SandBows’ popularity continues to grow

The beach always is crowded in Hawaii.

It especially will be this coming season for the Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball roster.

Hawaii officially opened fall practice Wednesday with six beach-only returnees and eight freshmen. That number is expected to swell to at least 21 with the influx of cross-over indoor players in spring.

“I’m excited about what we have coming in and what we have coming back,” said beach head coach Jeff Hall, also the associate head coach for the 12th-ranked Hawaii indoor team. “The freshmen are really committed and are super excited about being in the weight room, getting trained technically.”

The SandBows went 18-10 last season, winning the inaugural Big West championship, and finishing fourth at the inaugural NCAA tournament.

The upgrades to the program this year are a full-time assistant and a director of volleyball operations. Evan Silberstein is the current part-time assistant and indoor DOVO Kaleo Baxter will do double duty with the beach team.

The assistant’s position was posted on the UH website on Sept. 30 with the application deadline Oct. 17. Hall said has received a lot of interest in the opening and expects to announce the hire within a few days of the application deadline.

There’s also added interest from the indoor team to play beach in spring. Among those looking to cross over for the first time are senior Tayler Higgins and junior Savanah Kahakai.

Hall said he had expected indoor freshmen Kirsten Sibley and Emma Smith to join in spring but now might have Norene Iosia as well.

The other cross-over players are beach All-Americans Nikki Taylor and Emily Maglio, as well as Gianna Guinasso, Clare-Marie Anderson and Casey Castillo.

Taylor, who will graduate in May, may forego playing in spring.

“I told her to check her body, see where she’s at after the indoor season and make the best decision for her,” Hall said. “It depends on what her future plans are, playing (indoor) overseas, joining the national team.

“If she’s back with us, she’ll be at No. 1 (pair).”

Beach-only players returning are seniors Hannah Rooks, Mikayla Tucker, Hannah Zalopany and Sydney Shin; juniors Ka’iwi Schucht and Brooke Garlick; and sophomores Ari Homayun and Hi’ilawe Huddleston. The incoming freshmen are Julia Chizanskos, Cyrene Hertzog, Regan Hurkett, Sydney Kidd, Chloe Luyties, Morgan Martin and Amy Ozee (Seabury Hall) with UCLA transfer Laurel Weaver, a junior.

NOTE

The team will hold its fourth Portuguese Horseshoe Tournament fundraiser on Oct. 23 from 1-6 p.m. at the UH soccer field on lower campus. Entry fees are $125 per player, $200 per two-person team or $1,000-$5,000 for sponsors that includes entry for five teams.