LONG BEACH, Calif. >> The Hawaii women’s volleyball team has a lot to be thankful for on this day of gratitude.
At the top of the list is the inaugural Big West Conference Tournament that started Wednesday at Walter Pyramid.
UH’s hopes for a 30th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament come down to Friday and Saturday night as the Rainbow Wahine need two wins to secure the league’s automatic berth to the postseason.
Hawaii got close to an hour of practice inside of the Pyramid before moving to a nearby gym to finish up Wednesday in sunny Southern California.
With temperatures reaching into the 80s for a second consecutive day, it felt a bit like home for the Rainbow Wahine, who landed on Monday night and have three full days to prepare for Friday’s second semifinal against Cal Poly.
Before then, the team planned to share a Thanksgiving brunch together today before one final practice.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group even though I might be hard on them and they drive me nuts,” Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “Each girl brings something to the team and I’m thankful for them, thankful for them pushing themselves and thankful for them believing in their coaches.”
Most seasons, Hawaii would have won the regular season that resulted in the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, or come in second with an RPI good enough to earn an at-large bid.
This year, in a much tougher Big West, Hawaii did end up in second place, but with four league losses and a 21-8 overall record, its RPI is currently in the 60s, making it unlikely it could play its way into an at-large bid with another loss on the resume.
In other words, it’s win or go home, something UH wouldn’t have had in prior years without a conference tournament.
“Everything happens for a reason. At first we were kind of frustrated about the tournament,” Hawaii senior middle Amber Igiede said. “We were like, let’s embrace it, because it’s something we have to do and now we’re in the position we sort of needed it because we had a couple of losses early on, so really thankful for the tournament honestly.”
Igiede and fellow fifth-year senior Riley Wagoner are the only two Rainbow Wahine to have played on each of the last three teams that won the conference and played in the NCAA Tournament.
They, along with everyone else on the team, repeated the same responses to questions after practice. UH caught a break with this being the first year with a conference tournament. Now it’s up to them to the Wahine to make the most of it.
“This gives us the opportunity to be in a tournament because the Big West usually only gives us one (berth to NCAA’s),” Wagoner said. “This year we would have been out if that was the case finishing second so I’m super grateful to even have the opportunity to keep playing.”
Hawaii hasn’t taken it easy so far on the mainland. A tough three-hour practice on Tuesday was followed by an intense two-and-a-half hour session on Wednesday.
Igiede became the third Rainbow Wahine to make four All-Big West first teams on Tuesday, joining Norene Iosia (2016-19) and Nikki Taylor (2013-16).
Fellow middle Kennedi Evans and setter Kate Lang, who both made the All-Big West second team, join Igiede as the only three Rainbow Wahine to start all 29 matches this season.
Hawaii has started seven different lineups this season with Wagoner, senior Kendra Ham and freshman Tali Hakas starting as the pin hitters in the last four matches with Tayli Ikenaga stabilizing the libero position.
At this point of the season, it’s less about who is in the starting lineup and more about the ones in the lineup making the most of the opportunity.
Igiede says it’s been too much fun on the court together and she doesn’t want it to end now.
“I love my teammates so much and it’s so much fun just laughing with them in the locker room and on the court,” Igiede said. “Our team, besides volleyball, we don’t take anything really seriously, which is really fun. I’m really grateful for them and I think everybody feels that way.”
—
Big West Conference Championships
Walter Pyramid, Long Beach, Calif.
Friday
Hawaii (21-8) vs. Cal Poly (21-10), 5 p.m. Hawaii time
Long Beach State (21-9) vs. UC Santa Barbara (27-3), 2 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 3 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KKEA 1420-AM / 97.5 FM (UH matches only)
