The buzz of activity around the dormitories on move-in day in Manoa annually heralds the approach of the University of Hawaii’s fall semester.

So too did this week’s move in practice sites for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team.

After a week of two-a-day workouts in Gym 1, the Wahine relocated into SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Monday as they continued preparations for next week’s season-opening trip to Texas.

“Getting in here and practicing with the air flow … has been really important and it’s really exciting,” senior setter Mylana Byrd said before Tuesday’s afternoon session in the arena. “It feels more game-like and it feels like we’re starting the season.”

The Wahine went into Tuesday’s practices 10 days away from their opening match in the Texas A&M Invitational and a week away from departing on the trip to College Station.

“That is crazy to me,” junior outside hitter Riley Wagoner said. “It feels like just yesterday we were starting summer stuff.”

The pace set by the team’s 10 returnees early in the summer has already paid off through the first week of camp. The entire team finished the mile run in under seven minutes on opening day, and their work in open gym sessions has helped accelerate the rate of progress through a week of two-a-days.

“It’s something we felt mimicked the 2019 team,” UH assistant coach Kaleo Baxter said. “We’re still going over the skill work and the techniques that we want to see, but the upperclassmen did a very good job at preparing the newcomers in that summer training block so we could hit the ground running. So we’re doing a lot more 6-on-6 earlier than we have in the past.

“It’s more of a testament to what these girls did in preparation in the summer, and it’s the culture that they know, it’s the culture that they want, and it’s the attitude we’ve instilled in them.”

Position battles continue throughout the court, including among a group of seven pin hitters. Wagoner returns as the most seasoned of the group after starting 27 matches and averaging 2.63 kills per set.

Brooke Van Sickle ended her UH indoor career as the Big West Player of the Year and three members of last year’s freshman class — Mia Johnson, Martyna Leoniak and Ilayda Demirtas — departed via the transfer portal.

“It is very tight,” Baxter said, “and it’s nice to see what the newcomers are doing and it’s nice to see some returning faces step up and see an opportunity and they’re going out and grabbing it.”

Braelyn Akana made 16 starts last season and sophomore Annika de Goede, a left-handed opposite, returns from an injury that limited her to four appearances. Junior transfer Chandler Cowell and freshman Caylen Alexander added to the competition along with the return of Kendra Ham, who transferred from Cal Poly prior to last season.

“(The competition) is really intense, but at the same time it’s really great for our team that we can have so many different weapons and different pieces,” Wagoner said, “(so) that if someone is having a bad game someone else can fill in and step up that day.”

Once the season arrives next week, the Wahine will be tested by a nonconference schedule highlighted by four teams ranked in the AVCA preseason Top 25 poll released on Monday in Pittsburgh, San Diego, UCLA and USC. The Wahine received votes in the poll, as did Texas State, UH’s opponent for the Sept. 1 home opener.

“We’ve always attempted to schedule that way,” Baxter said. “We understand how important the RPI is, and as a coaching staff we did what we felt was best to prepare ourselves not only for Big West but prepare ourselves for the NCAA Tournament.”