Hawaii senior Emily Hartong collected her seventh Big West Volleyball Player of the Week honor Monday. The same day, the Rainbow Wahine were No. 3 in the NCAA’s first RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) of the season, and jumped up one spot, to fifth, in the AVCA Coaches Top 25.
Hartong lifted the Wahine to wins at Long Beach State and UC Irvine over the weekend, collecting her seventh and eighth double-doubles of the season. She had 25 kills in the win at Irvine and averaged 5.57 kills, 3.14 digs and 0.86 blocks on the trip, hitting .458.
The 2012 All-American leads the conference in kills (259) and kills per set (4.62), and is eighth in hitting (.308). She is ninth nationally in kills per set.
Hawaii (15-1) trails only defending NCAA champion Texas and top-ranked Southern California in the first RPI. The NCAA Tournament seedings and brackets are based on the power ranking, which measures wins, losses, strength of schedule and opponents’ strength of schedule.
The rest of the Top 10 is Florida, Penn State, Stanford, Nebraska, San Diego, Michigan State and Creighton. The Wahine defeated Texas and Creighton. Their only loss was to San Diego, in five, opening week.
They take a 13-match winning streak into this weekend’s Big West Conference matches at Stan Sheriff Center. Hawaii plays UC Santa Barbara Friday and Cal Poly Saturday.
Other BWC teams in the RPI’s Top 125 are Cal State Northridge (53), UC Irvine (63), Santa Barbara (102), Long Beach State (107), Cal State Fullerton (115) and Cal Poly (122).
