The schedule is complete, the roster is set and the coaching staff restocked.
Come Monday, a return to the practice gym marks the next phase in the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team’s comeback from a season’s absence.
Following a day of meetings on Sunday, the reigning Big West champion Rainbow Wahine are scheduled to hold their first practice on Monday, with the season opener against Fairfield awaiting less than three weeks later on Aug. 27 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
“This has been a moment that I think everybody has been waiting for,” Rainbow Wahine coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “Not only just the team, but I think the whole community, the island, just getting back women’s volleyball in the Stan Sheriff again.
“Everybody’s excited, and we can’t wait to actually get in the gym and get things going.”
The Wahine had their 2020 season wiped out when the Big West canceled the fall sports season — the opener will be UH’s first match since Dec. 13, 2019, a loss to Nebraska in the NCAA regionals. The NCAA tournament was rescheduled for the spring and went on without UH for the first time since 1992.
Ah Mow said most of the team is in town ahead of the start of practice, with the exception of freshman Ilayda Demirtas, a 6-foot-5 opposite/outside hitter from Turkey. Ah Mow expects Demirtas to arrive around the time the team hits two-a-days.
Demirtas is one of nine newcomers to the 17-player roster. The group includes four international freshmen in Demirtas, outside hitter Martyna Leoniak (Poland), middle blocker Anna Kiraly (Hungary) and opposite Annika De Goede (Netherlands).
Kiraly joined the program for the 2020 season, but Monday’s practice will be the first time the coaches will see the other international players perform in person.
“(Former associate coach Angelica Ljungqvist) was going go out and check out some of the three girls, but obviously COVID hit and we weren’t allowed to,” Ah Mow said. “So just continuously just watching them on video, that’s the most we could do.”
Among the more familiar faces will be a senior class of libero Kyra Hanawahine, outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle and middle blocker Skyler Williams.
With four-time All-Big West first-teamer Norene Iosia completing her career in 2019, the competition at setter will feature the Texas duo of Mylana Byrd, a junior transfer from Alabama, and freshman Kate Lang.
Sophomore middle blocker Amber Igiede is also back indoors after being named the Big West beach volleyball Freshman of the Year this spring, as are outside hitters Riley Wagoner, Tiffany Westerberg and Braelyn Akana. A deep group of outside hitters also added Kendra Ham, a transfer from Cal Poly, and freshman Mia Johnson.
Hanawahine is joined in the back row by junior Janelle Gong and freshman Tayli Ikenaga.
Ah Mow said the roster features “a lot of athletic girls, and it’s just trying to put all the pieces together.”
Notably absent from the roster are Ljungqvist and outside hitter Jolie Rasmussen.
Ljungqvist returned home to Sweden in July and Nick Castello’s addition to the coaching staff was announced on Thursday.
Rasmussen, UH’s leader in kills per set in 2019, announced in a social media post last week that she would not return for her final season of eligibility after dealing with injuries for much of her college career.
Tickets on sale
Season tickets went on sale on Monday, although whether fans will be allowed to attend matches at SimpliFi Arena remains in question.
A post announcing the start of ticket sales included a section stating “The University of Hawai’i is still waiting on governmental approval to allow fans to attend athletic events.”
Tickets can be purchased online at hawaiiathletics.com, in person at the SimpliFi Arena box office (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.), or via phone at 944-2697.
