IRVINE, Calif. – The defending Big West champion University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team was picked second in the preseason Big West coaches' poll. In addition, a pair of Rainbow Warriors were named to the seven-member preseason all-conference team – outside hitter Spyros Chakas, and middle blocker Guilherme Voss.
 
UH received two of the six first place votes and 21 total points. Long Beach State was the preseason favorite with three first place votes and 23 points. UC Irvine was third with one first place vote and 19 points followed by UC Santa Barbara (8), while CSUN (8) and UC San Diego (8) tied for fifth.
 
Hawai'i returns three starters from last season's team which captured its second straight Big West tournament title and third overall. UH advanced to the national championship match for the fourth consecutive season.
 
Also named to the preseason coaches' team were LBSU's Mason Briggs, Aiden Knipe, and Sotiris Siapanis, UCI's Hilir Henno, and CSUN's Kyle Hobus.
 
In five seasons in the Big West, the Rainbow Warriors have finished no lower than second place including a pair of regular season titles in 2021 and '23. UH is also the two-time defending Big West tournament champion.
 
2024 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rk. Team – Points (1^st Place Votes)
1. Long Beach State – 23 (3)
2. Hawai'i – 21 (2)
3. UC Irvine – 19 (1)
4. UC Santa Barbara – 11
T5. CSUN – 8
T5. UC San Diego – 8
 
2024 Big West Preseason Coaches' Team
Mason Briggs – Sr., LIB, Long Beach State, Valencia, Calif.
Spyros Chakas – Sr., OH, Hawai'i, Nea Smyrni, Greece
Hilir Henno – Jr., OH, UC Irvine, Pornichet, France
Kyle Hobus – R-Sr., OH, CSUN, San Pedro, Calif.
Aidan Knipe – R-Sr., S, Long Beach State, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Sotiris Siapanis – Jr., OH, Long Beach State, Limassol, Cyprus
Guilherme Voss – Sr., MB, Hawai'i, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil