Hawaii draws Iowa State in first round of NCAA Tournament
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / NOV. 18
Hawaii middle blocker Amber Igiede (3) hugged middle blocker Kennedi Evans (12) as Kendra Ham stands by after defeating Long Beach State on senior night last weekend at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Hawaii women’s volleyball team will open the NCAA Tournament on Thursday against Iowa State, seeded seventh in the Wisconsin quarter of the 64-team bracket released today.
UH will head to Eugene, Ore., where it will play its first-round game at 2 p.m. Hawaii time.
The winner will play the victor between host Oregon and Southeastern Louisiana on Friday to advance to the round of 16.
The Rainbow Wahine gathered at the Stan Sheriff Center hospitality room Sunday to watch the NCAA selection show, which started at 1 p.m., after flying home from Long Beach, Calif., earlier this morning.
Hawaii (23-8) earned an automatic bid to its 30th consecutive NCAA Tournament by winning the Big West Tournament championship on Saturday. The Rainbow Wahine swept Cal Poly in the semifinals and Long Beach State in the final.
The Rainbow Wahine, who have won six in a row, haven’t won a game in the NCAA Tournament since beating Mississippi State in the first round 2021.
Hawaii is one of two Big West teams to make the tournament. Regular-season champion UC Santa Barbara, which lost to Long Beach State in the Big West semifinals, will play Houston on Friday in Palo Alto, Calif.
