1970s

1972: Dr. Donnis Thompson becomes first women’s athletic director at University of Hawaii (1972-81), on part-time basis
1972: Volleyball and track and field are first women’s sports
1973: Cross country, swimming and diving, basketball, golf and tennis begin inaugural seasons
1976: Dr. Donnis Thompson hired full-time as women’s athletic director
1979: Volleyball wins first national championship

1980s

1981: Cindy Mazda hired as second women’s athletic director
1982: Volleyball wins NCAA championship
1982: Dave Shoji named AVCA National Coach of the Year
1983: Arizona State ends UH’s tennis winning streak at 50 matches
1983: Volleyball defends NCAA championship
1983: Deitre Collins becomes first volleyball player to win Broderick Cup, given to country’s best female collegiate athlete
1984: Program joins Pacific Coast Athletic Association, which becomes Big West Conference in 1989
1984: Gwen Loud wins long jump at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (22 feet, 5.75 inches)
1986: Senior golfer Bobbi Kokx wins inaugural Rainbow Wahine Invitational and team earns co-championship with Arizona
1987: Volleyball wins fourth national championship in eight years
1987: Volleyball’s Teee Williams is AVCA National Player of the Year
1988: Volleyball reaches national championship final
1989: Volleyball’s Teee Williams is co-AVCA National Player of the Year
1989: Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano hired as third women’s athletic director

1990s

1994: UH’s first Gender Equity Study Plan unveiled
1994: Stan Sheriff Center opens (volleyball has led nation in attendance every year since)
1994: Soccer begins inaugural season
1994: Softball plays in first NCAA tournament
1996: Women’s athletics program joins Western Athletic Conference
1996: Volleyball reaches national championship final
1996: Angelica Ljungquist is AVCA National Player of the Year
1996: Basketball wins first conference championship
1997: Water polo begins inaugural season
1997: Rainbow Wahine sailing begins inaugural season
1998: Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium opens
1999: UH hosts NCAA volleyball championship and becomes first venue to sell out — three months in advance

2000s

2000: Volleyball advances to final four
2001: Sailing wins national championship
2000: Track and field reinstated
2001: Basketball reaches WNIT semifinals
2001: Cross country runner Cheryl Smith wins WAC championship and finishes 15th at NCAA championship
2002: Volleyball advances to final four
2003: Volleyball advances to final four
2003: Kim Willoughby is AVCA National Player of the Year and Kanoe Kamanao AVCA Freshman of the Year
2003: Softball wins first WAC regular-season championship
2005: Water polo advances to final four
2005: QiongJie Huang becomes school’s first NCAA diving champion, winning 1-meter springboard
2006: Swimming and diving wins first WAC championship
2007: Soccer team wins first WAC championship and advances to first NCAA tournament
2008: Emma Friesen wins NCAA 1-meter springboard championship
2009: Volleyball advances to final four
2009: Dave Shoji becomes second women’s volleyball coach with 1,000 wins
2009: Water polo advances to final four
2009: Amber Kaufman wins high jump at NCAA Regional Outdoor Track and Field Championships (6 feet, 1.5 inches)
2009: Annett Wichmann wins last of three straight pentathlon titles at WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2009: Dave Shoji named AVCA National Coach of the Year

2010s

2010: Amber Kaufman wins high jump at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (6 feet, 1.25 inches)
2010: Softball wins first WAC championship and advances to first NCAA Women’s College World Series
2010: Volleyball coach Dave Shoji inducted into AVCA Hall of Fame
2012: Sand volleyball begins inaugural season
2012: Tennis wins first conference championship
2012-2013: Rainbow Wahine will leave WAC to rejoin Big West