LONG BEACH, Calif.--The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team readies for the inaugural Outrigger Big West Championship this week. The No 2 Seeded Rainbow Wahine will take on No. 3 Seed, Cal Poly who defeated the No. 6 seed, UC Davis in Wednesday's quarterfinal match. Hawai'i and Cal Poly will face off in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 24 at The Walter Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State.     
 

Big West Championship - No. 2 HAWAI'I (21-8, 14-4 Big West) vs. Winner of #3 CAL POLY (20-10, 14-4 BW) vs. No. 6 UC DAVIS (13-15, 8-10 BW)
Date | Time				Friday, Nov. 24, 2023 | 5:00 p.m. HT
Location				The Walter Pyramid (4,200) - Long Beach, Calif.
Big West Championship Page				CLICK HERE
Live Video Stream				ESPN+
Radio				ESPN Honolulu: 1420 AM / 92.7 FM - Tiff Wells (Play-by-play)
Live Audio Stream				espnhonolulu.com  | Sideline Hawaii App
Live Stats				TBD
Game Notes				Hawai'i | TBD
Social Media				@HawaiiWVB  | #HawaiiWVB #GoBows | @HawaiiWVB  | Facebook

No. 2 Seed - HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (21-8, 14-4 Big West)Head Coach: Robyn Ah Mow (Seventh Season)
Record at UH: 131-42 
Big West Record: 93-11
 
No. 3 Seed - CAL POLY MUSTANGS (20-10, 14-4 Big West)Head Coach: Carolym Walters (Fourth Season)
Series record: UH leads, 45-10
Streak: Cal Poly won 1
Last meetings: After UH defeated the Mustangs on the road in four, 3-1 (Oct. 14) in the first round, the Wahine fell short in a five set roller coaster ride of a match in which Cal Poly was at the controls, 25-10, 22-25, 25-15, 14-25, 12-15. After dominating in the first and third sets, the 'Bows were unable to maintain their momentum as Cal Poly would capitalize on unforced errors and come thru with key points en route to the win. In the loss, Caylen Alexander put down a match-high 18 kills. 
 
No. 6 - UC DAVIS AGGIES (13-15 8-10 Big West)Head Coach: Dan Connors (Ninth  Season)
Series record: UH leads, 20-1
Streak: UH won last 17
Last meeting: UH concluded its three-match conference roadtrip with a sweep at UC Davis, 25-14, 25-18, 25-19. Igiede led Hawai'i with a match-high 12 kills and she became just the 16th Rainbow Wahine to ever record 1,200th career kills. For the match, Igiede hit .455 with just two errors on 22 swings. For the seventh time this season, the senior middle blocker recorded at least a kill, an assist, a service ace, a dig, and a block to fill her stat line completely. It marked her fourth-straight and 17th double-digit kill match of the season. Alexander added nine kills hitting a season-high .500 (9-1-16) to go with six digs. LAST TIMEOUT...

• Last weekend was Senior Week for the Rainbow Wahine with tough opponents to end the regular season. On Friday, the Rainbow Wahine swept the Tritons, 25-10, 29-27, 25-21 then came back on Saturday in front of a season-best crowd of 8,216, for a Senior Night match against Long Beach State who had trounced UH earlier this year. Hawai'i defeated the Beach in four, 25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 25-17.
• Against UCSD, as a team, UH hit a combined .313. Junior setter Kate Lang recorded her team-leading 12th double-double with 29 assists and 11 digs, while senior middle Amber Igiede put down a match-high 14 kills and hit .500. Freshman pin-hitter Tali Hakas added a career-high 12 kills.
• On Senior NIght, Long Beach State started the match on fire, racing out to a quick 5-0 lead and extended it to 10 with an 18-8 lead in Set 1. Hawai'i then mounted a stunning 10-0 scoring run with senior Kendra Ham serving to catch the Beach at 18-18. Hawai'i would hold off LBSU down the stretch to capture Set 1, 25-23. Hawai'i would go on to win the match in four set. Igiede tied her season-high with 21 kills while hitting .500 for the night and Caylen Alexander was a dig shy of a double with 19 kills and nine digs. Lang tied her season-high with 50 assists and also finished a dig shy of a double-double.

NEWS & NOTES

OUTRIGGER BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP

• UH finished the conference season tied with Cal Poly with a 14-4 BW record. With Saturday's win over the Beach, the Rainbow Wahine, earned the No. 2 Seed and Cal Poly comes in as the No. 3. The tiebreaker came down to a third tiebreaking step. After splitting the two-game regular-season series, and matching one another against common opponents starting from the top of the standings, it came down to best total win/loss set record in conference matches. With Hawai'i sweeping through 11 opponents and dropping just 15 sets in league action, the 'Bows earned their semifinal spot. Hawai'i will take on the winner of the meeting. UCD has one victory against UH to their name back in 2013, while the Mustangs got the better of the 'Bows in a five-setter on Nov. 3 as the two split the season series.

ALL BIG WEST 

• Six Rainbow Wahine earned all-Big West honors on Tuesday. Igiede became the third UH player to ever earn All-BW First Team honors all four years, joining only Norene Iosia (2016-19) and Nikki Taylor  (2013-16). For the third-straight season, setter Kate Lang earned all-BW honors making the second team along with middle Kennedi Evans who improve exponentially as the season went on. Receiving Honorable Mention awards were Caylen Alexander and Paula Guersching  while rookie Tali Hakas made the Big West All-Freshman Team.
• Igiede, a four-year starter at middle blocker, led the league in hitting percentage (.396), kill per set (3.74), total points (480.5) and points per set (4.62). She leads the team with 113 total blocks and 23 service aces as well. This year she became just the fourth Rainbow Wahine in history to join the 1,000 kill/500 block club. Currently, she has career totals of 1,325 kills and 514 blocks. The multi-dimensional Igiede has become a dominant force in the middle over her career and this season she was the only UH player to record at least a kill, block, and dig in all 29 matches.
• Evans, the other half of UH's twin towers in the middle, had a stand-out season after transferring to UH last season. She has started every match and finished fourth on the team with 173 kills with a .300 overall hitting percentage with a 1.68 kill/set average. In conference, Evans raised her game to another level—averaging 1.95 kills/set with 119 kills and a .346 hitting percentage. Overall she is second on the team with 81 total blocks.
• Lang earned All-Big West for the third-straight season. She leads the league in both assist per set (10.48) and total assists (1,090). She leads UH with a team-high 12 double-doubles. With Lang primarily at the controls of the UH offensive attach, the 'Bows to lead the conference in assists per set, kills per set, total assists, total attacks and is ranked No. 2 in hitting percentage. She earned a league record eight Big West Setter of the Week awards this season.
• For the second-straight season, Alexander earn All-Big West honors with a place on the honorable mention list. In just 90 sets, Alexander finished the regular season ranked second on the team with 267 kills and a 2.97 kills/set average. She has career season high averages of 2.97 kills/set, 2.12 digs per set, and 43 total blocks.
• After starting the season on the sidelines due to an injury suffered during double-days, Guersching got off to a slow start, but she finished strong. In conference action, she is second on the team putting down 125 kills to average 2.40 kills/set with a .265 hitting percentage. She leads the team in BW play with 15 service aces (tied with Kendra Ham) and has 77 digs and 20 total blocks.
• Hakas was on fire to finish the regular season putting down double-digit kills in three of the last four matches. Overall, she finished with 115 total kills, 128 digs and 30 blocks.

TEAM AWARDS

• With all the senior families in town for Senior Night, the Rainbow Wahine hosted its annual banquet this past Sunday.
• Senior Amber Igiede won the Most Valuable Player, Best Attacker, and Best Blocker awards for the second straight season.
• Senior middle blocker Kennedi Evans was named the team's Most Improved Player
• Rookie pin-hitter Tali Hakas earned the Most Inspirational Player award
• Senior Riley Wagoner won the Best Defender award
• Freshman outside hitter Stella Adeyemi won the Coaches' Award for her relentless work ethic and effort every day of the week.

STARTING LINE-UP SHUFFLE

• Hawai'i has started seven different line up combinations--with the latest iteration consisting of Lang setting, Igiede and Evans in the middle, Hakas, Riley Wagoner and Kendra Ham at the pins, and Tayli Ikenaga as the starting libero.  This starting seven have started the last four matches for the 'Bows. The core of the starters are the two middles (Igiede and Evans) and Lang at setter--the trio are the only UH players who have started every match this season. UH's depth has given the coaches the ability to plug in players at any positions--most notably at the pins. Getting starts throughout the season were Caylen Alexander and Paula Guersching, who both earned BW Honorable Mention honors on Tuesday, as well as libero/defensive specialist Talia Edmonds who traded places with Tayli Ikenaga who has started the last 11 matches.

BOOKENDING BIG WEST WEEKLY AWARDS

• Both Amber Igiede and Kate Lang bookended the regular season by winning the first and last Big West Offensive Player and Setter of the Week awards in 2023. Igiede received her seventh overall Offensive Player of the Week award and her 11th career BW weekly honor. Lang picked up her eighth BW Setter of the Week award this season. It is her ninth overall conference weekly award
• Igiede finished the regular season with a flourish, pounding a team-high 35 kills, averaging 5.00 k/set with a 0459 hit% and six blocks in two matches. Against the Tritons, she hit .500 with 14 kills on 24 attacks with two errors. She also dealt her team-leading 23^rd ace of the season. On UH's Senior Night, Igiede helped to spark an improbable and amazing 10-0 scoring run en route to a four-set win over the Beach. Igiede tied her season-high with 21 kills while hitting .432 on 37 swings. She was also in on a team-high four blocks with three digs for a match-high 24.0 points.
•  Last week, Lang recorded 79 assists while averaging 11.29 assists/set. She totaled 20 digs, three blocks and a pair of kills on the weekend. Against the Tritons, she had the offense humming, hitting .313. Lang posted her team-leading 12^th double-double with 29 assists and 11 digs. She also recorded a kill and a block. In UH's final regular season game, she tied her season-high with 50 assists with nine digs and two blocks and an ace and a kill.

IGIEDE, LANG BOOKENDING BIG WEST WEEK AWARDS FOR THE SEASON

• Both Amber Igiede and Kate Lang bookended the regular season by winning the first and last Big West Offensive Player and Setter of the Week awards in 2023. Igiede received her seventh overall Offensive Player of the Week award and her 11th career BW weekly honor. Lang picked up her eighth BW Setter of the Week award this season. It is her ninth overall conference weekly award
• Igiede finished the regular season with a flourish, pounding a team-high 35 kills, averaging 5.00 k/set with a 0459 hit% and six blocks in two matches. Against the Tritons, she hit .500 with 14 kills on 24 attacks with two errors. She also dealt her team-leading 23rd ace of the season. On UH's Senior Night, Igiede helped to spark an improbable and amazing 10-0 scoring run en route to a four-set win over the Beach. Igiede tied her season-high with 21 kills while hitting .432 on 37 swings. She was also in on a team-high four blocks with three digs for a match-high 24.0 points.
• Last week, Lang recorded 79 assists while averaging 11.29 assists/set. She totaled 20 digs, three blocks and a pair of kills on the weekend. Against the Tritons, she had the offense humming, hitting .313. Lang posted her team-leading 12th double-double with 29 assists and 11 digs. She also recorded a kill and a block. In UH's final regular season game, she tied her season-high with 50 assists with nine digs and two blocks and an ace and a kill.

IGIEDE RISING TO RARE HEIGHTS

• Against Long Beach State last week, Igiede powered the 'Bows past The Beach, tying her season high with 21 kills committing just five errors on 37 attacks for a .432 hitting percentage.
• Igiede's third block at UC Irvine vaulted her into the Mt. Rushmore of UH middle blockers. She became just the fourth player in UH history to record both 1,000 kills and 500 blocks. She joined her former assistant indoor and head beach volleyball coach, Angelica Ljungqvist (1993-96), Suzanne Eagye (1984-87) and Deitre Collins (1980-83) as the only Rainbow Wahine to reach those milestones. Ljungqvist, who was the 1996 AVCA National Player of the Year, amassed 1,570 kills and 733 blocks. Eagye, who won the 1987 NCAA tile, is UH's all-time block leader and had 1,553 kills/743 blks. Deitre Collins, the 1983 Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year recorded 1,385 kills/500 blocks. Igiede is the first player since Ljungqvist to join the elite club.
• At Cal State Fullerton, Igiede's 17 kills propelled her past former UH All-American Emily Hartong into No. 12 on UH's all-time career kill list. Hartong put down 1,277 career kills and Igiede now has 1,325. She now trails Nikki Taylor for 11th place with 1,377 career kills.
• Igiede currently leads the conference with a .396 H%, 3.74 K/set, 480.5 total points, and 4.62 points/set.
• The versatile Igiede, has eight matches this year with at least a kill, a block, a dig, an assist, and a service ace--including UH's last match at Cal State Fullerton.
• She is the only Rainbow Wahine to have recorded at least a kill, a dig and a block in all 29 UH matches thus far.
• For her career, she has put down at least one kill in all 118  career match and has been in on at least one block in 117 our of 118 career matches played.
• This past summer, Igiede trained with the nation's elite collegiate players. She was invited to train with the U.S. Women's National Team led by head coach Karch Kiraly.
• Earlier this season against USC (Sept. 2), Igiede became the 21st Rainbow Wahine to record 1,000 career kills. She was the first since McKenna Granato accomplished the feat in 2018. She also is No. 6 in career blocks with 483.

LANG LEADING THE BIG WEST.

• Junior setter Kate Lang continues to lead the Big West averaging 10.48 assists and 1,090 total assists.
• Last week against the Beach, she tied her season-high with 50 assists.
• Lang leads UH with 12 double-doubles on the year--her most recent coming last week against UC San Diego with 29 assists and 11 digs. She finished a dig shy of her 13th double-double with 50 assists and nine digs.
• This season, she has raised her assist per set average to a career-high 10.38
• Earlier this season, Lang scooped up a career-high 22 digs at UC Santa Barbara.

EVANS SOLID IN THE MIDDLE

• Senior middle Kennedi Evans has been on a tear lately. Overall, she has put down 162 kills, hitting .291 and averaging 1.69 kill/set and 79 total blocks.
• In conference, she has raised her game, averaging putting down 108 kills averaging 2.00 k/s while hitting .336
• Last season, Evans saw limited playing time after transferring from Utah last season, while still recovering from an injury that curtailed her career at Utah.
• At both UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara, Evans put down a career-high (for both UH and Utah) 13 kills.
• She has recorded four double-digit kill matches this season and is hitting an even .300 for the season.

HAKAS PLAYING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER

• Freshman pin-hitter Tali Hakas got the start in UH's last four matched putting down double-digit  kills in the first three matches
• Against the Anteaters, she was in on a career-high six blocks while hitting .348 with 11 kills, three errors on 23 swings. Hakas also added seven digs and tallied a career-high 14.0 points in the match.
• At Cal State Fullerton, Hakas put down 11 kills with eight digs, two aces, an assist and one block.
• In her rookie season, the Israel-native has put down 115 kills with 128 digs, 30 blocks and nine service aces.

IKENAGA SOLIDIFIES BACK ROW

• Junior Tayli Ikenaga worked her way back into the starting lineup at libero for the last 11 matches.
• She was the starting libero for her first two seasons at UH.
• Ikenaga started the final four sets at UCSB where she came up with a season-high 17 digs. She got the starting nod in the following match at Cal Poly and scooped up a team-high 12 digs with three assists and two aces. She was targeted 20 times without a serve-receive error against the Mustangs.
• She has double-digit digs in seven of UH's last 10 matches--including a season-high 18 at Cal State Fullerton.
• Since returning to the starting lineup, she has had eight double-digit dig matches--including a season-high 18 digs at Cal State Fullerton

GUERSCHING FINDING GROOVE 

• Junior transfer Paula Guersching was dinged up in fall two-a-days and was unable to play at her full potential early. But she has started 14 matches including 10 straight starting at TCU and ending at UCSB.
• She earned BW Honorable Mention honors in her first year with Hawai'i.
• In the conference season, she finished the regular season second on the team with 125 kills averaging 2.30 kills/set. She has come through with 77 digs, 20 blocks, and 15 service aces.
• At UCSB, she put down a UH career-high 16 kills with a .366 hit% (16-1-41). She followed that by posting 12 kills at Cal Poly.
• The 6-2, junior from Schwalbach am Taunus, Germany transferred to UH from Youngstown State this year after a prolific Penguin career.  The 2022 Horizon Player of the Year dominated her first two collegiate seasons at YSU. In her final year as a Penguin, Guersching finished ranked in the top five in the NCAA, finishing third with 5.24 kill/set and 5.87 points/set; fifth with 12.84 attacks/set and 576 total kills; and sixth with 646.0 total points—all of which were YSU single-season records. The-native became the fastest player in YSU history to reach 1,000 career kills finishing her two seasons with 1,006 while becoming the first YSU player to earn AVCA All-America honorable mention honors.

HAM'S VERSATILITY PAYING OFF DIVIDENDS

• Senior opposite Kendra Ham has been the utility player for the 'Bows this year. Wherever she is needed--whether it's at the net, behind the service line, on defense--the coaches are confident that the senior from San Diego
• In UH's match at CSUB, Ham came off the bench and provided instant offense, ending up with four kills in six swings with an error that helped propel UH past the 'Runners down the stretch.
• Against Long Beach State, when UH was down 10 at 18-8, Ham went on a serving run for the ages--reeling of 10 straight points to tie the set, 18-18.
• Overall, Ham has appeared in 107 kills with 138 digs, 16 service aces and 21 blocks.

ALEXANDER PROVIDING THE POWER

• Although sophomore Caylen Alexander  played in just 90 of UH's 104 sets, the Alpharetta, Ga.-native finished the regular season second on the team with a 267 total kills.
• She has started 20 of UH's matches and earlier this week, she earned 2023 Big West honors.
• Against the Mustangs, she has recorded seven double-double of the season coming through with 12 kills and 10 digs while added two aces and two blocks.
• Alexander has been in on 43 total blocks this season—more than she had all last year when she was voted the BW Freshman of the Year
• Last week, she came off the bench to fuel the comeback with 19 kills