IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team was the unanimous preseason favorite in the Big West Conference Coaches' Poll, receiving all six first place votes.
 
The Rainbow Warriors, which also earned the top spot in the preseason AVCA Top 15 poll, received 36 points followed by UC Santa Barbara (28), two-time defending national champion Long Beach State (23), UC Irvine (19), CSUN (13), and UC San Diego (7).
 
UH is the defending Big West Tournament champion after defeating The Beach for the title. The Warriors return three All-Americans – senior opposite Rado Parapunov, junior libero Gage Worsley, and senior middle blocker Patrick Gasman – along with starting outside hitter Colton Cowell.
 
For the fourth time in program history, UH will open the season as the nation's top-ranked team. However, this year marks the first time that Hawai'i is the preseason poll favorite. The AVCA created the preseason poll in 2007. Prior to that, the Warriors earned the No. 1 ranking in the first poll of the season in 1989, 1996, and 2003.
 
UC Irvine hosts this year's Big West Tournament. UH opens the season with a pair of matches against Charleston, Jan. 3-4 at the Stan Sheriff Center.