GRAUNKE TO THE RESCUE IN COMEBACK WIN

(Sept. 8): Granted, it's an over-simplification. Still, it's tempting to describe Tyler Graunke's football fortunes with the University of Hawaii as having gone from the outhouse to the penthouse in a matter of weeks. Actually, to the lobby might be more like it.

The program's presumptive starting quarterback following the departure of the record-breaking Colt Brennan, Graunke did everything in his power to get on the bad side of the coaching staff over the ensuing months. He messed up in class, falling behind in his academic work and prompting new head coach Greg McMackin to suspend him during the spring and again this off-season. There were also reports that he wasn't staying focused off the field.

That opened the door for three less experienced players to push past Graunke in the starting QB derby. Greg Alexander, Brent Rausch and Inoke Funaki all got a shot at the job with little success.

On Saturday, Graunke came off the bench and to rescue. He threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns after entering the game in the second half, rallying Hawaii from a 10-point halftime deficit to a 36-17 win over Division-I-AA Weber State at Aloha Stadium.

So, it is being presumed that Graunke will be at the controls of the UH offense this week, when Hawaii faces a tougher challenge on the road against Oregon State, a team in desperate search of its first win following a pair of road losses – a heart breaker at Stanford and a 45-14 thumping on Saturday at No. 19 Penn State.

VOLLEYBALL: A new star has been born at the University of Hawaii. In anything, highly-touted freshman Kanani Herring has surpassed the hype. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter was named the most outstanding player in the Volleyball Challenge after three remarkable performances in leading 11th-ranked UH to the tournament title with a 25-11, 25-17, 25-23 win over Cincinnati last night.

Herring had 13 kills, hitting .571 and collecting nine digs – all match highs. Herring also had 21 kills and 16 digs in Thursday's five-set win over No. 12 Minnesota and followed that up with 15 kills and six digs in Friday's sweep of Wyoming.

Next for UH is the Chevron Invitational, which opens a three-day run on Thursday. Hawaii will host St. Mary's on opening night. Pacific and Washington are also entered.

SOCCER: The UH picked up its first soccer win of the season yesterday, but it didn't come easy. The Rainbow Wahine trailed 3-2 at halftime despite a goal by former Maui High standout Taryn Fukuroku before rallying to a 4-3 win over Drake on Kelli-Ann Chang's sudden-death goal in the 103rd minute in a tournament at Albuquerque, N.M.

The Rainbow Wahine return to action tomorrow, facing tourney host New Mexico. Then, it's off to Stockton, for another tournament with matches against Pacific and USF.

Much was -- and is expected -- of a UH team coming off a season in which it compiled a school-best 15-5-2 record, earned an NCAA tournament berth and is projected to win the WAC crown this year. But the Rainbow Wahine got off to a slow start, suffering losses to Long Beach State and 23rd-ranked Denver at home last week.

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