University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team ranked No. 21 for a season it won’t play

In a cruel twist, the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team has been ranked 21st in the nation for a winter/spring season the Rainbow Wahine will not be able to play.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association issued the preseason poll.

But UH will not be permitted to play due to a decision by the Big West Conference Board of Directors in December that has suspended play in fall sports that have been held over for the winter/spring.

The Big West cited, “… ongoing health and safety challenges affecting Big West campuses and communities, and the significant resources required to properly safeguard the health and well-being of all student-athletes” for the suspension of play.

At the time, UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said, “It is really sad, especially for the seniors. Obviously there are freshmen, sophomore or junior years that got taken, but the seniors, whether they are going to play again or not play again, we don’t know. I feel for them.”

The NCAA is permitting teams to play a Jan. 22-April 3 regular season and plans a 48-team national championship tournament, down from the usual 64 teams, to conclude with the title match April 24 in Omaha, Neb.

It will mark the first time since 1992 that the Rainbow Wahine won’t be part of it. UH has appeared in 38 of the 39 national championship tournaments held by the NCAA.

The Big West initially announced a suspension of the fall season on July 29 without UH playing a match, but several conferences, including the Big 12, Sun Belt, ACC and SEC played on in a truncated fall.

Texas was voted No. 1 in the AVCA for the fall having achieved a 14-0 record but was second to Wisconsin in the preseason poll announced this week.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 2021 TOP 25 POLL

1 Wisconsin (40)

2 Texas (17)

3 Stanford (3)

4 Kentucky (1)

5 Nebraska (1)

6 Baylor

7 Minnesota

8 Washington

9 Penn State

10 Utah

11 Florida

12 Louisville

13 Purdue

14 Notre Dame

15 Creighton

16 BYU

17 Missouri

18 Georgia Tech

19 Pittsburgh

20 Marquette

21 Hawaii

22 UCLA

23 San Diego

24 Michigan

25 Western Kentucky

Source: American Volleyball Coaches Association.