UHH to allow 500 vaccinated fans in games

Welcome back, UH-Hilo fans.

It’ll take a couple of weeks to catch the Vulcans’ first-place volleyball team in person, but the wait won’t be nearly as long for soccer.

The school announced Monday its gained clearance from the county for 500 fully vaccinated fans wearing masks to attend volleyball and soccer matches, starting with UHH’s soccer’s contests Tuesday against Concordia (women at noon, men at 2:30 p.m.).

For soccer matches, according to a release, “fans are only allowed to sit in the baseball stadium bleachers. Fans may not go down to the field or anywhere else. Fans must wear their masks at all times and physically distance themselves from other parties.”

For volleyball, “fans must also be physically distanced and wear masks for the entire duration of their attendance. The Vulcan Gym bleachers will be marked off accordingly to comply with physical distancing practices.”

Minors under the age of 12, the release said, may attend with a parent/legal guardian, though masks are required.

“Our student-athletes need fans to come back in the stands, and I think our fans need a chance to see our student-athletes,” UHH athletic director Pat Guillen said.

UHH’s volleyball team just completed a four-match homestand and doesn’t have a home match scheduled until Nov. 4.

“With as well as the the volleyball team is playing, I think we could have had standing-room only crowds,” Guillen said. “We won’t be able to have that yet, but we’re working with what we have.”