The University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team was the unanimous pick to repeat as the Big West Conference champions in the preseason coaches’ poll.
The University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team was the unanimous pick to repeat as the Big West Conference champions in the preseason coaches’ poll.
Reigning Big West Player of the Year Nikki Taylor is back for her senior season after leading the Rainbow Wahine to a 16-0 mark in conference play, leading the league in kills, aces and points (kills-blocks-aces).
After making a run to the NCAA regional finals last season and going 29-2, UH also returns all-Big West players Emily Maglio, Kalei Greeley and Savanah Kahakai.
Maglio, a junior middle hitter, recorded the second-highest hitting percentage in the league last season at .384 while also leading the Big West with 1.44 blocks per set. Greeley, an outside hitter, finished last season with 214 kills – burying a season-high 16 kills in UH’s NCAA first round match against TCU. Kahakai will try to anchor the back row on defense as the libero after posting a team-high 424 digs last year.
Hawaii opened practice Tuesday and begins the season, the 42nd under coach Dave Shoji, on Aug. 26 against Wisconsin at the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational.