Hawaii moves up in volleyball poll, freshman Hanna Hellvig honored by Big West
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii outside hitter McKenna Ross put down a kill against the West Virginia Mountaineers, Thursday, in the 2019 Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
Undefeated Hawaii moved up five spots to No. 13 in today’s American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25.
The Rainbow Wahine (9-0) next face two of the remaining six unbeaten teams in the country in No. 17 Missouri (8-0) on Saturday and No. 5 Baylor (7-0) on Sunday in Waco, Texas.
Also in today’s poll, defending NCAA champion Stanford (5-1), losing its first match to Minnesota (4-2) on Saturday, dropped to No. 2. Nebraska (7-0) moved to No. 1.
Washington (7-1), which Hawaii beat 3-1 in the third match of the season, moved two spots to No. 10.
Also today, Hawaii middle blocker Hanna Hellvig today was named the freshman of the week in volleyball by the Big West Conference.
The Swedish national was named the most valuable player of the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Invitational after the then-No. 18 Rainbow Wahine went 3-0 with wins over West Virginia, Utah Valley and UCLA. She had a combined 37 kills, 38 digs and 13 blocks.
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The 6-foot-1 Hellvig recorded her first two career double-doubles in last week’s tournament, tallying 17 kills and 17 digs against Utah Valley, and 11 kills with 12 digs versus UCLA. She tied her career high in blocks with five against both West Virginia and Utah Valley.
Hellvig also was nominated for player of the week, that honor going to Cal Poly’s Maia Dvoracek. Hawaii freshman middle Amber Igiede was nominated for defensive player of the week, the award going to UC Santa Barbara’s Rowan Ennis.
Hawaii has earned a conference honor in each of the first three weeks of the season. Junior hitter Jolie Rasmussen was named player of the week on Sept. 2 and junior middle Sky Williams the defensive player of the week on Sept. 9.
