One more time, with feeling.
Two days after energizing the largest crowd of the season with a comeback victory, the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team will look for a dual celebration in its farewell appearance today at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Big West-leading Rainbow Wahine (19-6, 16-1) close the home schedule against Cal State Bakersfield and will honor their lone senior, setter Mylana Byrd, in the traditional ceremony following the 5:30 p.m. home finale.
“I think it’ll be fun to get to celebrate Mylana,” sophomore Kate Lang said of her fellow setter following UH’s four-set win over Cal Poly on Friday. “She deserves it.”
With a two-game lead in the Big West race, UH can also clinch at least a tie for first place with one more win. The Wahine close the regular season on the road later this week, starting with a showdown with second-place UC Santa Barbara on Friday. The schedule ends a day later at Cal State Northridge.
UC Santa Barbara (19-9, 15-3), the only team within striking distance of UH, kept alive its hopes of catching the Wahine with a 25-20, 25-11, 25-19 sweep of UC Riverside on Saturday.
UH is 12-2 at home this season, 9-0 in Big West matches, and have won 10 straight in Manoa, starting with a reverse sweep against USC on Sept. 10.
The second White Out night of the season drew a crowd of 6,036 on Friday that was subdued by a Cal Poly rout in the opening set. After a team meeting, the Wahine flipped the switch in the arena with a 10-point run early in the second set and kept the energy up with a 13-point surge in the third set.
The decibel level peaked late in the fourth as the Wahine wiped out a 20-15 deficit with a 7-0 run and went on to earn payback for their lone conference loss of the season with the 16-25, 25-12, 25-16, 25-23 win over the Mustangs.
When the volume dials up, UH middle blocker Amber Igiede said, players on both sides of the net “can’t help but get mesmerized too.
“It just makes you grateful to play and it really makes you want to win even more,” she said.
Although the Rainbow Wahine had a rare break between conference matches, just don’t call it a “day off.”
After Braelyn Akana hammered the last of her 10 kills on match point in Friday’s night victory, the Wahine had a practice scheduled for Saturday to prepare for today’s meeting with CSU Bakersfield.
“They’re going to come in to practice, they’re going to get their serve-pass in and watch some video and come back on Sunday,” UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said.
Although Cal State Bakersfield enters today’s game at 7-22 overall and 4-13 in Big West play, the Wahine have reason to be wary of the Roadrunners.
Bakersfield took a close opening set and the Wahine dominated the next two at the Icardo Center on Oct. 14. The Roadrunners hit .435 in the fourth set to push the Wahine to a fifth. UH jumped out to a 5-1 lead and held on for a 23-25, 25-15, 25-14, 18-25, 15-8 win.
“They just play all-out energy on that side,” Ah Mow said of the Roadrunners, led by coach Giovana Melo. ”Every ball they’re diving and going for it and we just have to match that and be better and take care of our assignments.”
Award season
Igiede picked up three awards at the team’s banquet on Saturday. The junior was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and received UH’s “Best Attacker and “ Best Blocker” awards. Igiede leads the Wahine with 3.70 kills and 1.29 blocks per set and ranks fourth nationally with a .430 hitting percentage.
Outside hitter Riley Wagoner was named the “Most Improved Player.” She is averaging a career-high 3.27 kills per set. Sophomore libero Tayli Ikenaga won her second “Best Defender” award and is averaging a team-best 3.12 digs per set.
Byrd earned the “Most Inspirational Player” on the eve of her senior day game.
SSC doubleheader day
Friday’s match with Cal Poly was indeed the last on the arena’s Taraflex surface.
Today’s senior day volleyball match will follow the final day of the UH women’s basketball team’s Bank of Hawaii Classic.
The day begins with San Diego taking on Florida Gulf Coast at 11:30 a.m. The Rainbow Wahine then take on Lipscomb at 2 p.m.
UH (0-3) is seeking its first win of the season after opening the tournament with a 65-45 loss to FGCU on Friday. Lipscomb (2-3) is coming off a 49-45 loss to San Diego.
Due to the tight window between events, the volleyball match will be played on the hardwood rather than the Taraflex court.
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Big West women’s volleyball
At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Cal State Bakersfield (7-22, 4-13) vs. Hawaii (19-6, 16-1)
>> When: Today, 5:30 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
