The grind of conference competition tends to translate across league lines.
So after spending four years in the Big Ten, University of Hawaii defensive specialist Talia Edmonds has an idea of what to expect entering her first tour of the Big West.
Both conferences place a premium on the regular season, with neither sponsoring a postseason tournament. But the margin for error in the quest for a berth in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament is slimmer in the Big West than it is in the Power Five conferences.
“In the Big Ten, they’ll take seven, maybe eight teams,” said Edmonds, who transferred to UH from Michigan State in January. “But in the Big West you have to be really good and every game matters.
“That’s something I’m more excited for — every game has these really high stakes, and no matter who you’re playing, it’s important to be your best and do your best and not take any time off.”
After taking a few days to recharge during their lone bye week of the season, the two-time defending Big West champion Rainbow Wahine (3-5) open their 10-week conference schedule by taking on UC Davis (6-5) on Friday and UC Riverside (2-8) on Saturday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
UC Davis opened the Big West season with a four-set home victory over UC Riverside on Tuesday, winning 25-16, 13-25, 26-24, 25-19 before making the trip to Honolulu.
UH has made the NCAA Tournament 39 times, including each of its past 28 seasons (not counting the 2020 pandemic cancellation) and again entered the season as the Big West favorite coming off back-to-back league championships. UH topped the preseason poll in tight voting among the conference’s coaches. UC Santa Barbara was second, followed by Cal Poly and Long Beach State.
UH’s challenging nonconference schedule included losses to San Diego, ranked fourth in this week’s AVCA coaches poll, and No. 10 Pittsburgh in the season’s opening weekend in Texas.
There were also lessons to be drawn from dropping five-set decisions to Texas A&M and UCLA and a four-set loss to open a series with USC. The Wahine bounced back by rallying past the Women of Troy after dropping the first two sets of the rematch to enter Big West play on an upswing with the reverse sweep.
“I think our preseasons have been pretty good at getting us prepared going into (the Big West) season,” UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said.
“You can’t take plays off. … You have to get in there, do your job, and the way you show respect is you play your ‘A’ game. Bring out your ‘A’ game every time you step on the floor.”
The Wahine capped the bye week with their Green-White scrimmage following the Alumnae match on Friday and added some depth over the break. The 1,000 or so in attendance got their first look at middle blocker Kennedi Evans, who was recently cleared for full participation in her comeback from a knee injury she suffered last year while playing for Utah. The 6-foot-2 junior joins a middle blocker group anchored by fellow juniors Amber Igiede and Tiffany Westerberg.
“Just trying to listen to my body and listen to what the doctors say and work back to what I can do,” Evans said Friday.
“It felt like a very long time, so I was excited to get back into things,” she said of being cleared. “I know it takes mind and body a while to get there, but I felt like I did all the work and I’ve had great support from my teammates and coaches … so it hasn’t been too bad of a journey.”
BIG WEST WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
UC Davis (6-5, 1-0 BWC) vs. Hawaii (3-5, 0-0)
>> When: Friday, 7 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
