Rainbow Wahine middle blocker Amber Igiede earns conference honor

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Hawaii middle blocker Amber Igiede was named the Big West conference Offensive Player of the Week for the seventh time in her career and third time this season.

The Baton Rouge, La., native has earned 10 conference weekly honors in her career. Igiede led the Rainbow Wahine (15-6, 8-2 BWC) to two sweeps against Big West foes this past week. Igiede put down 30 kills, averaging 5.00 per set with a hitting percentage of .510 in those two matches.

Igiede put down a match-high 12 kills on .455 hitting in Hawaii’s 25-14, 25-18, 25-19 road sweep of UC Davis on Tuesday and became the 16th Rainbow Wahine to reach 1,200 career kills. She added a block, and a service ace, making it her seventh match with at least one kill, one assist, one dig and a block.

On Saturday, Igiede finished with a match-high 18 kills on .556 hitting as the Wahine swept UC Riverside 25-19, 25-18, 25-11 at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. It was her 18th match (out of 21) with double-digit kills this season.

Igiede leads the Big West with 285 total kills, 4.64 points per set, and a .398 hitting percentage. Her hitting percentage is No. 25 in the NCAA.

Napoleon, Santer qualify for nationals

Hawaii beach volleyball pair Pani Napoleon and Jaime Santer have secured a spot at next month’s AVCA Collegiate Beach Pairs National Championship after finishing in the top 10 at the AVCA Collegiate Beach West Coast Qualifier this past weekend in Southern California.

Napoleon and Santer won four of their eight matches to finish in a ninth-place tie in the Gold Bracket.

Napoleon spent three seasons at UH before transferring to UCLA for the past two years. She returned to UH this past fall as a graduate transfer to team up with former partner Santer. Napoleon and Santer earned All-Big West honors as a pair in 2021.

Santer will make her second straight appearance at AVCA Nationals after qualifying for last year’s inaugural tournament with then-partner Kylin Loker.

This year’s edition of the AVCA Collegiate Beach Pairs National Championship will be held at Huntsville, Ala., on Nov. 3-5.