IRVINE, Calif.—University of Hawai'i women's volleyball player Nikki Taylor earned her second straight Big West Player of the Week honor on Monday after burying a tournament-high 53 kills to help Hawai'i go 2-1 in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic.

This is Taylor's third career conference Player of the Week honor. As a freshman, she earned the accolade on Nov. 25, 2013. Last season, she was named BWC Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 24, 2014. It is the first time a Rainbow Wahine has been voted Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks since Kim Willoughby accomplished the feat twice while UH was still in the Western Athletic Conference in 2003 (Sept. 1/Sept. 8) and 2001 (Oct. 15/Oct. 22). Heather Bown also earned the accolades in 1999 (Nov. 1/Nov. 8) and in 1995, Angelica Ljungquist was the first Rainbow Wahine to be named Player of the Week back-to-back in 1995 in the Big West (Sept. 18/Sept. 25).
 
Taylor, a 6-3 opposite, also earned all-tournament honors for the second consecutive week after averaging 4.82 kills, 2.18 digs, 1.18 blocks and 0.55 service aces while hitting .267 (53-21-120).
 
Taylor led the Rainbow Wahine in kills in every match this past week, and has done so in all six matches thus far this season. She tallied a game-high 22 kills in the tourney opener against Iowa and followed with 15 kills with a season-high .542 hitting percentage (15-2-24) against American on Saturday.  In the tournament finale against No. 25 UCLA, Taylor posted her second double-double of the season with 16 kills and 15 digs.
 
Despite falling in a four-set thriller to UCLA, the 'Bows rose one spot in the AVCA Coaches' Poll to No. 16.
 
The Rainbow Wahine host their final pre-season tournament this week with the Outrigger Resorts Volleyball Challenge (Sept. 10-12). San Diego State, No. 2 Florida and Eastern Washington will all be competing for the tourney title.