COLLEGE STATION, Texas >> Call it a “Moneyball” approach to volleyball.

The task of replacing the production of Big West Player of the Year Brooke Van Sickle, who completed her indoor career last December, ranked high among the storylines facing the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team through the summer and into the season’s opening weekend in Texas.

If Friday’s match against host Texas A&M was an indication, the Rainbow Wahine — to paraphrase Brad Pitt’s portrayal of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane — are looking to recreate her in the aggregate.

Five UH players finished with at least 10 kills in a five-set loss at Reed Arena in the opening match of the Texas A&M Invitational. According to UH, the distribution marked the first time the Rainbow Wahine had five players in double figures since an NCAA Tournament win over TCU in the program’s last appearance in College Station in 2015.

“That’s what I want,” UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “I want everybody contributing.”

UH setter Kate Lang gave all five hitters at least 27 swings, with junior outside hitter Riley Wagoner leading the Wahine with 21 kills on 44 attempts. Her .364 hitting percentage included a 7-for-13 performance without an error in the fourth set to help the Wahine force a fifth.

“I think it’ll be a little more balanced,” said Wagoner, who ranked second on the team with 825 total attacks last season behind Van Sickle’s even 1,000. “I think people will have their good games, but for sure more balanced.”

Middle blockers Amber Igiede and Tiffany Westerberg combined for 25 kills on 60 attempts and Lang wants to continue to work on an inside-out approach in running the UH attack as the Wahine continue their growth process.

“I want to keep the court as balanced as possible,” Lang said. “The middles need to be run more than the pin hitters, that’s my ultimate goal. I want to get Amber more involved, but I was excited that Tiff was getting a bunch of kills.”

Westerberg started the match in the front row and had four kills in six attempts. Igiede got out to a quiet start to her junior season and recorded her first kill early in the second set before finishing with 13 kills on .379 hitting.

Junior Braelyn Akana set a career high with 10 kills working primarily on the outside while also seeing time in the middle.

Freshman Caylen Alexander was understandably nervous when she was introduced with the starting lineup, but the 6-foot outside hitter from Georgia displayed some of her potential in a 10-kill performance.

“It was really nerve-wracking at first,” said Alexander, who had her mother and sisters in the stands. “But a lot of the girls were saying, ‘We got you’ and helping me through the match and helping me stay calm.

“It took me a minute, but it was fine once all the nerves were gone and it was just a regular game.

“i feel like I have gotten better even from practice, just taking really high swings and using the block to my advantage because I’m not as tall as (the blockers).”

UH outhit Texas A&M .289 to .275, but ultimately, Texas A&M’s firepower from the pins was too much for the Wahine to overcome.

Aggie newcomers Caroline Meuth (23 kills) and Logan Lednicky (20) accounted for 74% of the Aggies’ killl production while taking 101 of their 153 attempts and hitting .337 between them. They had five kills each in the decisive fifth set while taking 16 of Texas A&M’s 19 attacks. The Aggies’ starting middles had five kills on 10 total attempts in the match.