally falls short

Oct 10, 2026

The seeds of competence were there. The University of Hawai’i football team traveled to Tempe, took an early lead for the first time in a month and slowly unraveled afterwards on the way to a 30-12 loss to Arizona State (3-2) on Saturday night....

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Kapolei cruises by Waipahu behind Kapahu’s record-setting night

Kapolei cruises by Waipahu behind Kapahu’s record-setting night

Aug 21, 2026

Kapolei cruises by Waipahu behind Kapahu’s record-setting night

Kapolei RB Mikey Kapahu is lifted in the end zone by Colton Maugaotega after scoring a touchdown against Waipahu. | Photo: Riley Guillermo

KAPOLEI – Rocked ‘em like a hurricane.

After seeing their season opener cancelled from the effects of Hurricane Lala, the No. 4-ranked Kapolei Hurricanes (1-0) provided a storm of their own with a dominant 50-15 victory over No. 6-ranked Waipahu (1-1) on Friday night.

Kapolei senior running back Chazz-Michael Kapahu tore up the Marauders defense, toting the rock 18 times for 223 yards rushing and three touchdowns. It set a new school record for the Hurricanes according to Hawaii Prep World’s archives, passing John Dela Rama’s 214-yard outing against Kalani in August 2003.

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Kapahu quickly turned the praise on his offensive linemen after being asked about his historic night, crediting the big men up front for creating holes and lanes for the 5-foot-8 back to take advantage of all night.

“My O-line, they made amazing blocks tonight, gave me the holes and I just hit them,” said Kapahu.

He got the action going early for the Hurricanes, ending off the Open Division squad’s first possession of the season with a one-yard score.

Kapolei quickly added on after forcing a three-and-out from Waipahu, getting a big punt return to set up the offense deep within Marauder territory before senior quarterback Jacob Ballesteros connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Nikko Smith to make it a 14-0 advantage for the Hurricanes.

Smith, who holds Division I offers from the University of Hawai’i and San Jose State, led the Hurricanes with two receptions for 26 yards and the score. In all, only three different players registers catches for Kapolei.

Do-it-all ATH Zeph Salis pushed out the Kapolei lead to 21-0 after a 13-yard scoring run of his own midway through the second quarter. Waipahu finally threw a punch back to end the first half when sophomore QB Jake Garcia found senior WR Lyric Anuenue on a three-yard touchdown pass just before the break and added a two-point conversion right after to cut down the deficit, 21-8.

The Marauders looked to have found some momentum with the score before the halftime switch, starting off the second half by forcing a punt from Kapolei. Unfortunately for Waipahu, the punt ricocheted off of a returner and was recovered by the Hurricanes.

The Waipahu defense held strong again to keep it a two-score game, forcing another punt from Kapolei that was fielded cleanly by the Marauders.

Once again, untimely mistakes hurt Waipahu has Garcia tossed his lone interception of the evening on the ensuing drive and set up Kapahu’s second scoring run of the night with 4:34 left in the third quarter and Kapolei now leading 29-8.

Waipahu had one last breath of fight before the end of the third frame, seeing Arona Liaina cap off a 56-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 29-15.

Kapolei had another quick response with sophomore RB Kalani Meyers-Tuinei dashing away from the defense for a 30-yard touchdown to close out the quarter and put the game clearly into the program’s back pocket.

Kapahu cemented his status as the night’s breakout star as the clock ticked under 10 minutes left in regulation as he sprinted 63 yards to the house for his third and final touchdown of the game and sophomore RB Ryzen Macapagal took his lone carry of the evening 15 yards for a score to cap off a season-opening 50-burger from the Hurricanes.

Kapolei tallied 399 yards of total offense in the victory, getting 361 of it on the ground as the offensive line flexed up front. QB Jacob Ballesteros went just 6-of-9 passing for 38 yards and touchdown while not turning the ball over a single time for the Hurricanes.

Waipahu got an up-and-down night from Jake Garcia as the sophomore ran for his life away from a staunch Kapolei defense that sacked him three separate times and showed him plenty of pressure, seeing the 5-foot-8 gunslinger complete 15-of-26 passes for a game-best 122 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Senior RB Rocco Silofau had 14 carries for 88 yards in the loss for the Marauders while sophomore WR Ian Tutuvanu showed off a nice rapport with Garcia as he led the way with six catches for 78 yards.

Waipahu will look to bounce right back next Friday when Farrington (0-2) visits 94 block for the Marauders’ third straight clash with an Open Division squad. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. HT.

Kapolei gets an extra day off before the potential biggest test of their season as Kamehameha-Kapālama (1-1) visits the Hurricanes on Saturday, August 29 with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. HT.

Kapolei ATH Zeph Salis shakes off a Waipahu defender in a win over the Marauders. | Photo: Riley Guillermo

Kapolei WR Nikko Smith catches a touchdown pass over Waipahu’s Jayse Braun in the first quarter of the Hurricanes’ win over the Marauders. | Photo: Riley Guillermo

Hawai’i take to road trying to continue strong conference start

Hawai’i take to road trying to continue strong conference start

Oct 13, 2026

HONOLULU – Get the fire extinguisher, the ‘Bows are blazing through the schedule again. More than midway through the 2026 campaign, the University of Hawai’i women’s soccer team has pieced together a pair of three-game win streaks and stands tied...

Win streak hits six as Hawai’i swiftly sweeps San Jose State

Win streak hits six as Hawai’i swiftly sweeps San Jose State

Oct 10, 2026

HONOLULU – Someone tell Joshua Walker to keep his dancing shoes handy. The University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team continued a perfect start to conference play on Saturday night, slicing through San Jose State (6-10, 1-5 Mountain West) in...

Arizona State rolls along as Hawai’i road rally falls short

Arizona State rolls along as Hawai’i road rally falls short

Oct 10, 2026

The seeds of competence were there. The University of Hawai’i football team traveled to Tempe, took an early lead for the first time in a month and slowly unraveled afterwards on the way to a 30-12 loss to Arizona State (3-2) on Saturday night....

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Mana Wahine Wednesday: HPU Women’s Flag Football HC Kanda Korver

Mana Wahine Wednesday: HPU Women’s Flag Football HC Kanda Korver

Aug 19, 2026

Mana Wahine Wednesday: HPU Women’s Flag Football HC Kanda Korver

HONOLULU – Trailblazing programs need trailblazing people.

Hawaii Pacific University became the first college in the islands to latch on to the runaway train of girls’ flag football popularity, announcing this past May that the school would be adding an officially sponsored program for student-athletes to join.

One problem?

They needed a coach.

Enter Kanda Korver, a former collegiate volleyball athlete and founder of Kore Vibration.

Though she was born in San Francisco, Korver’s roots are from the islands. Her mom was born on O’ahu and met her dad at UH’s medical school. Korver’s grandmother was from Plantation Camp 4 in Waiakea-Uka and her grandfather was from Lāna’i. Every place she turned in life, the islands have always called to her.

Hawaii Pacific flag football HC Kanda Korver poses with her grandma. | Photo Credit: Kanda Korver

HPU tabbed Korver to be the program’s first-ever head coach back on July 6 and the young coach has been in a sprint ever since.

On top of running her own business that services over 1,500 student-athletes already, she spent the 2026 spring campaign as an assistant coach for the KS-Kapālama girls flag football team. When she saw Hawaii Pacific’s posting about adding a women’s flag football program, her first thought wasn’t anything further than celebrating a huge win for the local community.

“Long before I knew that I would somehow play a role in it, I just remember thinking like wow,” Korver recalled. “So incredible, it’s like a huge community win … I give credit to the university’s leadership, our athletic leadership for having the courage to start and be the first.”

With the islands already in love with football and the high school flag football game growing rapidly, Korver’s excitement extends to the chance for the program to continue pioneering a new era in women’s athletics.

“Patsy Mink is so happy right now,” Korver said in reference to another groundbreaking women’s athletics opportunity.

While the 2026 season won’t be one as an “official NCAA Championship” sport, flag football has been recommended by the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact to advance to that status in the near future.

The NCAA projects that Spring 2028 could be the beginning of schools competing for an official national championship in one of the newest emerging sports.

That timeline provides a head start for programs like HPU to build a foundation.

Korver and the school have been hard at work building out the inaugural roster for the Sharks, piecing together players from all around the state of Hawai’i (along with others) ahead of competition.

“We have folks from OIA, we have some from ILH and we have outer island as well,” Korver revealed of her first roster. “We’re very, very happy, blessed and honored to be having a good representation of local Wahine athletes on this first inaugural team.”

She also stated that a few student-athletes with prior collegiate girls’ flag football experience have transferred into the program, adding a little bit of veteran leadership for a group sure to experience plenty of growing pains.

Korver wants the first year to have a major focus on creating a championship culture that emphasizes the right things. For her, transparency and intentions are two of the biggest conversation points she’s focused on in her recruiting of the first team.

“We are going to have to be comfortable with adapting and changing,” she clearly stated.

She knows there will be challenges, especially in finding funding for travel and supporting the program in the way it will deserve. Korver hopes to play at least 15 games in the upcoming season, competing against other PacWest schools, post-high school leagues and O’ahu club teams.

But the search for opponents won’t stop there. Korver revealed exploratory talks of playing international teams and other brand-name institutions to come out to the islands for tournaments, looking to set up as an international hub for the sport eventually.

Regardless of what the future holds for the Sharks, Korver is set on securing a foundation for success for future student-athletes at HPU.

Now, who wants the smoke from the Sharks?

Prospective student-athletes can fill out the HPU Women’s Flag Football Recruiting Questionnaire HERE.

Sylvester snags Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors

Sylvester snags Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors

Oct 19, 2026

 HONOLULU – Host a block party, reap the rewards after. University of Hawai’i middle blocker Miliana Sylvester was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week on Monday morning after posting 22 total...

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