Coming off an OUTRIGGER Invitational Championship, the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Wahine Volleyball team sets its sights on the University of Portland Pilots.
“It was a full team effort,” Associate Head Coach Kaleo Baxter said. “We played better ball from start to finish.”
After its first 0-4 start in program history, Hawaiʻi (2-4) bounced back in a big way, sweeping both Utah Valley and St.John’s en route to a monster weekend. The Rainbow Wahine earned a trio of Big West Weekly awards.
Freshman outside hitter Chaʻlei Reid was named Big West Offensive Player of the week, sophomore setter Adrianna Arquette was Big West Setter of the Week, and senior middle blocker Bri Gunderson was named Big West Defensive Player of the Week after the Invitational.
“It can attest to how well our team is starting to build and how we’re starting to flow together,” Arquette said.
For Arquette, this matchup against Portland (5-1) carries extra meaning. She will face familiar faces across the net, playing with Pilots senior outside hitter Maui Robins at Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama her freshman and sophomore year, and alongside redshirt freshman middle blocker Sydney Cazimero her whole high school career.
Robins and Cazimero are a part of a strong local presence on the pilots, including Kamehameha-Hawaii alum Taina Kaʻauwai, and Iolani alum Callie Pieper.
“I’ve been texting them this week,” Arquette said. “I think it’s a super cool opportunity that we get to play here back in Hawaii. Being able to play with Maui and Sydney at Kamehameha has been awesome, and now it’s a full circle moment.”
Pilots head coach Megan Burton also shares local roots. Burton is a native of Kapolei, Hawaiʻi, and an Iolani School alumnus.
“It’s gonna be awesome to play Megan and the Portland Pilots,” Baxter said. “A lot of hugs with a lot of the local girls when they step in the Stan. But once that whistle blows, it’s game on.”
Portland enters Mānoa on a two-game win streak and has been one of the hottest teams in the West Coast Conference. The Pilots opened 2025 with sweeps over Big West member Cal State Fullerton, Oral Roberts University, and the University of Idaho.
Pilots senior outside hitter Elin Larsson leads Portland with 69 kills this season, while Robins is second with 67, and Kaʻauwai is fifth with 38.
“They return a lot from their roster from last year,” Baxter said.
Ka’auwai is the lone WCC first team selection on this Pilots squad, tallying 235 kills with a 0.382 hitting percentage while putting up 114 blocks and 46 digs. Ka’auwai led the Pilots in hitting percentage and ranked 33rd nationally.
Robins, a WCC honorable mention selection last year, led Portland in kills with 305 and service aces with 32. Robins also ranked second in digs with 266, third in blocks with 56, and fourth in assists with 34 in 2024.
Along with Robins, redshirt sophomore setter Havannah Hoeft is coming off a WCC honorable mention selection, where she led the team with 924 assists, which ranked second in the conference. Hoeft ranked third on the Pilots with 212, and fifth in both blocks and service aces with 41 and 15, respectively.
“It’s going to be a battle. We know that we’re going to get everyone’s best when they come to the Stan, and it’s gonna be no different.”
First serve is set for 7 p.m. this Thursday at the Bank of Hawaiʻi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.