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If the first three years have flown by, it’s been nothing in comparison to the warp speed five of Hawaii’s players have been experiencing this volleyball season, their final as Rainbow Wahine.
And next week? It’s going to be a blur as Bailey Choy, Norene Iosia, Rika Okino, McKenna Ross and Kirsten Sibley prepare for what could be their final home match in the Stan Sheriff Center.
No. 19 Hawaii is holding on to the hope that it will host the NCAA tournament subregional for the first time since 2013. The Wahine (22-3, 12-2) will have to play a waiting game until Dec. 1, when the NCAA field and top 16 seeds are announced, not knowing whether there’s another road trip in their future of if they get to stay home the first week of December.
But first things first, which will be the last conference matches of 2019 for Hawaii. The Wahine have spent the bye week gearing up for Thursday’s contest against Cal State Northridge and the one with Long Beach State Friday that will be capped by the traditional senior night festivities.
“Hosting’s been a goal and if we don’t, it would be so sad that next week is the last time,” said Iosia, who’s doing double duty at setter and hitter. “Every single game that we have (in the Stan Sheriff Center) has been freaking amazing, like an NBA game. It’s always like a big match.
“The arena we play in is one of the best in the country, especially with our fans. You don’t see it anywhere else.”
What Iosia and the rest of her teammates would like to see what would be the first sellout for women’s volleyball — and 15th dating to 1994 — since UCLA on Sept. 7, 2013. Hawaii is averaging 5,832 (tickets) for 15 home dates this season, the largest crowd being 8,657 (tickets) for UCLA on Sept. 14.
Most of the Wahine were in the stands last April when the Rainbow Warriors sold out two of their final three matches, including the Big West Tournament championship against Long Beach State. Iosia was working at one of the concession stands and “wow, it was shaking,” Iosia said. “It was loud. It would be crazy if we got that.”
If Hawaii wins out, the Wahine will do no worse than a share of the conference title with Cal Poly. Because of the tiebreaker, Hawaii would get the Big West’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament; the past two seasons, the Wahine have gotten into the tournament as an at-large selection.
“We’re definitely focused on these two matches,” Sibley said. “I think we’re all pretty excited for next week. We want to enjoy senior night and the end of the conference. But in the back of our minds, we’re thinking about Pittsburgh.”
The final four is in the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Dec. 19 and 21. Hawaii has not advanced out of a regional since 2009, last played in the title match in 1996 in Cleveland, the senior year for Wahine coach Robyn Ah Mow and associate coach Angelica Ljungquist.
Ah Mow said keeping the team dialed in for next week hasn’t been hard. Win and in as the Big West champion is motivation.
“I ask them, ‘Do you want to keep playing?’ ” Ah Mow said. “Maybe it’s the last time at home. You never know what the (NCAA selection) committee’s going to do.
“The focus has been on blocking and defense. It can always be better. It’s been a slower pace this week, watching video, seeing what we have to work on. It’s still stuff on our side of the net.”
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