Alexander, Lang, Ikenaga earn top Big West honors for Hawaii
GEORGE F. LEE / OCTOBER 11
Hawaii junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander took a swing against UC Davis during a match at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii seniors Tayli Ikenaga, left, and Kate Lang, who were honored on senior night on Nov. 16, earned Big West Player of the Year honors today.
IRVINE, Calif. >> The Hawaii women’s volleyball team won three of the Big West’s four top individual season honors, headlined by junior Caylen Alexander named the Player of the Year today.
Senior Kate Lang was named the Big West Setter of the Year and senior Tayli Ikenaga earned Libero of the Year honors as the conference announced its season awards prior to the start of the Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championships on Wednesday.
Alexander is the sixth Rainbow Wahine overall and fifth in the last six seasons to be named the conference’s player of the year since UH rejoined the Big West in 2012.
She enters postseason play leading the NCAA Division I with 566 total kills and ranks third nationally with 5.24 kills per set.
Alexander, who was named the Big West Freshman of the Year two seasons ago, earned all-conference, second-team honors as a sophomore.
Lang earned her second Big West Setter of the Year award in three seasons after leading the conference in total assists with 1,195 and assists per set (10.58).
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She is only the third setter in UH history to amass 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in a career.
Ikenaga earned the conference’s top award for a libero for the first time after posting double figures in digs in 25 of 28 matches.
She ranks second in the conference with 454 total digs and in digs per set (4.02) and is fifth on UH’s all-time digs list with 1,320.
Alexander and Lang both made the All-Big West first team while Ikenaga made the second team. A libero was not chosen for the first team.
Middle blocker Miliana Sylvester, who started all 28 matches and has a team-high 82 blocks, was voted to the Big West All-Freshman team.
Sophomore opposite hitter Tali Hakas and junior middle blocker Jacyn Bamis earned honorable mention all-conference honors.
Cal Poly’s Caroline Walters was named the Big West Coach of the Year after leading her team to a 14-4 mark in conference play and the No. 1 seed in the tournament. UC Santa Barbara outside hitter Eva Travis was named the Big West Freshman of the Year.
Hawaii, the No. 2 seed in the Big West tournament, will open play Friday in the semifinals against the winner of Wednesday’s match between No. 3 seed UC Davis and No. 6 seed UC Irvine, which is hosting the tournament at the Bren Events Center.
