The two-time defending Big West champion University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team will enter the season as the conference’s preseason favorite in voting of the leagues coaches.
The Rainbow Wahine topped the preseason coaches poll released today, holding a slim edge over UC Santa Barbara. UH received six first-place votes and 96 points in the poll. The remaining five first-place votes went to UCSB, which received 94 points.
Cal Poly placed third in the voting followed by Long Beach State and UC Irvine.
UH placed two players on the eight-member preseason coaches’ team in junior middle blocker Amber Igiede and sophomore setter Kate Lang. Both were first-team All-Big West selections last season.
UH went 18-2 in Big West play last year, with both losses coming against UC Santa Barbara.
The Rainbow Wahine open the season on the road in the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station, Texas. They faces host Texas A&M on Friday, No. 6 Pittsburgh on Saturday and No. 24 San Diego on Sunday.
2022 Big West Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Hawaii (6), 96
2. UC Santa Barbara (5), 94
3. Cal Poly, 79
4. Long Beach State, 75
5. UC Irvine, 61
6. CSU Bakersfield, 47
7. UC Davis, 46
8. UC San Diego, 37
9. Cal State Fullerton, 36
10. Cal State Northridge, 24
11. UC Riverside, 10
(first-place votes in parentheses)
Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team
Maia Dvoracek, RS, Cal Poly
Amber Igeide, MB, Hawaii
Katie Kennedy, OH/OPP, Long Beach State
Kate Lang, S, Hawaii
Zayna Meyer, S, Long Beach State
Onye Ofoegbu, MB, UC Irvine
Tommi Stockham, OH, Cal Poly
Deni Wilson, MB, UC Santa Barbara