Exhibition matches don’t count in any standings, but today’s 1 p.m. rematch between Hawaii and Wisconsin on the island of Kauai means much more than just a random spring game for Rainbow Wahine associate volleyball coach Kaleo Baxter.
Baxter, who has been on head coach Robyn Ah Mow’s staff from the very beginning, will help guide the Rainbow Wahine against the Badgers in a refurbished Kauai High School Gymnasium, where he played boys volleyball before graduating as a Red Raider in 2005.
“Everyone is making this about me, but it’s really not,” he said with a laugh after Monday’s match. “I had zero pull on the island that we were going to. Obviously, I am reaping the benefits of it. I get to see my family and go back to Kauai High, but it’s just super awesome we get to bring this level of volleyball to an outer island, and I’m hoping the island of Kauai really enjoys what they see.”
Hawaii will close its spring season with a rematch of Tuesday night’s 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-19 loss to Wisconsin in front of a crowd of 1,213 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Baxter, who said he hasn’t made it home often, was on the staff that did a clinic and coached an intrasquad scrimmage on Kauai the week before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the country in 2020.
He’s played in the occasional Waimea tournament, but that’s about it.
“I don’t play all that much any more, surprisingly,” said Baxter, who will have family members in attendance. “I’m not sure if one of my nephews has been able to come to the Stan to play, but my brothers have, my dad has, and my mom will have the best seat in the house.”
The Rainbow Wahine will again test themselves against the Badgers, who went 26-7 and advanced to a regional final in the NCAA Tournament last season as a No. 2 seed.
Oregon transfer Mimi Colyer, who as a sophomore helped the Ducks eliminate the Rainbow Wahine in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, had a match-high 20 kills and hit .372 to lead Wisconsin.
Senior middle blocker Bri Gunderson, a transfer from Eastern Washington, had 12 kills and hit .545 to lead UH. She combined with fellow starting middle Miliana Sylvester to tally 18 kills on 40 swings with no errors.
“I think the biggest thing has been adjusting to a faster offense. That’s something I haven’t really had to do my entire career,” Gunderson said. “It’s something that I’ve struggled with at first, but I think it’s been really fun to work with the setters and get that offense rolling in my short time here.”
Hawaii started both setters, Adrianna Arquette and Audrey Hollis, and held the Badgers to a .061 hitting percentage.
Colyer took 16 swings with only four kills in the first set, while Gunderson had five kills in eight swings without an error.
Hollis had three kills, six assists, two digs and two aces, while Arquette had five assists and three digs.
Cha’lei Reid added three kills and the third ace for UH, which outdug the Badgers 17-11.
Colyer heated up with seven kills in the second set to help the Badgers tie the match at one set apiece.
Wisconsin won the third set holding UH to seven kills and wrapped up the win with its best hitting set of the night, hitting .340 in the close-out fourth set.
Hollis finished with 16 assists, nine kills and seven digs. Tali Hakas added nine digs, eight kills and three blocks.
Gunderson was in on four of Hawaii’s 6 1/2 blocks.
“We definitely feel as a whole we played smoother and steadier than we did against (Arizona State),” Baxter said. “It’s spring and we’re going to go back to the drawing board and work on the things we need to so we will be prepared when these matches really start to matter in August.”
Today is Hawaii’s fourth and final match of the spring exhibition season. UH won one set in two losses to the Sun Devils two weeks ago.
