Hawaii junior hitter Nikki Taylor repeated as the volleyball player of the week in the Big West Monday after finishing the Hawaiian Airlines Classic with a tournament-high 53 kills.

The Kaiser High product was named to the all-tournament team as the Rainbow Wahine lost to UCLA in Sunday’s championship match, finishing 2-1 in the event. She led Hawaii in kills in all three matches, including 22 vs. Iowa Friday, had two aces in each of the matches and had a double-double (16 kills-15 digs) in the loss to the Bruins. 

Also Monday, the Rainbow Wahine moved up a spot in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 despite losing to UCLA on Sunday.

Hawaii (5-1) remains the only Big West Conference team ranked and is just one of four from a non-Power Five league.

Penn State was a near-unanimous choice when remaining at No. 1, the Nittany Lions (5-0) receiving all but one of the 64 first-place votes. Florida (4-0), which plays at the Stan Sheriff Center in this week’s Outrigger Resorts Challenge, moved up to No. 2 after wins over then-No. 11 Oregon and then-No. 3 Texas.

Stanford (3-1), receiving the remaining first-place vote, dropped a spot to No. 3 after being swept at Penn State State. Following the Cardinal are Texas (4-1), Nebraska (4-1) and USC (6-0).

The Bruins (4-1), who won the Hawaiian Airlines Classic for the 10th time on Sunday, jumped eight spots from 25th to No. 17. Dropping the furthest were Kentucky (4-3), from 10th to No. 21, and preseason No. 7 North Carolina (1-4), falling from No. 18 last week to out of the poll.

Defending Big West champion Long Beach State (4-2) continues to receive votes (9).