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Between the plane rides and bus trips, Hawaii will look to maintain some distance in the Big West women’s volleyball race.
The conference-leading Rainbow Wahine departed for Los Angeles on Wednesday morning with a three-hour drive to Bakersfield, Calif., awaiting them upon landing at LAX.
After taking on Cal State Bakersfield today on the Icardo Center’s blue court, they’ll have a two-hour drive (depending on SoCal traffic, of course) toward the coast ahead of Saturday’s match against second-place Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
“One of the challenges is going to be the road trip itself,” UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said before the team’s third trek to the continent this season.
“The girls have proven that they know how to travel, that doesn’t upset them. It is what it is — this is our schedule, this is what we have to do.”
In navigating the conference race, Ah Mow has kept her focus squarely on the near side of the court as the Wahine keep their collective gaze from wandering beyond the task directly ahead.
UH (9-5, 6-0 Big West) takes a seven-match winning streak into today’s match at CSU Bakersfield, and the Roadrunners (5-14, 2-5) will have the attention of the Wahine before Saturday’s showdown with Cal Poly (9-8, 6-1), UH’s closest pursuer entering today’s play.
“(The coaches) keep them grounded, making sure ‘this is the team at hand,’ ” Ah Mow said.
Three weeks into the Big West season, the conference has stratified into three levels. UH has won 18 of 20 sets in league play to remain a step ahead of Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara (9-7, 5-1).
Four teams (Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, Long Beach State and UC Davis) remain within sight of the leaders at 3-3.
CSU Bakersfield (2-5) swept UC Davis and UC Riverside last week before falling in five sets to Cal Poly on Tuesday. UC San Diego, Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside entered the week at 1-5.
UH’s latest homestand provided a reminder of how quickly momentum can shift in conference play.
The Wahine put together perhaps their most complete performance of the season in a quick sweep of UC Irvine a week ago.
A night later, they scrambled past UC San Diego, fighting off three set points in both of the first two frames before pulling out a four-set win.
“Every team we play in conference is going to give us a run for our money,” UH defensive specialist/libero Talia Edmonds said. “So we can’t take them for granted and think each game is going to be like (last) Friday night. Sometimes we’re going to have those games, sometimes we’re going to have a dogfight, and we have to be ready for both of those.
“In practice every day, our coaches are constantly pushing us and putting us in situations that are challenging and hard so when those moments come in a game we can be ready.”
CSU Bakersfield pushed Cal Poly on Tuesday before falling in five sets (21-25, 25-21, 14-25, 21-25, 15-13) at the Icardo Center.
Senior outside hitter Haley McCluskey led CSUB with 19 kills on .340 hitting while also posting five aces and four blocks. She leads the Roadrunners and ranks ninth in the Big West with 3.02 kills per set.
Cal Poly outside hitter Tommi Stockham leads the conference with 3.74 kills per set and was among three Mustangs with double-doubles on Tuesday with 14 kills and 16 digs. Libero Jolei Akima, a Kamehameha graduate and Boise State transfer, had 17 digs on Tuesday and leads the Mustangs with 3.11 per set.
UH middle blocker Amber Igiede continues to lead the Big West with a .431 hitting percentage and 4.44 points per set. Setter Kate Lang also tops the conference with 10.04 assists per set while running an attack hitting a league-best .252 overall and .315 in six Big West matches.
Outside hitters Riley Wagoner (3.39 kills per set) and Caylen Alexander (2.86) earned weekly conference honors while hitting primarily on the left side.
While the UH lineup had been fairly stable, the right side and the back row were shuffled last week. Annika de Goede made her first start of the season at opposite against UC Irvine, with Braelyn Akana not in action. Akana returned to the bench for the UCSD match, but de Goede and Kendra Ham split time on the right side in the win over the Tritons.
Tayli Ikenaga’s pregame injury prior to Saturday’s match moved Edmonds into the libero spot, where the junior posted a career-high 28 digs. Ikenaga’s status was questionable prior to the trip.
“Everybody should be ready to play whether you’re starting or you’re coming off the bench,” Ah Mow said. “But it’s been good competition in here the last couple of weeks in all the positions.”
Big West women’s volleyball
At Icardo Center, Bakersfield, Calif.
Hawaii (9-5, 6-0 BWC) vs. CSU Bakersfield (5-14, 2-5)
>> When: Today, 3 p.m.
>> TV: None
>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
>> Online: ESPN+
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