IRVINE, Calif. >> The Hawaii women’s volleyball team walked off the Bren Events Center court on Saturday understanding it would be back on the same floor in less than a week.
The team flew home and then came back to Southern California on Tuesday before practicing at nearby Crawford Gym Wednesday before the start of the Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship.
The only thing affected by Saturday’s loss to the Anteaters was seeding. UH (19-9) would have been No. 1 with a victory but instead is the No. 2 seed entering Friday’s semifinal match against No. 3 UC Davis, which beat host No. 6 seed UC Irvine in four sets in one of two first-round matches.
Seniors Kate Lang and Tayli Ikenaga were both asked before practice Wednesday what they were feeling as they left the court Saturday knowing their season would either end or continue based on what happened the following weekend in the same arena.
Their answers were versions of the same driving force.
“Just motivation,” said Lang, who was named Big West Setter of the Year on Tuesday. “I think we know how to hit, we know how to dig, we know how to set and we know how to block. We’re ready to go this week.”
Ikenaga, who was named the Big West Libero of the Year, echoed those sentiments. She expected a spirited practice during the limited time they were given on Wednesday.
“Getting the opportunity to come back here, playing in this gym and maybe have an opportunity to see (UC Irvine) again gives us a lot of motivation going into today’s practice,” Ikenaga said. “We’re ready to get after it.”
Hungry, motivated, dedicated, whatever the adjective is, the expectation is this team is poised to play its best volleyball of the season.
They did it last year, sweeping their way to the tournament title after entering the postseason with eight losses and as the No. 2 seed.
“All of our players have been playing high-level volleyball their entire careers. It’s going to be business as usual. We know that our brand of volleyball is very high level at times and we’re confident we’re going to play well this weekend,” associate head coach Kaleo Baxter said Monday before the team left Oahu. “We played a lot of five setters so they have grown a lot. It’s been a grind every single weekend. It hasn’t been a cakewalk whatsoever. The growth of this team shows at times but then it also comes back at times too. We’re hoping to put together a total weekend.”
Hawaii was one of two teams to place two players on the All-Big West first team. Junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander was named the Big West Player of the Year, joining Lang and Ikenaga to give UH three of the four major individual players awards.
Alexander entered Wednesday leading the nation with 566 total kills and was third in kills per set at 5.24.
The service line has played a big factor in Hawaii’s recent matches when it struggles. The Rainbow Wahine have lost five of the last seven matches when they give up double figures in aces but have won seven straight when they finish with more aces than service errors.
Hawaii has won the last four Big West Conference championships and Ikenaga and Lang have a chance to close their careers with a conference title in every season.
Hawaii split its regular-season matches against UC Davis but is 4-0 against the other two semifinalists, No. 1 seed Cal Poly and No. 4 seed Long Beach State.
Hawaii’s RPI dropped from 37 last week to 40 this week despite going 1-1 with the lone victory coming against winless Cal State Fullerton.
A 20th victory to get the Big West title match would make at-large considerations at least a possibility, but nobody is ready to talk RPI this week.
“We’re ready to go to battle,” Baxter said. “We’ve been playing for something really big the entire year. We need to pass at a high clip and our block defense needs to be where it was senior weekend.”
Hawaii expects to practice this afternoon inside Bren Events Center before Friday’s match at 4 p.m. Hawaii time.
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Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship
At Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.
Wednesday
>> No. 4 Long Beach State def. No. 5 UC San Diego, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23
>> No. 3 UC Davis def. No. 6 UC Irvine, 20-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-20
Friday
>> No. 1 Cal Poly vs. No. 4 Long Beach State, 1 p.m.
>> No. 2 Hawaii vs. No. 3 UC Davis, 4 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 3 p.m.
