After a mixed-bag road trip, the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team is back at the Stan Sheriff Center to continue Big West Conference play, facing off against the Cal Poly Mustangs and the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.
Despite entering the season as the Big West preseason favorites, the Rainbow Wahine haven’t quite lived up to expectations so far. Hawai‘i holds a 6-9 overall record and sits at 2-2 in conference play. Still, associate head coach Kaleo Baxter and the rest of the coaching staff remain confident in the squad.
“We feel that we still have the pieces to win the Big West,” Baxter said. “We tell (the players) every single day at practice that anyone can beat anyone on any given night.”
Sophomore libero Victoria Leyva echoed Baxter’s confidence.
“I still totally, 100 percent believe in this team,” Leyva said. “We have the pieces to go out there and perform really well.”
Sophomore setter Adrianna Arquette, coming off her second career triple-double in as many weeks, also emphasized the team’s resilience and unity.
“This team is definitely one to embrace every challenge that’s thrown at us,” Arquette said. “We come into practice as one in everything that we do—just embracing each challenge and learning and growing every day.”
While the Rainbow Wahine did manage to get back in the win column with a victory over Cal State Bakersfield, they couldn’t finish the Southern California road trip undefeated, suffering a sweep at the hands of Cal State Northridge. It was Hawai‘i’s first loss to CSUN in 11 years.
“We didn’t make quick changes during the game,” Arquette said. “We got shut down in some aspects.”
Now, the Wahine are focused on bouncing back at home in front of their fans with a crucial two-match slate.
“We’re working hard every day to make those changes we need to,” Arquette added.
Cal Poly Mustangs (12-5, 2-2 Big West)
Hawai‘i has won its last four meetings with the Mustangs, including a 3-1 victory in the 2023 Big West championship match. But Cal Poly enters Manoa looking to flip the script, currently leading the conference with a .278 hitting percentage.
Head coach Caroline Walters, the reigning Big West Coach of the Year, is aiming to earn her first win over the Wahine since a five-set thriller on Nov. 3, 2023, at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Junior outside hitter Emma Fredericks leads the Mustangs with 178 total kills, averaging 3.24 per set.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (11-6, 3-2 Big West)
The Gauchos, led by 2023 Big West Coach of the Year Matt Jones, are also looking for revenge after being swept by Hawai‘i in their last meeting. UC Santa Barbara fell to Cal Poly in five sets in its most recent match.
UCSB ranks 11th nationally and leads the Big West with 157.5 total blocks. Redshirt sophomore Eva Travis has been electric this season, leading the conference with 4.71 points per set and ranking second on the team with 4.20 kills per set.
The Rainbow Wahine will take on Cal Poly at 7 p.m. on Friday, followed by a Sunday showdown with UC Santa Barbara at 5 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center, as they look to climb the Big West standings and prove they’re still title contenders.