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The Hawaii women’s volleyball team debuted in the “others receiving votes” category in the AVCA/Taraflex Preseason Division I Women’s Volleyball Poll released Monday.
The four-time defending Big West champions, who received 20 votes, were the only school from the conference to receive at least two votes in the inaugural rankings.
Six of Hawaii’s eight nonconference opponents received at least two votes, including two-time defending national champion Texas, which was ranked No. 1. The Rainbow Wahine will play the Longhorns in Texas on Sept. 20 before closing nonconference play at No. 23 Baylor the following day.
UH opens the season next week in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic, hosting SMU on Aug. 30. The Mustangs received 76 votes and were the fifth team outside of the Top 25. San Diego, which UH plays on Sept. 1, was right behind Hawaii with 19 votes.
Pepperdine, which comes to town for two matches the second weekend of the season, received 30 votes.
Hawaii also has two home matches against Texas State, which earned two votes.
Damacion receives Big West honor
University of Hawaii freshman midfielder Nalani Damacion received Big West Freshman of the Week honors on Monday after scoring the game-winning goal in her collegiate debut over the weekend in the Outrigger Kickoff.
Damacion scored in the 86th minute on Thursday’s season-opening 3-2 win over Georgia Southern. She became the first-ever UH freshman to score a game-winning goal in a season opener.
The Rocklin, Calif., native is the first Hawaii player to earn Big West Freshman of the Week honors since September 2022 (Amber Gilbert).
