The smallest Rainbow Wahine has made one of the biggest impacts this volleyball season. That was recognized twice in as many days, including Monday when Hawaii senior libero Tita Akiu was named the defensive player of the week by the Big West.
It was the third weekly honor for the 5-foot-3 Kamehameha graduate who helped the Wahine close the regular season with two victories last week. Akiu had a combined 33 digs in the wins over UC Irvine and UC Davis, with 15 against the Anteaters and 18 against the Aggies.
Akiu, who transferred home after three seasons at Texas Tech, has had double-digit digs in all but one match for Hawaii (18-8). She has 431 digs, playing in all 97 sets, one of three Wahine to do so.
In her one season at Hawaii, she had six 20-plus-dig matches, including three with a UH-career-high 26. She is fourth in the conference with 4.71 digs per set.
At Sunday’s team banquet, Akiu earned the best defensive player award.
Other awards went to junior setter-hitter Norene Iosia (most valuable player), senior hitter McKenna Granato (best offensive player), middle blocker Natasha Burns (best blocker) and senior setter Faith Ma’afala (most inspirational).
Iosia, who played all 97 sets in a hybrid 6-2 offense, finished the regular season No. 2 in four statistical categories — kills (201), assists (463), digs (286) and blocks (54) — and third in aces (26). The Torrance, Calif., native had three triple-doubles (kills-assists-digs) and 15 double-doubles.
Granato was the team leader in kills (313) and aces (37). The Punahou graduate is the 20th Wahine to amass 1,000 kills and has 1,044, ranking her 19th all-time in program history.
Burns, a redshirt junior from Canada, is forgoing her final season of eligibility. She led the team in all three blocking categories: solo (14), assist (74) and total (88).
The only award voted on by the players went to Ma’afala, who played two seasons after transferring from Southern Utah. The Kamehameha product led the Wahine in assists (626) and was second in aces (27). She started all 97 sets.
Also on Monday, Hawaii rose seven spots to 50 in the Ratings Percentage Index. The RPI is part of the formula used by the NCAA selection committee to determine berths and seeding in the 64-team national tournament.
The selection show is Sunday. Hawaii, which has only missed the postseason once (1992), is considered a bubble team.
Hawaii, which loses seven players, has begun filling the openings. On Monday, coach Robyn Ah Mow-Santos announced the signing of four, adding, “These players are all hard-working and talented and they each have a chance to contribute right away.”
Signing their National Letters of Intent were Braelyn Akana, Amber Igiede, Riley Wagoner and Tiffany Westerberg.
Akana, the daughter of former Rainbow Wahine Joselyn Robins, is a versatile 6-foot hitter/middle who helped lead Kamehameha to four state tournament appearances and two state titles (2015 and ‘17).
Igiede is a 6-3 middle blocker from Baton Rouge, La., who set school records of 1,656 kills and 309 blocks for St. Michael the Archangel.
Wagoner, a 6-foot hitter at Dublin Coffman (Ohio), recently was named to the Under Armour High School All-American second team and finished her high school career with 1,493 kills, 1,114 digs, 185 blocks and 139 aces.
Westerberg, a 6-3 middle from British Columbia, helped her club team to the 16U and 17U Canadian national championships and was named the top middle in British Columbia while playing for Maple Ridge Secondary School.
