What was supposed to be the third and final of Hawaii’s preseason tournaments has become the one and only for the Rainbow Wahine with this week’s Outrigger Volleyball Challenge.
There are no ranked or high-profile teams here this week, but there will be a remarkable occurrence Sunday when Hawaii hosts San Diego State. The match features two female head coaches from the same alma mater who both played in the Olympics after All-America careers: the Wahine’s Robyn Ah Mow-Santos and the Aztecs’ Deitre Collins-Parker.
“I don’t know if it has ever happened in the women’s game,” said Collins-Parker, a middle on Hawaii’s 1982 and ’83 NCAA championship teams. “And if it has, it’s been very, very rare.”
About as rare as weather and strength-of-schedule concerns dictating Hawaii’s August playing schedule.
Hurricane Lane wiped out the season-opening Hawaiian Airlines Classic, with UCLA and Gonzaga remaining on the mainland and Kansas State more than glad it stayed, the Wildcats sweeping Hawaii twice.
Last week’s four-team event disappeared a few months ago with Pitt’s decision that the strength of the field wasn’t to its liking — Utah soon followed — leaving Coastal Carolina to face the Wahine twice … with the Chanticleers being swept twice.
Now 2-2, Hawaii faces the challenge of preparing for three different opponents with three different personnel groups over four days.
Two former conference rivals — Idaho on Thursday and San Diego State on Sunday — sandwich Friday’s match with Portland, the first meeting between the Pilots and Wahine.
“We’re looking forward to finally playing a tournament,” said Ah Mow-Santos, the setter of the last Hawaii team to play in the NCAA final (1996). “We are still working on a lot of things … the big things, the little things, everything.”
Each of this week’s opponents presents a different test for a Wahine squad working on establishing their identity before seeing No. 18 Oregon (4-2) at the Stan Sheriff Center on Sept. 13 and 14. Hawaii opens Big West play on the road the following week at UC Davis and UC Irvine.
A look at the field:
Hawaii (2-2): Expect the Wahine to continue to run a modified 6-2 offense using junior Norene Iosia and senior Faith Ma’afala at setter, with Iosia moving to outside hitter when Ma’afala is in the back row. Iosia has been efficient in her new role, hitting .380 with double-doubles in every match, three with assists-digs and one with kills-assists.
Senior hitter McKenna Granato has led Hawaii in kills in all four matches and senior libero Tita Akiu has had double-digit digs in her first season after transferring from Texas Tech.
Idaho (4-2): The Vandals have already played three five-setters, winning two (Grand Canyon and Cal State Northridge) and falling to New Mexico. Their other loss was to future Wahine opponent Pepperdine in four in Malibu, Calif.
Idaho features senior middle DeVonne Ryter, the reigning Big Sky offensive player of the week, who has recorded at least nine kills and five blocks in every match this year. The Vandals rank 17th nationally in blocks (2.68 bps).
Hawaii leads the series 20-0.
Portland (6-0): The Pilots have swept three of their six opponents, with a 3-1 victory over host San Diego State, their opponent here Thursday. Portland avoided its first loss last Friday, holding off Wyoming, needing five to top the Cowgirls after leading 2-0.
Three former island athletes return home for Portland’s first meeting with Hawaii: junior middle Shayla Hoeft (Seabury Hall), sophomore libero Carey Williams (Kahuku) and sophomore hitter Kassidy Naone (Le Jardin).
San Diego State (1-5): The Aztecs have suffered almost as many injuries as losses early this season, resulting in some lineup changes that included outside hitter Ashlynn Dunbar setting in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Lipscomb.
SDSU is on a four-match losing streak that began with the four-set loss to Portland. The Aztecs’ lone win came in five against Seattle when senior middle Deja Harris had 15 kills and a career-high 12 block assists.
Collins-Parker is in her 10th year with the Aztecs. The Wahine lead the series that dates back to 1975 40-3. SDSU’s last win was in 1985, when both were in the PCAA, the forerunner of the Big West.
