Two matches don’t make an entire season.

Nonetheless, last weekend for the Hawaii women’s volleyball team provided an important step in the right direction heading into the home stretch of the regular season that ends with four out of six matches on the road starting this afternoon at UC Riverside.

Hawaii (15-7, 10-3 Big West) moved into a first-place tie to start the week with UC Davis, which the Rainbow Wahine play on Saturday at University Credit Union Center in Davis, Calif., after back-to-back wins against UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly.

Hawaii avenged an earlier sweep against the Gauchos with a three-set win on Friday and then avoided the dreaded letdown match following a big win that has befuddled the Rainbow Wahine at times this season with a four-set win over the Mustangs.

UH is now 3-0 against teams it has previously played this season with two of those victories against opponents that beat the Rainbow Wahine the first time around.

“We have a lot more film to look at and it’s even more beneficial because you can look at yourselves playing them and that helps even more,” junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander said before practice on Monday. “I would say that playing (teams) a second time, even though it is a challenge, it definitely has its easier aspects.”

Hawaii has matched a season high with four consecutive wins entering today’s game against UC Riverside (8-18, 3-10).

Hawaii has won all 33 meetings in the series and has swept the last 11 matches dating back to 2017.

Alexander earned her third straight, and UH record, sixth Big West Offensive Player of the Week award of the season on Monday. She remains second in the nation with 457 total kills, 5.25 kills per set and 502 total points.

She got help in last weekend’s two wins from sophomore outside hitter Stella Adeyemi, who substitutes into the front row for starting defensive specialist Victoria Leyva.

Adeyemi combined for 17 kills in the two wins and has hit .304 or better in her last three matches for the first time in her career.

“The hitting for us, that’s it. As long as that ball is high, she is going guns hot,” Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “I’m just like, ‘cover her,’ because she’s just going, she’s not tipping nothing, she’s going guns hot. For her to get the kills she gets, especially this weekend, that definitely helps.”

Ah Mow, who has guided UH to the last four Big West championships, admitted she’s felt a different energy among the team once the second half of league play begun.

A relaxed Halloween practice in which the entire team dressed up helped even out the stress of the hard work they have been putting in in the practice gym.

“Hopefully there is still a sense of urgency. We’re not going to keep snapping our fingers and things are going to happen,” Ah Mow said. “We can’t have the big dip. They’re getting it and we’re slowly each game going to get better.”

In Big West matches, Hawaii leads the conference in kills per set (14.64), hitting percentage (.268) and digs per set (15.93).

Middle blockers Jacyn Bamis and Miliana Sylvester are hitting a combined .338 in conference play with Bamis ranking fourth in hitting (.352) and Sylvester sixth (.323).

UC Riverside has won three of its last five matches. Junior Makena Tong, a University Lab alumna, leads the Highlanders with 367 assists averaging 4.48 per set.

With six matches left in the season, UH is one game ahead of three teams tied at 8-4, including UC Irvine, which beat Hawaii in five sets to open conference play.

The top two finishers earn a bye into the semifinal round of the Big West Conference Championships held Nov. 27-30 in Irvine, Calif.

RAINBOW WAHINE VOLLEYBALL

Hawaii (15-7, 9-3 Big West) vs. UC Riverside (8-18, 3-10)

>> Today, 4 p.m.

>> SRC Arena, Riverside, Calif.

Hawaii vs. UC Davis (15-7, 10-3)

>> Saturday, Noon

>> University Credit Union Center, Davis, Calif.

>> Stream: ESPN+

>> Radio: 1420 AM / 92.7 FM