High Belief, High Expectations: HPU Women’s Tennis Sets the Standard

High Belief, High Expectations: HPU Women’s Tennis Sets the Standard

Oct 23, 2025

L-R: Chelsea Patton, Annika Hakovirta, Lynn Kader, Baylei Furman

Sharks Weekly: High Belief, High Expectations, HPU Women’s Tennis Sets the Standard

HSRN STAFF | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 23, 2025

This week’s Sharks Weekly served up an inspiring look at Hawai‘i Pacific University Women’s Tennis, featuring head coach Chelsea Patton and senior leaders Lynn Kader and Annika Hakovirta. Hosted by Baylei Furman live from the HPU Esports Arena at Aloha Tower Marketplace, the episode captured the essence of a program rooted in connection, culture, and belief—on and off the court.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

Now in her first year as head coach, Patton’s HPU journey has come full circle. After a decade on campus—first in administration and later as an assistant coach—she’s back leading from the court, where she helped guide the Sharks to a PacWest title and NCAA semifinal run in 2023. Returning to coaching, she said, was about rediscovering the competitive energy and close connection with student-athletes that she’d missed. “There’s something special about being a Shark,” she reflected, describing how her love for collegiate athletics and mentorship drew her back.

Her guiding philosophy for the year—“High Expectations, High Belief”—applies equally to coaches and players. Patton encourages her athletes to expect the best from themselves and from one another while believing in their collective goals.

“If we all believe in each other,” she said, “big things can happen.” The mindset is deeply personal, inspired by her father, a longtime Boise State coach who often reminded her to “put gratitude in your attitude and you’ll gain altitude.” That saying now anchors the team’s “Aloha Friday gratitude sessions,” where players pause to reflect on positivity and growth.

For senior Lynn Kader, her road to HPU began with a detour. After being deferred from her dream school, Georgetown, she enrolled at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa—deciding not to play tennis for the first time in her life. The break didn’t last long. Missing the sport deeply, she contacted then-head coach Lauren Conching at HPU and asked for a chance to return to the court. Conching welcomed her, and that same season the Sharks went on a postseason run that reignited Kader’s competitive spirit. Her favorite memory remains a dramatic PacWest match against Dominican, when a teammate saved multiple match points to clinch victory.

“We were all crying and jumping on each other,” Kader recalled with a laugh.

Now majoring in environmental studies, Kader has evolved into a leader who embodies the Sharks’ balance between athletics and community. Passionate about sustainability, she often coordinates team volunteer events around O‘ahu, teaching her teammates about local ecosystems and Hawaiian culture.

“We’re privileged to play this sport here,” she said. “It’s important to respect and learn from the place we call home.”

Her teammate Annika Hakovirta, a transfer from Finland by way of Wingate University in North Carolina, first noticed HPU at the NCAA Championships and immediately set her sights on joining the program. She now studies business management while interning with Pacific Edge magazine and embraces the Hawai‘i lifestyle through surfing and outdoor adventures. “In North Carolina, it was dorm to caf,” she said. “Here, I feel free.”

Patton’s vision of blending gratitude, discipline, and belief has clearly resonated. “We believe we’re going to Nationals,” Kader said confidently. “That’s the goal, and we’re ready to make it happen.”

HPU men’s basketball notebook: Post-Intrasquad “Bunnies” Notes

HPU men’s basketball notebook: Post-Intrasquad “Bunnies” Notes

Oct 20, 2025

Hawaii Pacific G Joshua West is one of four returning all-conference players in the PacWest and is looking to take another leap after a successful Year 1 with the Sharks. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HPU men’s basketball notebook: Post-Intrasquad “Bunnies” Notes

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 20, 2025

HONOLULU – Two weeks to Boise State.

After finishing on the outside of the PacWest Tournament field in 2025, the Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team returned all nine possible returners and turned to the transfer portal to put the program back in position for a postseason run in 2025-26 season.

Eight new faces – six college transfers and a pair of former prep standouts – joined the fray in the offseason for the Sharks. After an offseason filled with summer workouts and a couple weeks’ worth of practices, HPU got some “game” action last Saturday with four quarters of officiated intrasquad scrimmages (that ended up going into overtime).

Here are quick takeaways surrounding the new-look Sharks after a few weeks of observations:

Stolen Goods from the Big Sky

HPU’s offseason started with a pair of pulls from the Big Sky, getting former Idaho State G Quentin Meza and Weber State G Nemanja Sarenac to take their talents to the middle of the Pacific Ocean after each hit the transfer portal.

Sarenac, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Serbia, has a quick, repeatable shot that can provide long-distance spacing for the Sharks at multiple positions. Part of a smaller overall roster, it’ll be important for the wing to compete on the glass and do his fair share of rebounding against bigger opponents and be passable on the defensive end.

Meza, a 6-foot-0 junior, could end up being HPU’s best overall playmaker when looking back on this year. The 2022-23 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2,000-point scorer in high school, the guard began his college career at Wofford before spending last season in a reserve role for Idaho State.

The Utah native has looked more and more comfortable as he’s gotten more practices with his new teammates under his belt and shows off a natural passing ability that will result in a plethora of easy buckets in the fast-paced offense that Nakanishi and company hope to play this year. Add that to a lightning-quick shot release and a knack for getting paint touches, and fans can look for him to challenge for an all-PacWest selection and give the team an excellent option to add alongside returning starter Avi Halpert.

Welcome back, Josh

Joshua West and Josh Niusulu had two very different experiences for the Sharks last year.

Niusulu missed the entire 2024-25 campaign after suffering a shoulder injury, forcing the defensive standout to redshirt the season and leaving HPU without one of the team’s most versatile pieces.

Through a few weeks of preseason, it looks like the defensive southpaw might’ve re-found his 3-point stroke of his first year with the Sharks again – Niusulu shot 38.5% from long distance over his first 22 games at HPU, though cooled off and hit just 7-of-30 from range in his final seven appearances in 2023-24.

HPU wing Josh Niusulu (23) returns for the Sharks this season after missing 2024-25 due to a shoulder injury. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

In the meantime, West broke out in his first year with the Sharks as he averaged a team-best 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds across 29 starts as he earned All-PacWest 3rd-Team honors in his first season after jumping up to the Division II level. Back for more, the 6-foot-3 senior guard is one of just four total returning all-conference selections in the entire league and looks primed for another year filled with honors.

A smooth-moving athlete who loves to contribute on both ends, West is back better than ever with an improved pull-up jumper and 3-point stroke. The smaller Sharks roster calls also calls for more cutting in the half court – something West can be more effective doing than any other player on the roster.

Smaller but still mighty

Unlike the first two years under Jesse Nakanishi with three giants on the roster at all times, Hawaii Pacific’s roster this season only employs one player at 6-foot-8 or taller and that’s true freshman Zane Gaul, a 6-foot-10 center from Prescott, Arizona.

6-foot-7 forward Maj Dusanic is back for his fourth year with HPU, providing some veteran size for an otherwise guard-heavy unit. 6-foot-6 transfer forward Shawn Villanea will fight for time because of his rebounding motor but offensively doesn’t fit a sweet-shooting lineup.

Purdue-Northwest transfer Quinton McCullough is the smallest of the bunch at 6-foot-4 but looks like he provides the best combination of aggressiveness, motor, physicality and consistency for the Sharks to go with in the frontcourt through the start of the preseason.

Local boy and athletic 6-foot-4 forward Kahiau Bruhn has also enjoyed a strong camp, providing defense at multiple spots while showing off a better-than-expected shot from distance. He will be a factor in the rotation throughout the year.

All of them will need to rebound above their height to get the Sharks where they want to be after a year away from the playoffs.

Competition for final rotation spots is hot

Nakanishi and his staff will certainly have options to try out during exhibitions and non-conference.

Casey Steadmon is back for his third year in the islands and the junior wing from Louisville, Kentucky has shown off a more consistent catch-and-shoot release while looking more aggressive in the half court when attacking the rim. An effortless leaper, Steadmon has powered home a few dunks after driving by a defender and into the lane in practice and singlehandedly forced overtime on Saturday with a pair of clutch buckets in the final quarter of scrimmaging.

Local products Justin Yap (Maryknoll) and J Marxen (Mililani) both have bided their time in the HPU system and have had solid practices with good shooting numbers. They’ll battle with JUCO transfer guard Shinichi Itoh and program stalwart Kemp Van Es for a potential situational role as a depth shooter.

Sharks Weekly: HPU Men’s Basketball Builds on Experience and Culture Ahead of 2025–26 Season

Sharks Weekly: HPU Men’s Basketball Builds on Experience and Culture Ahead of 2025–26 Season

Oct 16, 2025

L-R: Paul Brecht, Jesse Nakanishi, Joshua West, Quentin Meza

Sharks Weekly: HPU Men’s Basketball Builds on Experience and Culture Ahead of 2025–26 Season

HSRN STAFF | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 16, 2025

It’s a season of both familiarity and fresh energy for Hawai‘i Pacific University men’s basketball. On this week’s episode of Sharks Weekly, play-by-play voice Paul Brecht was joined by head coach Jesse Nakanishi, senior guard Joshua West, and junior guard Quentin “Cue Ball” Meza to talk about what’s ahead for the Sharks as they gear up for the 2025–26 campaign.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

For Nakanishi, now entering his third year at the helm, excitement comes easily when discussing his group. The Sharks return nine players from last season’s 15–14 (10-10 PacWest) squad — a level of continuity that’s become a rarity in the modern college basketball landscape.

“Every year brings new challenges and new excitement,” Nakanishi said. “But this group has been so coachable. I enjoy coming to practice every day.”

He credits that consistency to a program built on trust, accountability, and relationships that extend beyond the court. “The returners teach the newcomers how we do things,” he added. “That’s when you know your culture’s strong.”

West, one of four returning All-PacWest selections, said coming back felt natural after the way last season ended.

“I’m super excited to be back,” he said with a grin. “It’s about the relationships with the players and coaches. We’ve built something here, and we want to keep growing it.”

He admitted that having so many familiar faces around makes the early practices smoother and the team chemistry stronger. “We know each other’s games, and that makes it easier for the new guys to adjust,” he explained. “Everything just feels more connected.”

Among those newcomers is Meza, a transfer guard from Idaho State who began his career at Wofford. Known affectionately as “Cue Ball,” the former Utah Gatorade Player of the Year said choosing HPU came down to the people.

“As soon as I talked to Coach Nakanishi and Coach Cam, I knew this was the place,” Meza said. “The coaches and players have been so welcoming, and the culture here speaks for itself.”

His transition to island life has been smooth — from early morning workouts to learning team traditions. “It’s been great. The workouts, the chemistry — everything’s been awesome. I’m really excited for this season.”

Off the court, the Sharks continue to shine as one of HPU’s most community-minded programs. The team has spent the fall volunteering at mentorship programs, youth clinics, and community cleanups — something Nakanishi says is central to the program’s identity.

“Being born and raised here, I believe in relationships and giving back,” he said. “We have this platform to make an impact, and our guys gain just as much from those experiences as the people they meet.”

West recalled a powerful moment visiting families in transitional housing. “One of the little girls told us, ‘I wish we could do this every day,’” he said. “It really puts things into perspective and makes you appreciate what you have.”

With practices underway, the Sharks are focused on fine-tuning their style ahead of their November exhibition at Boise State. Nakanishi said the team will rely on tempo and toughness.

“We may not be the biggest team, but we’ll play fast, we’ll scrap, and we’ll figure it out,” he said.

West agreed, adding, “We know our motor’s going to be there. We’ll make teams uncomfortable.”

Meza, known for his confident shooting touch, said the style fits him perfectly. “Coach tells me to shoot the transition three every time,” he laughed. “It’s going to be a fun brand of basketball.”

After Boise, the Sharks will face Western Washington, Saint Martin’s, and both Alaska schools before their annual island rivalry stretch against UH-Mānoa, Chaminade, and UH-Hilo.

Nakanishi said those local matchups always bring a little extra excitement. “We’re human — of course there’s more juice when we play the other Hawai‘i teams,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about playing our brand of basketball.”

As for Meza and West, both guards said they’re motivated by the same thing that brought them back or drew them in — the people.

“We’ve got a special group,” West said. “We’re ready to show it.”

Fans can listen to select HPU Men’s Basketball broadcasts this season on Hawai‘i Sports Radio Network, 95.1 FM / AM 760, and online. Click here for the latest HPU broadcast schedule.

Sharks Weekly: Fresh Faces, Familiar Heart — A New Chapter for HPU Women’s Basketball

Sharks Weekly: Fresh Faces, Familiar Heart — A New Chapter for HPU Women’s Basketball

Oct 9, 2025

L-R: Baylei Furman, Brent Gibson, Abbey Hadsell, Kyra Tanabe

Sharks Weekly: Fresh Faces, Familiar Heart — A New Chapter for HPU Women’s Basketball

HSRN STAFF | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 9, 2025

A new season of Hawai‘i Pacific University women’s basketball is on the horizon, and with it comes a wave of new energy under first-year head coach Brent Gibson. The latest episode of Sharks Weekly, hosted by Bailey Furman, offered fans a closer look at the people and purpose driving the Sharks into this next era.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

For Gibson, the journey to the islands has been a long and winding one — from playing college basketball in Florida to coaching in Kentucky and Arkansas before settling in Hawai‘i. After serving as an assistant under former head coach Ray Alvarado, Gibson now leads a program almost entirely rebuilt, featuring 15 new players and a renewed sense of direction.

“I was really focused on trying to move up the ladder,” Gibson reflected, “but what I’ve learned is that it’s not about chasing titles — it’s about building something special where you are. And there’s no better place to do that than here.”

That focus on foundation has become the heartbeat of his philosophy. Gibson emphasizes service, humility, and togetherness — values he says he learned from his father, also a basketball coach.

“When you’re part of a team, it’s not about you,” he told Furman. “We talk a lot about being here for something bigger than yourself.”

Among the players embracing that mindset are local guard Kyra Tanabe, a two-time state champion from ʻIolani School, and forward Abbey Hadsell, a transfer from California’s Sonoma State. Tanabe, who returned home for her final year of eligibility, said the opportunity to represent Hawai‘i again made her decision easy.

“It’s so special to come back and play in front of my family and friends,” she said. “Coach Gibson trusted me from day one, and that made all the difference.”

Hadsell’s path to HPU was less expected. When Sonoma State suddenly discontinued its athletics program, she found herself searching for a new home.

“Coach was honest with me — he didn’t know yet if he’d be named head coach, but he said he planned to be here either way,” she recalled. “That honesty and consistency really stood out.”

Together, the two seniors have emerged as early leaders on a young team still discovering its chemistry. Tanabe admits the adjustment period has been a challenge but says the atmosphere is grounded in positivity and open communication.

“Coach always keeps his door open,” she said. “He listens, and that’s helped us build trust from the start.”

That sense of connection extends well beyond the hardwood. Under Gibson’s direction, the Sharks have already immersed themselves in the community — volunteering at Luluku Farms and local lo‘i patches, hosting an Elite Camp for youth players, and preparing to assist at an upcoming Special Olympics event. For Gibson, these moments are just as important as the games themselves.

“It’s not just about basketball,” he said. “It’s about giving these young women experiences that help them grow — understanding the land, the people, and the responsibility that comes with representing Hawai‘i.”

Hadsell said the service work has been eye-opening. “I’d never done anything like working in the lo‘i before,” she laughed. “It was messy, but it was amazing. You really get to see what makes this place special.”

As the Sharks prepare for their first exhibition of the year — a crosstown matchup against the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa — Gibson is focused less on results and more on resilience. “We’re not going to play our best basketball in October,” he said. “Our best needs to come in February and March. This is about the long game.”

With new faces, renewed purpose, and a coach committed to building from the ground up, HPU women’s basketball is diving head-first into a new era — one built on trust, culture, and community.

HPU dives into more community service with Shark Splash Weekend

HPU dives into more community service with Shark Splash Weekend

Oct 5, 2025

Photo Credit: HPU MBB

HPU dives into more community service with Shark Splash Weekend

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 5, 2025

HONOLULU – What’s the point of a platform if you can’t give back?

Entering September’s final weekend, the Hawai’i Pacific University men’s basketball team took on one of the program’s biggest community service projects in three seasons under the watchful eye of head coach Jesse Nakanishi.

As much as the third-year head man works for a winning culture on the court, Nakanishi and staff have made equal efforts for it off-court by giving back to those looking for a few extra hands of help. Among the program’s community service projects from previous seasons were the “Shark Bite” Mentorship Program with local elementary schools, lo’i patch work, putting on free basketball skills clinics for children and adults with disabilities and much more.

“A big part of our September is spent team building and giving back to the community,” Nakanishi said. “[We] are so fortunate to live the life we have in front of us. This weekend encapsulated both objectives; our team retreat got us closer while we also were able to provide much needed boosts to kids, ‘aina and animals.”

This year, HPU looked to take another step forward in impacting the local community after putting on another free youth skills clinic in mid-September. The next service swing would be a big one, planning the first annual “Shark Splash Weekend” – a multi-day commitment to community that put the Sharks to work as they took on four different major projects.

The “Shark Bite” Mentorship Program at Mānoa Elementary School was rekindled for another year of fun on the final Friday of the month. With the entire team on hand, players introduced themselves to a new group of students and joined them for recess as they began building mentorships with another pocket of the younger generation.

Saturday split the Sharks into three different groups as they tried to make as big of an impact as possible in a multitude of places.

With associate head coach Cam Flabel, one group spent the day with Kids Hurt Too Hawaii to help add perspective while giving back. Kids Hurt Too Hawaii is a nonprofit aimed at providing support and community to groups of children and families battling a plethora of difficulties.

Photo Credit: HPU MBB

According to their official website, Kids Hurt Too Hawaii has provided grief and trauma support to thousands of children in Hawai’i over the course of more than a decade while also conducting over 50 crisis interventions and training more than 5,000 adults to help combat the impact of trauma and grief on children and teens.

“I’m really proud of our guys for taking on four major projects and crushing them, one-by-one,” Flabel said following the weekend. “I think [my group] got a great perspective reminder of how good of lives we live.”

For the day, the Sharks helped the keiki enjoy some of the childhood glee that every young person deserves to experience. Between cooking breakfast, playing games and countless conversations, HPU spent hours upon hours helping provide the kids an escape from life’s challenges.

“It felt like we helped remind them to just be kids again and smile,” Flabel continued about his group’s time with “Kids Hurt Too” on Saturday. “It just felt good to take their minds off of things and the crazy lives they are dealing with.”

New assistant coach Kyle Ruiz was tabbed with the lo’i patch group, seeing many of the newest Sharks wade knee deep into mud to pull weeds and plant kalo. A formative experience for the players, HPU’s fresh faces were able to connect with the land and learn about the culture in their new home.

Second-year graduate assistant Garrett Shifflett led his group through a day at Aloha Animal Sanctuary, O’ahu’s first nonprofit sanctuary for farmed animals. Aloha Animal Sanctuary, located in Kahalu’u, Kaneohe, has been open since 2019 and provides two acres of space to farmed animals at the base of the Ko’olau Mountain Range.

HPU’s group of players and coaches met and fed the animals that reside inside the sanctuary before providing over three hours of manual labor, digging a trench for a water drainage pipe in case of future flooding risks. Similar to Ruiz’s group, Shifflett’s conglomerate of Sharks found another level of connection with nature while working in community.

Going above and beyond while giving back is nothing new for Nakanishi’s program. After his first season at the helm, the Sharks were recognized nationally for their charitable efforts as the runner-up for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence and nominee from the PacWest.

While HPU checked off a big chunk of community service in the fall, giving back goes year-round. The Sharks plan for the third iteration of “Field Trip Day” in conjunction with the “Shark Bite” Mentorship Program and host their annual “Kam’s Helmets Day”  in memory of the tragic loss of former HPU standout Kameron Steinhoff.

Until then, the Sharks are locked into readying for another season in the PacWest. After missing out on the conference tournament last season, Nakanishi and company refreshed the roster with eight new faces and returned all nine possible players from last season’s squad with eligibility remaining.

“I feel like we’re off to a much faster start than before,” Nakanishi said of the team ahead of preseason practices kicking off. “It’s [about] making tweaks to what we’ve done in the past and trying to highlight the strengths of this new bunch, along with the returners.”

HPU tips off the 2025-26 season on November 3, traveling to the continent to face Boise State in an exhibition before returning home for a November 8 home opener against Nobel University.

Sharks Weekly: New Era for HPU Softball with Coach Alex Takemura

Sharks Weekly: New Era for HPU Softball with Coach Alex Takemura

Sep 25, 2025

Sharks Weekly: New Era for HPU Softball with Coach Alex Takemura

HSRN STAFF | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 25, 2025

This week on Sharks Weekly, host Bailey Furman sat down with Hawai‘i Pacific University’s new softball head coach Alex Takemura and players Mia Carbonell and Alexis Oshiro to talk about the program’s future, the team’s energy, and the bond that’s already forming between players and coach.

Takemura steps into his first season at HPU with nearly 30 years in education and over two decades of coaching experience, including eight seasons at Mid-Pacific Institute—where he won three state championships—and recent years at Chaminade University, where he coached during his daughter’s senior year. While his resume speaks for itself, it’s his vision for HPU softball that truly sets the tone: he wants his players to enjoy the game, grow as people, and be part of something bigger than themselves.

That philosophy resonated with both Carbonell and Oshiro. They described practices as fun and lighthearted, yet grounded in a strong work ethic and attention to detail. Carbonell especially values how coach Takemura makes time to work with each player individually, while Oshiro praised the clear expectations and focus on intention that guide every drill. Together, they painted a picture of a program that balances discipline with joy—something coach hopes will be felt not only by his players but by the fans in the stands as well.

The conversation also touched on what it means to represent Hawai‘i at the collegiate level. Both players shared how important it is to honor those who came before them, while coach emphasized that energy and enthusiasm on the field will create the kind of support that inspires the community to rally behind the team.

Takemura also opened up about his personal journey, including the impact of his late mother, who was his biggest supporter. Accepting the HPU job just days after the one-year anniversary of her passing gave the opportunity a deeply emotional meaning. Carbonell and Oshiro echoed that theme of mentorship, sharing stories about the high school coaches who shaped them not just as athletes, but as people.

When asked about his players, Takemura was quick to highlight their importance. He described Oshiro as a natural leader who brings knowledge and bridges cultures and personalities, while Carbonell’s humor and energy keep the team connected and grounded.

Of course, no conversation about today’s athletes would be complete without acknowledging the effects of COVID-19. Both Carbonell and Oshiro shared how the pandemic disrupted key years of their playing careers, while coach reflected on his daughter’s canceled senior season, which led to a makeshift “senior day” in their own backyard. Those experiences, though challenging, have only strengthened their resilience and appreciation for the game.

Looking ahead, HPU Softball has an exciting slate of events on the horizon. The program will host a Prospect Camp on October 18, followed by a fundraiser on November 15 at the Japanese Culture Center, before taking part in a preseason tournament at the University of Hawai‘i—a field that holds special meaning for both Carbonell and Oshiro from their high school days. Recruiting is also in full swing, with coach committed to supporting Hawai‘i talent while also welcoming athletes from the mainland and abroad.

As the episode wrapped up, it was clear that coach Takemura’s arrival marks more than just a new season—it’s the beginning of a culture shift built on energy, purpose, and connection. For players like Carbonell and Oshiro, that vision is already taking shape, promising a season full of growth, excitement, and Shark pride.