University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team awaits word on Big West schedule

JAMM AQUINO / 2020
Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade huddled with the Rainbow Warriors coaching staff during a timeout in the second set of a match against BYU on March 5, 2020 at the Stan Sheriff Center. UH is ranked second in this week’s AVCA poll, trailing only BYU. The Warriors received two first-place votes.

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JAMM AQUINO / 2020

Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade huddled with the Rainbow Warriors coaching staff during a timeout in the second set of a match against BYU on March 5, 2020 at the Stan Sheriff Center. UH is ranked second in this week’s AVCA poll, trailing only BYU. The Warriors received two first-place votes.

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The University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team is preparing to play matches as early as late February.

UH coach Charlie Wade said the Big West, of which the Rainbow Warriors are members, is expected to announce the 2021 schedule following this week’s meeting of athletic directors.

Two weeks ago, with the Big West announcing it would sponsor spring sports, there was “almost a certainty” the 2021 season would be played, according to Wade. “The devil is in the details,” Wade said.

Wade said it appears it will be league-only competition for the Big West’s six men’s volleyball programs. Wade said the league could open play between late February and mid-March. UH is set to host the postseason Big West tournament.

A significant issue is the format. In past seasons, Big West teams faced each other twice during the regular season as a part of a round-robin format. The league appears ready to go to three-match series this season. In that situation, it has not been determined if two or all three matches would count toward league standings.

“I wouldn’t say unanimously, but I’d say a majority (of coaches) want to play three and have (them) mandated and have (them) all count,” Wade said. “I’m certainly one of those. You get consistency, everybody doing the same thing. To me, that makes the most sense.”

Wade said there have been limited discussions on whether players will be required to wear masks on the court.

“I saw some volleyball this weekend, and it seemed like most were wearing masks,” Wade said. “We have had masks on the entire time we’re practicing. … If everyone wore ’em, it would lower the at-risk status of the sport, which would change the testing protocols.”

The Warriors have been following safety and health guidelines during preseason training. Wade said the players and coaches wear masks during workouts. He said the locker room is not used. Instead, each player has a socially distanced space in the practice gym. Each member of the team’s “bubble” is tested once a week for the coronavirus. The tests will be administered three times a week starting seven days before the season opener.

Wade said there have been animated six-on-six scrimmages each practice.

“They’ve been great,” Wade said. “There are position battles going on in every spot on the floor, really competitive. That part is always good.”

The Warriors were No. 2 in the first AVCA poll of the season, the same placement as their preseason ranking.

“There were a few matches this weekend, but we didn’t play,” Wade said. “I don’t think anybody on the West Coast did, either. It’s kind of the same poll as a month ago.”