SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (8-5, 4-0 Big West) hits the road for a pair of pivotal Big West matches. UH starts the weekend facing off against UC Santa Barbara (11-6, 3-2 Big West) on Friday, Oct. 5. Then the Rainbow Wahine will battle defending BWC Champs and 13^th-ranked Cal Poly (15-1, 5-0 BWC). Both matches are slated to start at 4:00 p.m. HT.
 
The 'Bows are coming off a pair of conference sweeps over Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside. Junior setter/outside hitter Norene Iosia led UH in both matches putting down match-highs of 10 and eight kills respectively. She also helped UH with 21 assists with 13 digs, five blocks and four service aces. Senior outside hitter Casey Castillo added 15 total kills while both McKenna Granato and Natasha Burns contributed with 12 kills apiece.
 
Making her Rainbow Wahine debut this past week was rookie, Kamalei Krug. In two matches, Krug posted nine kills and five blocks. She became the first student-athlete out of Anuenue School to ever play any sport for the University of Hawai'i – Manoa.
 
About the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
UC Santa Barbara's Lindsey Ruddins leads the league with 366 kills thus far this year. She is averaging 5.55 kills/set. Ruddins, who is the reigning BWC Player of the Week, also leads UCSB with 24 service aces. She has double the amount of kills as their next player as Torre Glasker has 144 kills and is averaging 2.44 kill/set. Olivia Lovenberg has issued 756 assists, and reigning BWC Defensive Player of the Week, libero Emilia Petrachi, leads the Gauchos with 313 digs. UH leads UCSB with an all-time record of 40-8.
 
About the No. 13 Cal Poly Mustangs
The defending Big West champs and 13^th-ranked Mustangs are led by the sister duo of Torrey and Adlee Van Winden. Torrey leads the league with a .372 overall hitting percentage. She has 270 kills overall, is averaging 4.91 kill/set and has recorded 44 blocks thus far. Older sister Adlee has recorded 166 kills with 137 digs, 17 blocks and 13 service aces. Avalon Denecochea has dished out 551 assists and leads Cal Poly with 17 service aces, while Katherine Brouker leads the Mustangs with 234 digs. Madilyn Mercer leads CP with 55 blocks.
 
Match #14 Information
Teams: Hawai'i (8-5, 4-0 BWC) vs. UC Santa Barbara (11-6, 3-2 BWC)
Date: Friday, Oct. 5, 2018
Time: 4:00 p.m. HT
Site: The Thunderdome (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Radio: NBC Sports Radio Hawaii AM 1400 will air both road matches this week with Tiff Wells handling the play-by-play.
Audio web stream: nbcsportsradiohawaii.com
Live streaming video: http://bigwest.sidearmstreaming.com/watch/?Live=1463
Livestats: Livestats will be available thru ucsbgauchos.com
 
Match #15 Information
Teams: Hawai'i (8-5, 4-0 BWC) vs. No. 13 Cal Poly (15-1, 5-0 BWC)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018
Time: 4:00 p.m. HT
Site: Robert A. Mott Athletics Center (San Luis, Obispo, Calif.)
Radio: NBC Sports Radio Hawaii AM 1400 will air both road matches this week with Tiff Wells handling the play-by-play.
Live streaming video: http://bigwest.sidearmstreaming.com/watch/?Live=1462
Livestats: Livestats will be available thru gopoly.com