Seated courtside, Robyn Ah Mow quickly reached down to knock on the hardwood when asked about Friday’s return from the longest offseason in Hawaii women’s volleyball history.

It’s hard to blame Ah Mow for being a little skittish in the days leading up to the opening night of her fourth season.

After all, the 2020 Rainbow Wahine first endured the uncertainty of a delay before having the season wiped out last December when the Big West announced the cancellation of fall sports.

Then last week the City and County of Honolulu announced that fans would not be allowed to attend UH’s season-opening events — including this weekend’s Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic — amid the state’s surge in COVID-19 cases.

So Ah Mow wasn’t taking anything for granted while looking ahead to Friday’s opener against Fairfield at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

“I’m just waiting and hoping that we can stand over here and we can start warming up and then the whistle will blow and, yes, we’re actually playing,” she said. “Because this stuff outside is crazy. Anything can happen at the last minute.”

Ah Mow said the ban on spectators was a tough blow to the Wahine players, then again “they’re just happy that we have a season.”

“A little bummed about the fan part, they were really looking forward to that,” she said. “Pretty much told them, ‘just gotta look on the bright side.’ We didn’t have a season (in 2020), we at least get to play. No fans is not the end-all right now because maybe later on they’ll have (fans). Maybe they’ll open up, just maybe …”

For now, a fan base that has awaited the return of Wahine volleyball since Dec. 13, 2019 — a three-set loss to Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 16 — will get its introduction to the new roster via broadcasts.

Yet despite all that’s changed over the last 20 months, the expectations and goals remain steadfast for the defending Big West champions and the league’s preseason favorite.

“Are we still driving to win the Big West? Most definitely,” Ah Mow said. “Are we still striving for the ultimate goal of winning a national championship? Yes. And we as a coaching staff are going to find any way possible to do that.”

Ah Mow and assistants Kaleo Baxter and Nick Castello spent two weeks of two-a-days evaluating the talents of a roster with eight returnees and nine newcomers.

The UH coaches got their first in-person look at three international freshmen — Martyna Leoniak (Poland), Ilayda Demirtas (Turkey) and Annika De Goede (Netherlands) — when the outside hitters/opposites arrived in Manoa for camp earlier this month. Freshman middle blocker Anna Kiraly (Hungary) joined the program last year as did setters Mylana Byrd and Kate Lang.

The additions to a roster that includes returning 2019 All-Big West middle blockers Skyler Williams and Amber Igiede and senior outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle, an honorable mention pick, created considerable competition for spots in the rotation.

For her part, Ah Mow enters the season “a little nervous (and) excited all at the same time.”

As for the lineup for Friday’s opener, Ah Mow planned to use the week of practice through today’s session before finalizing a starting group.

“We have a whole board and lineup after lineup and we just test them out and see if they work,” she said.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES RAINBOW WAHINE CLASSIC

SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center

>> When: Friday-Sunday

>> TV: UH matches on Spectrum Sports

>> Radio: UH matches on 1420-AM/92.7-FM

Friday

Marquette vs. Texas A&M, 4:45 p.m.; Fairfield vs. Hawaii, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Texas A&M vs. Fairfield, 4:45 p.m.; Marquette vs. UH, 7 p.m.

Sunday

Marquette vs. Fairfield, 2:45 p.m.; Texas A&M vs. Hawaii, 7 p.m.

RAINBOW WAHINE POSITION BY POSITION

Outside hitter/opposite

>> 2 Brooke Van Sickle 5-9 Sr. Battle Ground, Wash.

>> 4 Martyna Leoniak 6-3 Fr. Warsaw, Poland

>> 6 Riley Wagoner 6-0 So. Dublin, Ohio

>> 7 Kendra Ham 6-0 So. San Diego

>> 11 Tiffany Westerberg 6-3 So. Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada

>> 12 Ilayda Demirtas 6-5 Fr. Adana, Turkey

>> 14 Braelyn Akana 6-0 So. Hau’ula

>> 23 Annika De Goede 6-3 Fr. Nijmegen, Netherlands

>> 31 Mia Johnson 5-11 Fr. League City, Texas

Van Sickle is the most seasoned of a deep group with 21 starts in 2019. The 5-foot-9 senior leads the returnees with 2.43 kills per set and is surrounded by a taller cast with the additions of the international trio, each standing at least 6-3. Although Leoniak and De Goede just turned 18 during camp, Ah Mow noted the maturity of the newcomers and the level of volleyball (in Europe), “makes them grow up a little bit faster.”

Ah Mow also noticed an uptick in leadership from Van Sickle and Riley Wagoner, who made 14 starts as a freshman.

Sophomores Tiffany Westerberg and Braelyn Akana are making the transition from middle blocker and both cited defense and passing as keys to the shift outside with Cal Poly transfer Kendra Ham and freshman Mia Johnson also joining the group.

Middle Blocker

>> 3 Amber Igiede 6-3 So. Baton Rouge, La.

>> 8 Skyler Williams 6-1 Sr. Bellflower, Calif.

>> 20 Anna Kiraly 6-3 Fr. Kistarcsca, Hungary

Amber Igiede’s on-court energy remains one of her trademarks. But her first season playing on the beach helped her slow the game down.

After earning All-Big West indoor honors in 2019, Igiede was a quick study with the BeachBows last spring and was the conference’s Freshman of the Year while partnered with Van Sickle. Along with the physical conditioning inherent in the outdoor game, Igiede gained a different perspective playing on the beach.

“I’m naturally very energetic person, sometimes people would say very chaotic,” Igiede said. “But I think beach has really helped me become calmer, especially with my touch and mentality.”

Williams joined Igiede on the All-Big West first team two years ago, when she led the conference with a .393 hitting percentage. The duo also ranked No. 1 and 2 in blocks per set with Igiede at 1.33 and Williams at 1.22.

“(Williams) is just always improving,” Ah Mow said.

Kiraly enrolled at UH as part of the 2020 freshman class and used the year to get comfortable in the system.

Setters

>> 10 Kate Lang 5-10 Fr. Keller, Texas

>> 15 Mylana Byrd 6-2 Jr. Houston

Mylana Byrd and Kate Lang converted last year’s cancellation into an opportunity for development.

Byrd arrived in the spring of 2020 as a transfer from Alabama and “when she first came in it was difficult, she had to learn different techniques,” Ah Mow said. “But she’s a gamer, she listens, and by the end of the spring she was doing just fine.”

Lang joined the program in the fall and her first year in Hawaii gave her a chance to connect with her teammates and with extended family in Kailua.

“Going through that whole year of practice and two offseasons, it was something that I feel like I’m really lucky to have,” she said.

The differences in height and setting styles could add versatility to the attack and Ah Mow said the competition remained tight entering game week.

LIbero/defensive specialist

>> 1 Kyra Hanawahine 5-2 Sr. Honolulu

>> 5 Janelle Gong 5-9 Jr. Moraga, Calif.

>> 16 Tayli Ikenaga 5-5 Fr. Honolulu

Janelle Gong’s work ethic and positivity in the gym were rewarded with a scholarship at the start of camp as she returns for a fifth year in the program. “She’s worked,” Ah Mow said. “Not only in here but in the weight room.”

Teammates and coaches credited Gong and senior Kyra Hanawahine for stepping up in leadership roles in camp as they work in the back row along with freshman Tayli Ikenaga, a former Moanalua standout.

Hanawahine transferred to UH after two years at Oregon and contributed 12 service aces in 2019 and handled 34 serve receptions without an error.