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DARRELL MIHO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
The University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Kalei Greeley hits past the block of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustang Caihla Petiprin and Savannah Niemen during a game on Saturday at Mott Gym. University of Hawai'i won the match 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18)
The Hawaii volleyball team kept its same ranking from before the NCAA tournament, remaining at No. 23 in Monday’s final AVCA Coaches Division I Women’s Volleyball Top 25.
In the final Ratings Percentage Index also released Monday, the Rainbow Wahine (22-7) finished at 32, seven places higher than their RPI heading into the NCAA tournament.
Hawaii saw its season end with a 3-1 loss at host Washington in the second round. The Huskies (31-3), falling to Nebraska in four in the third round, dropped from No. 3 to No. 9 in the final poll.
NCAA champion Penn State (38-3) closed the year a unanimous No. 1. The Nittany Lions also were top-ranked in the preseason poll and the first poll of the season.
Stanford (33-2), which lost to Penn State in the national semifinal, dropped a spot to No. 2. National runner-up BYU (30-6) jumped from 12 to 3 while Wisconsin (31-3), eliminated in the quarterfinals by Penn State fell two spots to No. 4.
Long Beach State (27-6), which defeated Hawaii twice in five sets, finished at No. 19, a loss of four places. Three other teams that beat the Rainbow Wahine also finished in the poll: Oregon at 14, UCLA 15 and Arizona State 21.
Duke, swept by Hawaii in the NCAA first round, fell four spots to finish at No. 25.
