HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team opened their fall camp on Saturday morning. The high-energy and competitive practice was the team's first full team practice in the newly renovated Gym 1.
 
Head coach Robyn Ah Mow and her staff got their first glimpse of the 2019 Rainbow Wahine all together for the first time. This year's team includes seven retunees and nine newcomers. The team will be lead by its four seniors—Bailey Choy (transfer from Utah), Norene Iosia, McKenna Ross, Kirsten Sibley plus Rika Okino who will be earning her bachelor's degree in May.
 
The highly touted newcomers on this year's squad include five freshmen and four transfers. The freshmen come from points all across the globe with international players Hanna Hellvig coming from Sweden and Tiffany Westerberg hailing from Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada. Riley Wagoner is from Dublin, Ohio and Amber Igiede comes to Hawai'i from Baton Rouge, La. while Kamehameha Schools—Kapalama graduate, Braelyn Akana is the lone local freshman from Hau'ula, O'ahu.
 
UH's 2019 roster features four PAC-12 transfers—three from Oregon (Kyra Hanawahine, Jolie Rasmussen, Brooke Van Sickle and one from Utah (Bailey Choy). For both Hanawahine and Choy, it's a homecoming for the Honolulu natives who prepped at Kamehameha Schools—Kapalama and 'Iolani School respectively.
 
Last year, the 'Bows recorded an 18-9 overall record while finishing second for the second-straight season in the Big West with a 14-2 conference mark. Hawai'i advanced to its 26^th-consecutive and 37^th overall NCAA Tournament.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will open the season with the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic which runs from Friday August 30 – Sunday, September 1, 2019. Coming to compete in the tournament will be San Diego, St. John's and Washington.