When the Hawaii women’s volleyball team departed for Southern California on Wednesday, eight of the 11 teams in the Big West were .500 or better and within two games of first place.
The standings will look much different a week from then when the Rainbow Wahine return home from a pivotal three-match road trip.
Hawaii (10-6, 4-2) opens the trip today at preseason favorite Cal Poly (13-5, 6-1), which is one of three teams with only one loss. The others are Long Beach State, which UH has already swept, and UC Davis, which beat the Rainbow Wahine a week ago.
The Rainbow Wahine are tied a game back in the loss column with UC Irvine, which beat UH in five in the conference opener for both teams.
Three teams entered Thursday two games back in the standings, including UC Santa Barbara, which Hawaii will play on Saturday in The Thunderdome, and Cal State Bakersfield, which UH closes the road trip with on Tuesday. But the Gauchos and Roadrunners lost Thursday, giving the teams at the top a little breathing room.
Six teams qualify for the Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship held Nov. 27-30 at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif.
“I think this road trip will definitely be tough, but I think our last road trip in preseason … I think that kind of prepped us for this,” UH assistant coach Nick Castello said Tuesday. “Three teams, four hotels in a week, it’s going to be a lot, but we’ve done this before.”
These three matches mark an important point of the season for the Rainbow Wahine, who have seen their RPI drop more than 30 spots to 67th, which takes them out of at-large consideration for the NCAA Tournament.
By the time UH returns to the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center floor a week from Sunday against Cal State Northridge, it will be much clearer whether this team is fighting to win the conference, or just trying to make it into the conference tournament.
“You can never take (your foot) off the gas, and I think that’s what happened in our situation with UC Davis,” junior middle blocker Jacyn Bamis said Tuesday. “Not letting us step off the gas.”
Both of UH’s losses in conference play came after Hawaii had won the opening set. In the loss to the Anteaters, Hawaii was up two sets and led 23-19 in the third before UCI came back to win.
“When we lose, it’s unfortunate, but there are a lot of lessons to be learned,” Castello said. “Little bit of stepping off the gas. Certainly had moments to close sets, but with any team, you give them a chance and they are going to take advantage of it.”
Junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander, who has already surpassed her kill total from all of last season, is third in NCAA Division I with 324 total kills and a 4.98 kills per set average.
Senior setter Kate Lang, who made her 100th consecutive start in Sunday’s sweep of UC Riverside, needs 99 assists to become the fifth Rainbow Wahine player all-time to reach 4,000 career assists.
Senior libero Tayli Ikenaga is currently ranked second in the Big West with 263 total digs and needs nine more to break into the program’s career top 10.
Cal Poly, which didn’t have a senior on its roster last season, has swept its opponent in all five of its conference wins.
The two teams split their regular-season matches last season, with the road team winning both. They played in the semifinals of the Big West tournament in which Hawaii pulled off a sweep.
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RAINBOW WAHINE VOLLEYBALL
Stream: ESPN+ l Radio: KKEA 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
HAWAII (10-6, 4-2 BIG WEST) VS. CAL POLY (13-5, 6-1)
>> Today, 4 p.m.
>> At Mott Athletics Center, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
HAWAII VS. UC SANTA BARBARA (7-12, 3-4)
>> Saturday, 4 p.m.
>> At The Thunderdome, Santa Barbara, Calif.
