'Bows Host Wahine Volleyball Classic to Open 2024 Season - University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics (2024)

Women's Volleyball 08.27.2024

HONOLULU — The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team opens the 2024 season by playing host to the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Wahine face SMU in the tournament opener on Friday at 7 p.m. On Saturday, SMU and San Diego meetat 7 p.m.The weekend concludes with UH taking on San Diego at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES WAHINE VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC
Opponent | Date | Time				Friday, Aug. 30 7:00 p.m. HT -Hawai'i vs. SMU Saturday, Aug. 31 7:00 p.m. HT - SMU vs. San Diego Sunday, Sept. 1 5:00 p.m. HT -Hawai'i vs. San Diego
Location				SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) - Honolulu, O'ahu
Tickets				ETicketHawaii.com
Promotions				Hawaiian Airlines is the sponsor for the 34th Wahine Volleyball Classic. The first 1,000 fans through the gates before each UH match will receive a UH flag and Wahine Volleyball roster card. Fans will also have a chance to win a round-trip flight to a neighbor island at each UH match. • Friday: We're Hawaii Night Celebrating the uniqueness of our fans and what makes the University of Hawai'i special. Fans are encouraged to wear GREEN to the match. • Sunday: ALZtogether Match Come together as we raise awareness for Alzheimer's and unite the college athletics community for a meaningful cause.
Game Day Information				SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center Game Day Information page
Television				UH games on Spectrum OC16 — Ch. 16 (SD) / 1016 (HD) Kanoa Leahey (PxP), Chris McLachlin (Color). Pregame/postgame: Scott Robbs, Lisa Strand, Ryan Kalei Tsuji (Friday), Talia Edmonds (Sunday)
Live Stream				ESPN+ (Blacked out in Hawai'i) Friday - ESPN+ Sunday - ESPN+
Radio				ESPN Honolulu | 1420 AM / 92.7 FM | Tiff Wells (play-by-play)
Live Audio Stream				ESPNHonolulu.com | Sideline Hawaii App
Live Stats				HawaiiAthletics.com
Game Notes				Hawai'i| SMU |San Diego
Social Media				@HawaiiWVB| #HawaiiWVB #GoBows#SISTAHHOOD|@HawaiiWVB |Facebook

HAWAI'I VS. SMU MUSTANGSOverall Series Record: UH, 11-0.Streak: UH won 11.
Last Meeting:UH, 30-15, 30-27, 30-20; Nov. 19, 2004 (Western Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals;Reno, Nev.)
2023 Record:26-7 overall, 18-1 American (First)
Head Coach:Sam Erger (Third Season)

HAWAI'I VS. SAN DIEGO TOREROSOverall Series: UH 6-4.Streak:UH won 1.
Last Meeting:UH,27-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-22; Aug. 23, 2023 (Rainbow Wahine Classic; Honolulu)
2023Record: 16-10 overall, 12-4 West Coast Conference (Third)
Head Coach:Jennifer Petrie (26th Season)

OPENING SERVE

• The Rainbow Wahine enter the 2024 season with seven returningletterwinners, including three starters, from last season's 24-9 team that captured the Big West Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the program's 30^th straight appearance and 41^st overall. Five newcomers — four freshmen and a transfer — join the roster this season.
• All three teams in this week's tournament received votes in the AVCA/Taraflex Preseason Division I Poll: SMU (76 points, 30^th), Hawai'i (20, 38^th), San Diego (19, 39^th).
• UH head coach Robyn Ah Mow is entering her seventh season and eighth year overall leading the Rainbow Wahine. She holds a career record of 132-45 (.746).
• UH is 38-11 overall in season openers and 3-3 during Ah Mow's tenure.
• UH will open the season at home for the 43^rd season and the 17^th time in the last 18 seasons.
• UH has gone to five setsfour times in the last six openers including the last two in a row.
• In last year's opener, UH rallied past Northwestern, 18-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 15-7 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
• UH was voted second in the Big West Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, trailing Cal Poly. Senior setter Kate Lang and junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander were named to the preseason all-conference team.
• The 2024 schedulefeatures six opponents that played in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, including three automatic qualifiers — SMU (AAC), Pepperdine (WCC) and Texas (Big 12). Texas State, Baylor, and UC Santa Barbara received at-large berths. Six of UH's eight nonconference opponents received votes in the AVCA preseason poll, led by No. 1 Texas, the two-time defending national champion.
  
  'BOWS NOTES

• New Look in the Middle
  • Junior Jacyn Bamis is the lone returnee among the middle blockers after playing behind two-time All-American Amber Igiede and Kennedi Evans last season. Bamis appeared in nine matches last season after transferring from Clemson.
  • Miliana Sylvester and Maddie Way join the middle rotation as freshmen. Sylvester was an All-State performer for University Lab School, which neighbors the UH-Mānoa campus. Way was an all-league middle for Sierra Canyon High School, which ranked fifth in Region 9 in the USA Today HHS/AVCA regional rankings.
  •Morghn Monahan transferred to UH after playing two seasons at Hawai'i Pacific University and could also work on the outside as well.
• On the Pins
  • Caylen Alexander ranked second on the team with 3.10 kills per set and finished strong with 31 kills over two matches in the NCAA Tournament. She had 18 against Iowa State and 13 against Oregon, leading UH in both matches.
  • Sophom*ore Tali Hakas played in 27 matches with 13 starts as a freshman. She earned a Big West Freshman of the Week award and finished with 1.71 kills per set. She spent most of August with Israel's national team before rejoining the 'Bows.
  • Sophom*ore Stella Adeyemi will look to step into a larger role after seeing action in eight matches as a freshman. She received the team's Coaches Award last season for her work ethic and energy.
  • Tyla Reese Mane joins the mix after redshirting last year as a junior college transfer.
• Setting the Tone
  • Kate Lang returns for her fifth year in the program as a three-time All-Big West selection. Her first season at UH was wiped out when the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She earned the starting role midway through the 2021 season and was named to the All-Big West first team as a freshman. She won the inaugural Big West Setter of the Year award in 2022 then made the all-conference second team last year. She enters this season ninth in program history with 3,230 career assists.
  • Jackie Matias played in 21 matches last season after redshirting her first year in the program. She had double-digit assists in three matches with a high of 17.
  • Freshman Adrianna Arquette was the consensus Hawai'i high school Player of the Year and a second-team high school All-American at Kamehameha Schools-Kapālama. A versatile player, she also played outside and in the middle in high school.
• Back Row Combo
  • Tayli Ikenaga got the start on opening night as a freshman in 2021 and has played in 82 of UH's 92matches overher first three years. She has 866 career digs and led the team with 2.68 per set last season while sharing time with Talia Edmonds.
  • Freshman Victoria Leyva enrolled at UH in January and took part in spring practice. She saw her first playing time in a Rainbow Wahine uniform in UH's spring exhibition matches and had two aces in a win over UNLV and one against Notre Dame.

30 YEARS AT THE STAN
The 2024 season will mark the 30th anniversary of the opening of SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Wahine volleyball program was the first UH program to compete in the arena, then named the Special Events Arena, when they faced San Jose State on Oct. 21, 1994. The Rainbow Wahineled the NCAA in attendance for the first 15 years of the arena's existence (1998-2012) and continues to rank among the national leaders. UHplaced third in the country in average attendance in 2023, drawing 6,181 fans per match.

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