The University of Hawai'i women's sand volleyball is gearing up for its third season of NCAA competition after wrapping up fall training in November. The Rainbow Wahine spent five straight weeks of training in preparation for the regular season which commences in March 2014.
 
A total of 14 student-athletes—six returnees and eight newcomers—practiced under the watchful eyes of head coach Scott Wong and assistants Michelle Meyer and Danny Alvarez. The team conducted camp on its new sand practice courts, part of the TC Ching Athletics Complex that is nearing completion.
 
"We broke camp up into three parts," Wong said. "The first section we stressed technical skills. The second part of camp was a lot of scrimmaging. We paired the players up, created a match atmosphere and started integrating their skills in live situations. The final part of camp was about breaking down every play we practiced and delving into the cerebral side of the game."
 
Among the returnees on this season's squad are Ashley Johnson, Karlee Riggs, Katie Spieler, Olivia Urban and Ku`ulei Zalopany. Brittany Tiegs will make her much-anticipated debut in 2014. She redshirted last year after transferring from Florida State, where she earned All-America honors as a Seminole.  
 
Meanwhile, eight newcomers hit the sand this fall—Emily Carman, London Chow, Karissa Cook, Kelsi Delgado, Hannah Rooks, Sydney Shinn, Mikayla Tucker and Hannah Zalopany.
 
"I really like our squad this year," Wong said. "We're bigger and more physical with a group of newcomers who have a lot of potential. Our returnees provide experience and stability and have done an outstanding job guiding our new players along."
 
Off-the-court activities, including community service events, have bonded the team. The Rainbow Wahine cleaned taro fields at the Waipao 'Ohana Day in Kane'ohe, and participated in a pair of fundraisers, including the program's inaugural Portuguese Horseshoe Tournament in September.
 
While, the team worked hard in the fall, it is also eying the future.  The team will be further boosted by nearly a half dozen indoor players who join the fold once spring training rolls around. And less than a week after fall camp ended the Rainbow Wahine received a national letter of intent from Kendra Koelsch from Huntington Beach High School in California. The 6-1 Koelsch and her partner recently finished fourth at the 2013 Club Beach Volleyball National Championship. She will suit up for the Rainbow Wahine in the 2015 season.
 
"I'm excited to add Kendra to our program," Wong said. "She's a volleyball junkie who can't get enough of the sport and who constantly works on improving her game. She's experienced success both indoors and on the beach and will be a big asset for our program in the coming years."

UH will host at least two tournaments this spring  with Stanford, USC, Loyola Marymount,  Arizona, Nebraska and defending national champions Long Beach State are among the team's slated to come to the islands. A complete 2014 schedule will be unveiled in the near future.