HONOLULU – Under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Maureen Cole, the No. 6 Rainbow Wahine water polo team opens its season on Friday in Santa Barbara, Calif., kicking off the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invitational, which runs Jan. 20-22. Hawai'i will play five games over the course of three days at the UCSB Campus Pool and the UCSB Recreation Center Aquatics Complex. Of the five opponents, four enter the season with a national ranking.

The Rainbow Wahine begin the season against No. 12(T) Pacific on Friday, Jan. 20 at 1:30 p.m. HT. The 'Bows hold a perfect 25-0 all-time record against the Tigers, including a 7-6 win in Irvine, Calif. last season.

Opening the second day of tournament competition, UH faces Marist at 8:30 a.m. HT (Jan. 21). Hawai'i looks to get a win streak going, after defeating the Foxes in their first-ever meeting, 11-6, last season at the Brown Invitational in Providence, R.I. Marist received votes in the preseason poll. In the afternoon matchup, Hawai'i faces No. 12 UC San Diego at 3:10 p.m. HT. The 'Bows hold a commanding 20-3 all-time record over the Tritons, including an 11-10 overtime victory in the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Center last season.

On the final day of the tournament, Hawaii meets No. 16 Indiana, now headed by former Rainbow Wahine assistant coach, Ryan Castle, at 6:00 a.m. HT on Jan. 22. UH holds a 13-2 all-time record over the Hoosiers but haven't faced them since a 9-5 victory in 2014. That same day, the Rainbow Wahine will also face No. 2 Southern Cal at 9:30 a.m. HT. The Trojans have been one of the toughest UH foes, leading the all-time series against the 'Bows, 38-3, including a 9-5 Hawai'i defeat in the 2016 home opener. UH last defeated the Trojans, 10-9, during the 2006 season.

After wrapping up at UCSB, the Rainbow Wahine have 11 days off from competition before heading back on the road to face Santa Clara, in advance of that weekend's Stanford Invitational, Feb. 4-5.

UCSB Tournament (Jan. 20-22)
Match #1
Opponent: Pacific
Date: Friday, Jan. 20
Time: 1:30 p.m. HT
Location: UCSB Campus Pool
Live Stats (via Pacific): Click Here
 
Match #2
Opponent: Marist
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21
Time: 8:30 a.m. HT
Location: UCSB Recreation Center
 
Match #3
Opponent: UCSD
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21
Time: 3:10 p.m. HT
Location: UCSB Campus Pool
 
Match #4
Opponent: Indiana
Date: Sunday, Jan. 22
Time: 6:00 a.m. HT
Location: UCSB Campus Pool
 
Match #5
Opponent: Southern Cal
Date: Sunday, Jan. 22
Time: 9:30 a.m. HT
Location: UCSB Campus Pool