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Hawaii departs today on its first road trip, leaving the comfort of the Stan Sheriff Center and the encouraging embrace of its knowledgeable volleyball fans.
But it’s going to be like the old American Express slogan — “Don’t Leave Home Without It” — when the Rainbow Wahine walk into the Ferrell Center on the Baylor campus.
It will be as if the Sheriff Center was part of the luggage. The Ferrell, completed in 1988, and the then-called Special Events Arena, completed six years later, share the same blueprint and the same predominant interior color: green.
The difference will be in the volleyball configuration. The Ferrell seats 10,284, but the upper section is curtained off for volleyball, limiting the seating to around 6,000.
The fifth-ranked Bears (7-0) drew a program-record 3,878 for Saturday’s match against Tennessee. Baylor, with five sweeps in seven matches, is off to its best start since 2009.
No. 13 Hawaii (9-0) had a season-high 7,595 when it swept rival UCLA on Saturday. This is the Wahine’s best start since 2004, when they opened 30-0.
Hawaii is traveling with 14 of its 16-player roster today, and that includes reigning Big West Freshman of the Week Hanna Hellvig. The nine-hour direct flight to Dallas is nothing compared to the Swedish national’s itinerary last month when she flew from Stockholm to Los Angeles (11 hours) and then to Honolulu (five hours).
“I’ve traveled a lot, have had practice right after the flight, so I’m kind of used to this trips,” Hellvig said Tuesday. “I’m a little nervous not to have the crowd on your side, but it’s going to be interesting playing somewhere new and playing against these great teams.
“You have to stay focused, you have to be prepared. No matter how you’re feeling once you get on the court you get the adrenalin going. I’m excited. I’ve never been to the (U.S.) mainland.”
The Baylor Classic should live up to its name, with three undefeated teams all ranked inside the top 20. Hawaii opens with No. 17 Missouri (8-0) on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s match with the host Bears. Missouri and Baylor begin the three-day event Friday.
Wahine freshman middle Amber Igiede is expecting her parents to make the six-hour drive from Baton Rouge, La., to Waco, Texas.
“I’m excited about that,” she said. “And this first road trip will be exciting. Yes, it’s going to be a long flight, but at the same time, it is going to be all about volleyball. You put everything else aside and focus on volleyball.
“We’ll be gone for 12 days, so it’s about taking care of our bodies, getting to bed early, getting enough rest. It’s going to be exciting.”
Coach Robyn Ah Mow said she was going to make the final travel roster decision today, one that includes whether to take junior Jolie Rasmussen. The outside hitter sprained her right ankle against West Virginia on Thursday; she’s been in a walking boot since.
“When she’s ready, she’s ready,” Ah Mow said of Rasmussen, who led the team in kills until her injury.
The important thing for the Wahine is that they not only have learned to play without Rasmussen for two matches, they’ve learned to win without her.
At least without her on the playing court. She has remained very active on the bench and is “another coach,” Igiede said.
“Jo’s being her exact same self on and off the court,” Igiede said. “On the court, she was giving everyone feedback and now she’s doing the same when not playing. She’s seeing different aspects of the game that normal people don’t see. She’s still seeing another step ahead to help us make ourselves better.”
Hawaii is on the road for 12 days, staying on the mainland before opening Big West play at Long Beach State on Sept. 27 and Cal State Northridge on Sept. 28.
“We’ll see how they travel,” Ah Mow said of her team. “What’s important is that the girls keep learning each game we play. Win or lose, we want to keep getting better.
“Yes, we have a lot of new players and we don’t know how they’ll travel. But these girls surprise me every day.”
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