HONOLULU — Coming off a sweep of its final homestand, the University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team closes the regular season with a two-match Big West road trip to Southern California. The Rainbow Wahine open their stay in Orange County by taking on Cal State Fullerton on Friday at 6 p.m. Pacific Time (4 p.m. Hawai'i Time) in Titan Gym. They'll then take on UC Irvine in the regular-season finale on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT (2 p.m. HT) at the Bren Events Center.
The 'Bows (18-8, 12-4 Big West) enter the final weekend of conference play as part of a three-team tie atop the Big West standings along with Cal Poly and UC Davis. All three teams have secured berths in the Big West Championship set for Nov. 27-30 on the UC Irvine campus. The top two seeds in the six-team bracket receive byes into the semifinal round on Friday, Nov. 29.
| MATCH 27: at CAL STATE FULLERTON |
| Date | Time |
Friday, Nov. 22 | 6:00 P.M. PT / 4:00 P.M. HT
|
| Location |
Titan Gym; Fullerton, Calif. |
| Television |
None |
| Live Stream |
ESPN+ |
| Radio |
ESPN Honolulu (1420 AM / 92.7 FM) — Tiff Wells (PxP) |
| Audio Stream |
espnhonolulu.com |
| Live Stats |
fullertontitans.com |
| Game Notes |
Hawai'i |
HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (18-8, 12-4 BIG WEST)
Head Coach: Robyn Ah Mow (Seventh Season)
Record at UH: 150-53
Big West Record: 105-17
CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS (4-22, 0-16 BIG WEST)Head Coach: Nicole Vargas Polster (fourth season)
Series record: UH leads 50-0
Streak: UH won 50
Last meeting: UH 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-15); Sept. 28, 2024, Honolulu
UC IRVINE ANTEATERS (14-13, 8-8 BIG WEST)Head Coach: Ashlie Hain (ninth season)
Series record: UH leads 46-2
Streak: UC Irvine won 1
Last meeting: UC Irvine 3-2 (21-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-18, 15-13); Sept. 27, 2024, Honolulu
'BOWS NOTES
- The Rainbow Wahine swept through their final homestand with victories over Long Beach State and UC San Diego in six sets. They posted back-to-back sweeps for the first time this season and have won seven of their last eight matches.
- Libero Tayli Ikenaga and setter Kate Lang were honored in the Senior Night ceremony following Saturday's home finale and earned Big West Player of the Week honors on Monday.
- Ikenaga averaged 5.83 assists per set and earned the second Defensive Player of the Week award of her senior season. She ranks second in the Big West with 422 total digs and 3.98 per set.
- Ikenaga was part of a defensive effort that limited Long Beach State and UC San Diego to a combined .109 hitting percentage over six sets.
- Lang averaged 11.67 assists per set and was named Big West Setter of the Week for the fifth time this season and 16th time in her career.
- Lang moved up to third in UH history in career assists (4,346) over the weekend. She leads the conference and ranks 12th in the nation with 1,116 total assists. Her average of 10.53 assists per set also leads the Big West and ranks 26th nationally.
- UH outside hitter Caylen Alexander remains second in the country in total kills (540), kills per set (5.29), and total points (597.5) and ranks third in points per set (5.86). She leads the Big West in each of those categories.
- As a team, UH leads the Big West and ranks 20th nationally with 13.92 kills per set. The 'Bows also lead the conference in assists per set (12.99) and digs per set (15.58), and ranks second with a .245 hitting percentage.
- UH split a homestand with UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton to open the Big West schedule. UC Irvine rallied for a reverse sweep on Sept. 27. UH then swept Cal State Fullerton the following night.
- UH has placed in the top two in the Big West regular-season standings each year since rejoining the conference in 2012 and has finished first seven times in that span. UH won three straight regular-season titles from 2019 to 2022 and placed second last year before sweeping through the inaugural Big West Championship.
THE MATCHUPS
CAL STATE FULLERTON
- Nicole Vargas Polster is in her fourth season as Cal State Fullerton's head coach and has a career record of 31-77.
- UH leads the series with the Titans 50-0. The series began on Nov. 5, 1982, a 15-5, 15-7 UH victory.
- UH hit a season-high .381 in this season's first meeting with the Titans. Middle blocker Miliana Sylvester started 12 for 12 and finished the match with 14 kills in 17 attempts to hit .765. Middle blocker Maddie Way had eight kills and hit .412 in her first career start.
- UH has swept six of the last seven meetings with Cal State Fullerton. The exception was a four-set win in last year's visit to Titan Gym (23-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-14).
- Cal State Fullerton went 4-6 in nonconference play and has lost 17 straight entering the final week of the season.
- Lyla Traylor leads the Titans with 2.58 kills per set followed by Lolo Fonua at 2.23.
- Bianca Martinez enters the week with a team-high 82 total blocks and 0.89 blocks per set.
- Ashley Chacon leads the Titans' floor defense with 272 total digs and 3.02 digs per set.
UC IRVINE
- UH had won seven consecutive meetings with UC Irvine before the Anteaters' rallied to a reverse sweep in this season's first meeting on Sept. 27 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
- Hunter Reidl led UC Irvine with 21 kills and hit .415 in the Anteaters' win in Honolulu. Ella Gardner added 13 kills and hit .423.
- Caylen Alexander led UH with 19 kills on .302 hitting and Miliana Sylvester finished with 16 kills.
- UC Irvine's previous win in the series occurred on Oct. 4, 2019, also in a reverse sweep in Honolulu
- The series began on Oct. 31, 1975, a UH 11-5, 11-1 victory.
- UC Irvine coach Ashlie Hain is in her ninth season leading the Anteaters and has a career record of 133-132.
- UC Irvine enters the week leading the Big West with 274.5 total blocks and ranks second with 2.47 blocks per set.
- Gardiner ranks second in the Big West with 105 total blocks and is third with 0.99 blocks per set.
- Katie Smith leads the Anteaters with 2.84 kills per set followed by Reidl at 2.66.
#HawaiiWVB
