The question is not “if and where” but “where and when” for the Hawaii volleyball team.
For the first time in Robyn Ah Mow’s three seasons as the Rainbow Wahine coach, Hawaii will gather to watch the NCAA Selection Show knowing its name is guaranteed to be somewhere on the 64-team bracket, courtesy of having won the Big West’s automatic berth as conference champion.
Today’s speculation is whether or not the Wahine will host this week’s first and second rounds, something they haven’t done since 2013. Hawaii was at 11 in the last Ratings Percentage Index released on Monday, the computer-generated strength-of-schedule rating that is a big part of the NCAA’s selection process.
Teams with RPI of 1 to 16 traditionally have been rewarded with the subregional and, at 24-3 with a win streak of 11 and coming off an official sellout in its last match, Hawaii looks to be an attractive top-16 seed, especially with the athletic department submitting a strong bid that includes travel guarantees.
But given Hawaii’s history with NCAA committees — most of it disappointing — Ah Mow said after Saturday’s practice in Gym I, “If we host, it would be awesome. If we don’t, it’s still awesome because we’re still playing.
“It is a different feeling and I don’t know which is more exciting. We’re still waiting to see our name.”
It’s a different feeling for setter Bailey Choy, playing as a graduate student, and junior middle Sky Williams. Choy spent the past three Selection Sundays with Utah. The Utes never won the Pac-12, but the conference usually has had more than half of its teams given at-large bids.
“It’s always exciting to see what happens, where you’re going to go,” Choy said. “We hosted the first two rounds when I was a sophomore and that was really fun.”
Williams had a different experience waiting on an at-large bid
“We’ve been nervous the last two years,” she said. “This time, you’re still nervous, waiting for our name to pop up.
“Having another sellout would be awesome. It’s so great to have all that support.”
Hawaii’s senior night match on Nov. 22 against Long Beach State was the program’s first sellout since 2013 and 15th in the 25-year history of the arena.
“Having that many people with that energy helps us come together and play for something bigger than ourselves,” Choy said. “The fans love us and we love them.”
Hawaii was scheduled to have another practice this morning before watching the selection show. Williams and Choy agree that the Wahine continue to improve and mature as a team.
“I think we’ve found our rhythm and matured,” Williams said. “We‘re jelling and everyone is coming more together. There’s always room for improvement.”
“That last drill we did (Saturday), we struggled in the beginning,” Choy added. “Later in the season we’ve been taking care of business and, as Sky said, maturing.”
Hawaii may or may not have the services of junior hitter Jolie Rasmussen, who went down with a severe ankle sprain against West Virginia on Sept. 12, the seventh match of the season. The transfer from Oregon has not been cleared to fully participate in practice.
The Wahine spent Thursday morning feeding the homeless in Waimanalo. It was part of the annual outreach that Mahina Eleneki-Hugo, who played for Hawaii from 1984 to 1987, and husband Todd have done for some 15 years.
“I think if we were to go individually, it wouldn’t have meant as much to those people,” Choy said. “That we went as a team … they knew the Rainbow Wahine.
“It touched a lot of their lives and it was amazing to see the impact we can have on other people and what we can do to serve them. One of the ladies just started crying, she hugged ‘Coach Rob’ and then she saw us. It made her day.”
Note
If Hawaii hosts Friday and Saturday, the Stan Sheriff Center box office will begin selling two-day ticket packages to the public at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Prices have not been announced. For information, call 956-4482.
Selection Show
>> Today, 3:30 p.m.
>> ESPNU
