Whether with a glance or a word, Skyler Williams has learned to get her point across.
Now in her senior season, the Hawaii middle blocker has grown comfortable in her role as a vocal leader on the court for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team.
Williams and fellow middle Amber Igiede have also developed a non-verbal connection with freshman setter Kate Lang as the Wahine have found a groove since opening the Big West season.
The Wahine middles are hitting at a .337 clip in UH’s 4-0 start to conference play and a quick glance with Lang can keep them seeing eye to eye, even on those occasions when an attack isn’t quite as crisp.
“It took some time to develop,” Williams said, “but I think with the eye contact it’s just reassuring, ‘Hey it’s OK, next one, set me again, let me find my rhythm.’
“I think the eye contact is essential. … When Kate set me on my hip the other day I just looked at Kate and she was, ‘Yeah, I know, we’re here, I got you,’ Eye contact is another form of communication — body language too — that speaks volumes.”
Williams kept her communication positive even in a shaky start to the season and has picked up her production to help the Rainbow Wahine (7-5 overall) remain atop the Big West standings heading into their second road trip of the conference schedule. They’ll make their first visit to conference newcomer UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena on Friday and play at UC Irvine on Saturday.
Williams was a first-team All-Big West selection in 2019 when she led the Big West with a .393 hitting percentage and averaged 2.19 kills and 1.28 blocks per set.
Following the 2020 cancellation, Williams’ efficiency numbers were behind that pace through six matches this season with 1.22 kills per set on .188 hitting . When the Wahine returned from their nonconference road trip to Utah, Williams spent most of a two-match series with USC watching from the bench.
Freshman Anna Kiraly started at a middle blocker spot in both matches and Williams didn’t see the floor until late in the fourth set of the second match. She recorded a kill in her only swing of the series as a UH rally fell short and the Wahine settled for a split of the weekend, but she found a constructive use of the weekend.
“Being on the bench I had to learn to stay engaged,” said Williams, who used her perspective from the sideline to evaluate, “OK, so this is what’s going on. This is how I can help if it’s my chance to go in. This is how I’m going to work hard in practice.
“I think it’s all about learning … It’s learning what I can do to get out there. It definitely lit a fire for me for sure.”
After a bye week, Williams was back in the starting lineup for the opening weekend of the Big West season and has increased her production to 2.43 kills per set while hitting .342 with 17 blocks in four conference matches.
She put away eight kills with one error in 15 attempts in UH’s sweep of Long Beach State last Friday and tied her career high with 13 kills in Sunday’s five-set win over Cal State Fullerton.
“Definitely if she’s not on the court she wants to get there somehow and she’s going to do it,” UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “Obviously she turned around practice and came back and killed it. She knows where she wants to be, (and) she’s going to do everything in her power to get there.”
Just as Williams’ production has picked up of late, Ah Mow noticed an uptick in the volume on the court since her return to the rotation.
“It’s good because she’s very vocal,” Ah Mow said. “There are two or three that are vocal, but I think her voice just carries on the court. When she’s not there, there’s something missing.”
Williams let her voice be heard in a players-only meeting prior to the fifth set against Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.
The Wahine appeared to be cruising to a sweep, but after the Titans rallied to win the third set and dominated the fourth, the Wahine went into the tunnel behind the bench area to regroup.
When they emerged, the Wahine jumped ahead early and held on to remain perfect in conference play.
“Going into that tunnel being away from everybody, and just really expressing, ‘guys we really need to buck up, now’s the time, leave it all out there on the court,’ ” Williams said.
During the meeting, Ah Mow said the the coaching staff were discussing the lineup “and then they came back and they’re like ‘same six,’ and I’m like, ‘OK, let’s go,’ ” she said.
“They were ready when they came back. That’s a good thing knowing that they can go over there and talk amongst themselves and then come back and be like that.”
BIG WEST VOLLEYBALL
At RIMAC Arena, San Diego
Hawaii (7-5, 4-0 BWC) vs. UC San Diego (6-10, 3-2)
>> When: Friday, 4 p.m.
>> TV: None
>> Radio: 1420-AM/92.7-FM
>> Online: ESPN+
