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The University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine volleyball team was picked to win the Big West Conference in the preseason coaches poll released Wednesday.
Hawaii received eight first-place votes and 80 points in the poll. Defending Big West champion Long Beach State, which was 16-0 in league play in 2014, had one first-place vote and was second with 68 points. UC Santa Barbara was third with 56.
CSUN was fourth with 53, followed by UC Davis (50), UC Irvine (39), Cal Poly (32), UC Riverside (15) and Cal State Fullerton (12).
Head coach Dave Shoji begins his 41st season after leading the Wahine to their 22nd straight NCAA tournament appearance where they lost in the second round to Washington. The Wahine are led by All-Big West first-teamers Nikki Taylor and Tai Manu-Olevao. Hawaii, 22-7 last year, opens the season at home against Idaho on Aug. 28 in the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational. Oregon State and Wichita State also are in the invitational.