A lot is riding on this week, with pride perhaps wearing the No. 1 jersey for Hawaii. The Rainbow Wahine host the two teams that handed them their only conference losses this season, with those road defeats at Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State knocking Hawaii out of the AVCA poll for the first time since 1992.
Up first are the 49ers, unbeaten in Big West play at 9-0, which matches their win streak. The Beach’s last loss was in five to Oregon State on Sept. 20 at the Cal State Bakersfield tournament and "they’re playing really well right now," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said after Tuesday morning’s practice. "I think they’ll be even better than the last time we saw them.
"It is a tough week for us. We have to prepare for Saturday (CSUN), but we have to focus on Long Beach first."
The back-to-back matches is something the Big West likely will address after this season, going with the same schedule as in men’s and women’s basketball with a day off in between games. But that is next year and the reality of this week for Hawaii is trying to keep alive hopes for a 20th consecutive conference title, a streak that began after finishing second to the 49ers in 1994.
The Wahine had their chances to beat the 49ers back on Oct. 11 at The Walter Pyramid, dropping a tight Set 3 26-24 on a questionable call on UH setter Tayler Higgins. Hawaii tied the match by winning Set 4, but Long Beach State scored the final four points to win Set 5 15-11, with senior opposite Bre Mackie putting down two of her career-high 20 kills during the closing run.
Mackie, now averaging 2.80 kills per set, added nine blocks and eight digs en route to being named AVCA National Player of the Week. The victory snapped a seven-match losing streak to Hawaii.
"We need to slow Mackie down — she was the one we had problems with," Shoji said. "But they have a lot of weapons.
"We played well for 21/2 games against them. Obviously we need to do the things that were successful."
Junior hitter Tai Manu-Olevao led Hawaii with 16 kills, 13 digs and six aces in the loss, and freshman hitter Kalei Greeley added 10 kills and 14 digs. The Wahine were without junior middle Olivia Magill for most of the match; she went out with a leg injury early in Set 2 and was replaced by freshman middle Emily Maglio (five kills, four blocks).
Hawaii has won its last eight since falling at Long Beach State, including Friday’s five-setter at UC Irvine, a match in which the Wahine were down 0-2 and the Anteaters were serving for the win in Set 3 at 24-23.
"For us to be so far down and come back and win was the best thing that happened on the trip," Shoji said.
Hawaii tweaked its defense against UCI, swapping freshman Savanah Kahakai for senior Sarah Mendoza at libero, with Mendoza moving to defensive specialist in the beginning of Set 3. The pair finished with career highs in digs, Mendoza with 20 and Kahakai with 13; Kahakai broke that mark the next night in the sweep of Cal State Fullerton, finishing with 15 in her first start at libero.
Whether Kahakai remains at libero this week hasn’t been decided.
BIG WEST VOLLEYBALL
Stan Sheriff Center
Friday, 7 p.m.
>> No. 23 Long Beach State (19-4, 9-0) at Hawaii (16-5, 8-2)
Saturday, 7 p.m.
>> Cal State Northridge (14-7, 5-4) at Hawaii
>> TV: OC 16
>> Radio: 1420-AM
