HONOLULU — The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team will continue its postseason journey by returning to Eugene, Ore., to face TCU on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The match is scheduled for 4 p.m. Pacific Time (2 p.m. Hawai'i time).
 
For the second straight year and the third time in the last six seasons, the Big West champion Rainbow Wahine (21-9) were placed in a subregional hosted by Oregon when the 64-team bracket was revealed on Sunday. The Ducks (22-7) are the No. 4 seed in the Upper Left Regional of the bracket and will face High Point in Thursday's second match. TCU (21-7) is the No. 5 seed in the region. Thursday's winners meet on Friday.
 
The 'Bows captured their fifth straight Big West title and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a four-set win over Cal Poly on Saturday in the title match of the Hawaiian Islands present the 2024 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship in Irvine, Calif. UH will make its 42^nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament overall and earned a berth for the 31^st consecutive season (not counting the canceled 2020 season).
 
UH head coach Robyn Ah Mow has led the 'Bows to the NCAA Tournament in each of her seven seasons and they'll will have some familiarity with their surroundings and opponent on Thursday. The 'Bows traveled to Eugene for last year's NCAA Tournament and defeated Iowa State in four sets before falling to the Ducks in the second round. UH and TCU also met in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament in College Station, Texas, with UH winning in five sets.
 
UH and TCU met last year in the Fight in the Fort hosted by the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU won that meeting 25-27, 27-25, 25-15, 25-22. Thursday's rematch will feature two of the nation's leading attackers in UH's Caylen Alexander and TCU's Melanie Parra. Alexander entered the weekend third in the nation with 5.20 kill per set with Parra fifth at 5.06 kps. The Horned Frogs finished the regular season fifth in the Big 12 at 13-5 and is one of six teams from the conference to be selected to the NCAA Tournament.
 
2024 NCAA DI Women's Volleyball Tournament First and Second Rounds
FIRST ROUND MATCH: Hawai'i (21-9) vs. 5^th-seed TCU (21-7)
SITE:  Matthew Knight Arena – Eugene, Ore.
DATE: Thursday, Dec. 5
TIME: 2:00 p.m. HT