
Utah Classic
All times HST
Thursday
Hawai’i (2-1) at Utah Valley (0-2), 1 p.m.
Friday
Hawai’i vs. No. 22 San Diego (1-1), 8:30 a.m.
Cal Poly (1-2) at No. 19 Utah (2-0), 10 a.m.
No. 22 San Diego at No. 19 Utah, 3 p.m.
Saturday
Hawai’i at No. 19 Utah (2-0), 3 p.m.
Hawai’i media links
TV: None
Radio: 1420-AM Thursday & Friday; 1500-AM Saturday
Live stream: ESPN+ Thursday; Pac-12 Network Friday & Saturday
Live stats: Hawaiiathletic.com
By Cindy Luis
Of all the challenges that the Hawai’i women’s volleyball team faces, perhaps the greatest is remaining relevant in the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics. While many — particularly those with long memories — still see magic in the name “Hawai’i,” the fact remains that the Rainbow Wahine’s conference is a “mid-major.”
There is no “Power-Five” TV money. Heck, there isn’t even “Group of Five” TV money because the Big West doesn’t sponsor football.
Where once the Big West could claim dominance in the sport, winning five of the first seven NCAA championships and six of the first nine from 1981-89, the last time a BWC member reached the national championship match was Long Beach State in 2001 (the then-49ers lost to Stanford). Beach also was the last to win a title (1998), its third tying Hawai’i for the most (former member Pacific had two).
It doesn’t help that the Big West was MIA from both the non-title-awarding 2020 fall season and the carryover 2021 spring season where Kentucky took home its first banner. The BWC and the Ivy League were the only two not to compete due to COVID concerns.
So where did that put Hawai’i when given OK to play a match for the first time in 623 days? Out of sight, out of mind when it came to the coaches voting in the national poll.
For the third consecutive year, the Wahine were unranked in the preseason Top 25. They went 2-1 against a very good field in the Hawaiian Airlines Classic last week but the lack of big, ranked names and time difference resulted in only 10 points when Monday’s first poll of the regular season came out.
Hawai’i can change that this week when traveling to the Utah Classic that features No. 19 Utah and No. 22 San Diego in the field. The Wahine open at Utah Valley (0-2) in Orem on Thursday then drive 40 miles north on I-15 to Salt Lake City to take on the Toreros (1-1) on Friday and host Utes (2-0) on Saturday.
“I think every game is an opportunity to make a statement,” Wahine senior middle Sky Williams said before the team left Tuesday night for its first road trip. “With these (ranked) teams, it’s a much larger statement.
“We want to put it out there. We’re here.”
It’s the first trip as a team for Hawai’i since December 2019 where the Wahine ended their season in the Sweet 16 against Nebraska in Madison, Wis.
“We didn’t have much team many team bonding experience during (two-week) camp,” Williams said, “so I’m excited for the memories we’ll create on this trip.”
There’s also another message that Williams said her team wants to put out there. That the team that was swept by Marquette on Saturday “wasn’t us.”
“If we took care of our assignments, that game was ours,” Williams said of the 26-24, 27-25, 25-21 loss to the Golden Eagles. ‘Every loss is an opportunity to learn. We learned we’ve got to come out stronger, get into rhythm faster
“When we get into those tight spots, we can’t play tight. We’ve got to take care of our side first then that game becomes ours.”
Assistant coach Kaleo Baxter agreed. Hawai’i had set point in Set 1 at 24-23 but couldn’t close as Marquette finished it out on a 3-0 run.
In Set 2, the Wahine tied at 24 and 25 only to have the Golden Eagles end it with two kills from Hannah Vanden Berg.
“Our motto is ‘L is for Learning,’ “ Baxter said. “We learned from Sunday. We learned we need to close out matches.
“It came down to one play in those first two sets. You give us a point, take a point away from them, based on one movement, taking care of one ball, and we’re winning 25-23. It’s something we talked about and something we feel we executed against Texas A&M.”
Hawai’i swept the Aggies 25-23, 25-21, 25-23 on Sunday. It was almost deja momenta in both Sets 1 and 3 where the Wahine again led 24-23. Thiis time they took both.
“Our team is so resilient,” sophomore middle Amber Igiede said. “That team that played Marquette wasn’t us. The team that played against Texas A&M is who we are.
“We want to show that we’re not a team to be stepped over, a team not to be taken for granted.
“We are “Hawai’i Volleyball.”
Unlike last weekend where fans were not allowed to watch in person, there will be no attendance limitations at either the Lockhart Arena on Thursday nor the Huntsman Center Friday and Saturday. Utah defeated Utah Valley twice last week, 3-1 in Orem in front of 1,174, and 3-0 in front of 1,291 in Salt Lake City.
“We’re super excited to play on the road,” Baxter said. “We’re going to have fans in the stands. Hopefully, half will be wearing green.”
More than half should be on Thursday. Utah Valley’s colors are green, gold and white.
Hawai’i will travel with the maximum of 14 players, leaving two in Honolulu. That roster was not released.
The roster had been at 17 until Tuesday when it was announced that super senior Kyra Hanawahine, a defensive specialist/libero, had decided to leave the program. The Kamehameha graduate played at Oregon for two seasons before transferring to play for the Wahine in 2019.
Hanawahine played in five sets over two matches, appearing as a serving specialist. Members of the media were told that no statement would be coming from the school regarding the decision.
NOTES: Former Hawai’i All-American libero Alfee Reft is in his second season as associate head coach for San Diego. Reft, who played for the Warriors from 2004-06, set the program’s rally-score era record for digs (238) in 2004 … On the Utah roster with Hawaii ties are redshirt senior middle Phoebe Grace (Kahuku); associate head coach Malia Shoji, niece of former Wahine coach Dave Shoji, in her seventh season; and first-year volunteer assistant Wil Stanley (Punahou), the setter for NCAA runner-up BYU last May … No. 20 and host Stanford upset No. 5 Florida 26-24, 25-18, 17-25, 25-23 on Tuesday. It was the first match played in front of fans in Maples Pavilion since 2019, the season the Cardinal won the NCAA title. The Cardinal went 2-8 in the 2021 spring season, all Pac-12 matches, with 12 matches cancelled due to COVID protocol.
O wow. Kinda bummed and disappointed bout Kyra decision on leaving, she seemed so positive in the interview(s) leading up to the season. Hopefully she doesn’t regret leaving prematurely. Good luck to her in her future aspirations.
I do think partly the coaches are responsible for players leaving. You have the bodies, you should play them. Depth is always a good thing to have. I do know that this isn’t the YMCA either.
Yes, this is not AYSO. You play who gives you the best chance to win. Only three matches in and coaches still looking at different options, chemistry. I am not going to second guess a player’s decision. We don’t know her reason. Disagree that just because they have bodies they should play them. I can remember Shoji trying to figure out a way to get players in but sometimes the match goes so quickly, and you might be on a serving run so there’s not chance to sub. Lot of things to consider in substitution patter. Plus the limit on subs.
I agree with you, Cindy. I always admired the strength and grace that Taylor Higgins displayed her senior year when her position transitioned to Norene.
Shoji didn’t know how to manage his players and he played favorites. There was a player called Caroline Blood who was on the roster for four years as a walk-on middle/opposite/DS. He hardly put her in. I remember her senior year, he didn’t take her to the NCAAs but instead took a redshirt player in Amanda Simmons and an injured player in Stephanie Ferrell. Those two would end up bailing on him. Sometimes you have to reward loyalty. It’s not like Blood was a terrible player. She was pretty good in the VERY limited time she got.
I’m not sure what your point is. Having favorites is nothing new for any coach.
If I remember correctly, Blood came to UH to play softball as a pitchr. When that didn’t work out, she asked to walk-on for volleyball. Her senior season the other middles were seniors Sanders and Gregory, junior Thomas, sophomore Kaufman and freshman Simmons.
You mentioned earlier that Shoji wanted to sub in players. I was saying that wasn’t always the case. Especially with Blood. And it was a head-scratcher to leave a senior walk-on to bring an injured player (Ferrell) and someone who was never gonna get much playing time (Simmons) either.
no, it wasn’t always the case about subbing. just saying that sometimes the match goes so quickly that coaches can’t figure how to get players in. Plus you just don’t sub anyone in at any position.
I don’t remember why Blood wasn’t on the trip. For some reason I thought it was because she going to walk in the graduation ceremony. I may be wrong. I don’t know if Simmons wouldn’t have gotten more playing time if she had stayed. But Simmons likely would have played behind Kaufman and Nickie Thomas. Instead she transfered to Louisville.