University of Hawaii sophomore Nicole Lopez was named the Big West softball field player of the week on Monday after claiming MVP honors in the Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic.

Lopez hit .550 (11-for-20) and drove in six runs in the seven-game tournament. She posted a 1.000 slugging percentage with three doubles and two home runs while keeping the Big West award within the Rainbow Wahine program for a second straight week. Lopez was also error-free at third base with 18 assists and seven putouts.

Lopez leads the Big West with seven home runs and is tied for the team lead with senior Heather Morales, last week’s Big West honoree, with 21 runs batted in.

The Rainbow Wahine went 6-1 in last week’s tournament to close the nonconference schedule at 21-10. UH checked in at No. 55 in the first NCAA RPI rankings of the season released on Monday and opens Big West play March 31 at home against UC Davis.

UH still No. 4 despite being swept twice

Two losses at No. 3 Brigham Young did not affect Hawaii’s ranking in Monday’s AVCA Division I-II Men’s Volleyball Top 15, with the Rainbow Warriors remaining at No. 4.

The was no change in the division of first-place votes between the top two teams either. No. 1 Long Beach State (21-2, 14-1 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) again received 13 votes and No. 2 Ohio State (21-1, 10-0 MIVA) the other 11.

Hawaii (20-4, 10-4 MPSF) hosts No. 14 Cal State Northridge (12-12, 5-10) on Friday and Saturday, the final regular-season matches at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Warriors have clinched a berth in the eight-team MPSF tournament and are looking to lock up a top-four berth, which would mean hosting a quarterfinal match on April 15. They lead fifth-place UCLA by two games and visit them on April 7 and 8 to close the regular season.

Also Monday, Hawaii was at No. 4 in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index. Defending national champion Ohio State topped the RPI, followed by Brigham Young and Long Beach State.