IRVINE, Calif..--The UH Hilo women's basketball team received conference recognition today, a tribute to what has already been one of the most successful seasons in the program's history.

Head coach David Kaneshiro was named PacWest Coach of the Year by his peers and junior Mandi Kawaha received First Team All-PacWest honors for her outstanding play throughout the 2021-22 season.

The Vulcans were originally projected to finish ninth in the PacWest Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, but instead gave the best teams in the conference and nation a run for their money. Led by Kaneshiro, UHH split games with three out of the top five teams in the conference, topped Hawai'i Pacific for the first time in 10 years, and knocked down, at the time, nationally ranked WBCA's No. 5 Alaska Anchorage in overtime.

Kaneshiro, in his 12th season, brought his team to the PacWest Conference Championships for the first time since 2014, with a conference record of 11-8 (their best finish since the 2011-12 season).

"Congratulations to our women's basketball team and Coach Kaneshiro," said athletic director Patrick Guillen. "Coach has done a tremendous job this season guiding our Vulcans to their first conference tournament since 2014 while navigating a very challenging environment due to the pandemic. Despite the twists and turns, Coach led a positive and confident example and really set the tone for the team.  We are very proud of this accomplishment and honor and wish him and the team the best as they represent UH Hilo and the State of Hawai'i in Fresno, California."

Kawaha, First Team All-PacWest, led her team in points (366), steals (32), free throw percentage (.838), assists (93) and even blocked shots (7).

The 5-2 junior guard from Hilo High School is also a PacWest statistics leader in three categories. Kawaha is the seventh-highest scorer in the conference (averaging 15.6 a game), has the second-highest free throw percentage (.838), and the third-most assists (averaging four a game).

Kawaha has posted over 20 points in eight games and over 10 in all but four games. She surpassed the 1,000 point barrier in the last regular season of the game of the season and now has 1,002.  She is only the third Vulcan to ever reach that achievement.

Kawaha is just the fourth player in UH Hilo women's basketball history to be named to the All-PacWest First Team. Others were Sheila Azevedo (2007 and 2009), Hillary Hurley (2011 and 2012) and Allie Navarette (2019).

The Vulcans open PacWest Tournament play on Thursday with a 12:30 PT Quarterfinal match-up with Academy of Art. Follow along with the action at hiloathletics.com, links are available on the women's basketball schedule. 

*Previous All-PacWest Selection