Put another ball on the wall. That’s the goal for Hawaii this beach volleyball season, one the Rainbow Wahine can literally envision every day of practice.
The Wahine have three volleyball plaques hung on the Diamond Head wall of the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, the side that can be seen from their three sand courts. The balls are marked “2016,” “2017” and “2018,” designating the SandBows’ championship success in the first three seasons of Big West competition.
It’s not a big space to the right of the last plaque, but it’s a large void in Hawaii’s collective psyche. The “2019” plaque resides on the Cal Poly campus, the Mustangs dethroning the three-time champion Wahine in April’s conference tournament.
Hawaii begins the quest for No. 4 this week against the team that ended the SandBows’ 2019 season: USC. The Women of Troy, who swept Hawaii in the NCAA tournament semifinals, play the SandBows Saturday in two duals and Sunday in a pairs tournament at Queen’s Beach.
“We’re super excited to play someone else,” sophomore Pani Napoleon said of Hawaii’s only contest during the fall semester. “We did lose a lot (from last season), but we’ve gained a lot in terms of skills. I’ve never seen a group of young freshmen come in with the focus.
“We get to battle USC, who was No. 1-2 all last year and ended our season. I want to beat them bad.”
Hawaii’s biggest losses were All-American Emily Maglio and Ari Homayun, the program’s all-time leader in wins (118) and dual matches (115). Homayun has returned as the SandBows’ volunteer assistant, replacing Danny Alvarez, who had been with program for seven seasons.
Hawaii also lost Paige Dreeuws, an all-conference honorable mention last season as a sophomore who has transferred to USC. It was uncertain whether Dreeuws made the travel roster this week for first-year head coach Dain Blanton.
The SandBows return seven players from the 28-11 squad that finished fourth at the NCAA tournament. They also have five newcomers, including high school All-American Ilihia Huddleston, the younger sister of graduated SandBow Hi‘ilawe.
“I’m happy where we’re at,” fifth-year head coach Jeff Hall said. “This is the first year where our entire freshman class could play. We’re healthy, we have 12 players in the fall and it’s been real good.
“We don’t have a lot of resources to travel for fall, so we’re grateful that we have a chance to play SC, a great opponent with a great name, at home. Everyone loves playing at Queen’s and we’re expecting a good crowd.”
Hawaii and USC will play duals on Saturday at noon and 3 p.m. Players will be seeded off those results into Sunday’s 16-team pairs tournament that begins at 7 a.m. and concludes with the 3 p.m. televised final.
Note
Hall is expecting several of Hawaii’s indoor players to cross over in spring, including senior Norene Iosia, who joined the SandBows late last spring. Others potentially are freshman Hanna Hellvig and junior Brooke Van Sickle, the latter who originally was recruited for beach.
COLLEGIATE BEACH VOLLEYBALL
At Queen’s Beach
USC at Hawaii
>> Saturday Duals: Noon & 3 p.m.
>> Sunday Pairs tournament: Round of 16, 7 a.m.; quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, noon; final, 3 p.m.
>> TV: Sunday’s final, 3 p.m., OC16
