Igiede will get help and rest in exhibition vs. Minnesota

A year ago, Amber Igiede had the middle all to herself.

Literally.

A shortage of healthy middle blockers on the University of Hawaii roster left Igiede as the only middle available for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team’s spring exhibition against Pepperdine last March. As such, she played the entire four-set match in the front row and ended the night with 31 kills in 52 attempts.

Igiede, now a rising senior and returning third-team All-American, has a lot more company in the position group these days as the Rainbow Wahine prepare for this week’s exhibition matches with Minnesota.

“It’s exciting to have more middles, obviously, to push each other,” Igiede said. “Last year I played the whole time (against Pepperdine) and that was a little tiring. … But now that we have more middles (UH coach Robyn Ah Mow) can try people in different roles and I think that’s going to help the team a lot.”

Manoa will be a week-long volleyball paradise starting Tuesday when the Rainbow Wahine open their two-match series with Minnesota, which ended last season at No. 10 in the final AVCA coaches poll, at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

“Our approach is going to be to get these girls those game-like reps just so they’re a little more comfortable when fall comes around,” UH assistant coach Kaleo Baxter said.

The Wahine and Golden Gophers meet again on Wednesday with the women’s series leading into the Outrigger Volleyball Invitational, hosted by the UH men’s program, starting Thursday. The top-ranked Rainbow Warriors (15-0) will play host to Purdue Fort Wayne, No. 3 Penn State and No. 2 UCLA in the three-day event.

The Rainbow Wahine entered spring practice with an experienced roster coming off a 22-7 season highlighted by a third straight Big West title and motivated by the memory of a four-set loss to LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in early December in Stanford, Calif.

Since then, Clemson transfer Jacyn Bamis joined Igiede and Kennedi Evans in the middle group as the Wahine focused on skill development in spring practices. Evans played in seven matches last season after transferring from Utah last fall as she worked back from a knee injury.

“Amber’s doing Amber things and she’s also getting better,” Baxter said of the reigning Big West Player of the Year.

“Kennedi has been phenomenal this spring. She’s been getting after it and she is pretty much back to form of pre-injury when she was at Utah. Jacyn is just an athletic specimen. She jumps high, she hits hard and once she learns our system and gets comfortable with that setter connection the sky’s the limit for that girl.”

Tiffany Westerberg started all 29 matches at a middle spot last season, and with more depth Baxter said the senior is getting work at outside hitter and opposite in the spring. The opposite spot is one of the open starting roles going into next season with Braelyn Akana finishing her UH career in December.

Outside hitter Caylen Alexander earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors in the fall and the Wahine also have Kendra Ham and Annika de Goede back as pin hitters. Riley Wagoner, a first-team All-Big West pick last season, is playing with the UH beach volleyball team this spring along with fellow outside hitter Chandler Cowell.

UH also returns the Big West Setter of the Year in rising junior Kate Lang and the coaches are looking to give Jackie Matias her first game-like experience this week after the Punahou alumna practiced behind Lang and Mylana Byrd, UH’s lone senior in 2022, last season.

“I’m assuming Jackie’s going to be a little nervous the moment she steps out on that court, but that’s what is so good about these spring matches,” Baxter said.

Back-row specialists Tayli Ikenaga and Talia Edmonds return to anchor the UH floor defense.

Minnesota went 22-9 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament’s round of 16 before falling to Ohio State in four sets in the Austin regional.

Hugh McCutcheon transitioned to an assistant athletic director role after the season after 11 seasons as head coach. Keegan Cook was hired away from Washington to take over the program.

The Golden Gophers’ attack features 6-foot-5 outside Taylor Landfair, a first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year last season when she averaged 4.35 kills per set. Minnesota also returns setter All-Big Ten setter Melani Shaffmaster (10.42 assists per set).

Cook brought Washington to Manoa in 2019 and led the Huskies to a sweep of UH in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in Seattle. Baxter said the new Minnesota coaching staff reached out in January to set up the spring matches with UH.

Exhibition women’s volleyball

At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center

Minnesota vs. Hawaii

>> When: Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 p.m.

>> TV/Radio: None