EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team returns to the Pacific Northwest in the program's 42^nd appearance in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
 
Fresh off capturing their fifth consecutive Big West championship and claiming the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Rainbow Wahine will face TCU in a first-round match on Thursday, Dec. 5 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. The match is scheduled for 4 p.m. Pacific Time (2 p.m. Hawai'i Time) and will air on ESPN+.

TCU is the fifth seed in the upper left quadrant of the NCAA Tournament bracket. Oregon, the fourth seed in the quadrant and host of the subregional, faces High Point in Thursday's second match. The winners meet on Friday in a second-round match at 6 p.m. PT (4 p.m. HT).
 

NCAA DI WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP — FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS
Schedule				First Round — Thursday, Dec. 5 Hawai'i vs. TCU, 4 p.m. PT (2 p.m. HT) Oregon vs. High Point, 6:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. HT) Second Round — Friday, Dec. 6 Hawaii/TCU winner vs. Oregon/High Point winner, 6 p.m. PT (4 p.m. HT)
Location				Matthew Knight Arena | Eugene, Ore.
Television				None
Live Stream				ESPN+
Radio				ESPN Honolulu (1420 AM / 92.7 FM) — Tiff Wells (PxP)
Audio Stream				espnhonolulu.com
Live Stats				goducks.com
Game Notes				Hawai'i  | TCU
Social Media				@HawaiiWVB  | #HawaiiWVB | #GoBows | @HawaiiWVB  | Facebook

  
HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (21-9, 13-5 BIG WEST)Head Coach: Robyn Ah Mow (Seventh Season)
Record at UH: 153-54
Big West Record: 106-18
 
TCU HORNED FROGS (21-7, 13-5 BIG 12)Head Coach: Jason Williams (55-33, Third Season)
Series record: UH leads 7-1
Streak: TCU won 1
Last meeting: TCU 3-1 (25-27, 27-25, 25-15, 25-22), Sept. 14, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas

'BOWS NOTES

• The Rainbow Wahine captured their second straight title in the Hawaiian Islands present the 2024 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship last weekend in Irvine, Calif., to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• UH outlasted UC Davis in five sets in the semifinals and held off Cal Poly in the final to claim a fifth straight conference crown (UH won three regular-season titles prior to the addition of the Big West Championship in 2023).
• UH extended its streak of NCAA Tournament appearances to 31 by winning the Big West title. The Rainbow Wahine will participate in the tournament for the 42^nd time and is one of six programs with 40-plus appearances along with Penn State (44), Nebraska (43), Stanford (43), Texas (41), and USC (40).
• UH enters the week with an all-time record of 83-38 in the NCAA Tournament.
• The 'Bows were sent to Eugene for the second straight season and the third time in the last six seasons. UH will open the NCAA Tournament in the Pacific Northwest for the ninth time (Eugene, four times; Seattle, four; Pullman, Wash., one).
• UH will face TCU for the ninth time and lead the series 7-1. The 'Bows and Horned Frogs met in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament in College Station, Texas, with UH advancing in five sets. The teams met last year in the Fight in the Fort hosted by TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU won that meeting 25-27, 27-25, 25-15, 25-22.
• Thursday's match will feature two of the nation's leading attackers in UH's Caylen Alexander and TCU's Melanie Parra. Alexander enters the NCAA Tournament leading the nation in total kills (602) and third in the nation with 5.15 kills per set with Parra fifth at 5.06 kps.
• UH reached 20 wins for the fifth straight season, the sixth time in head coach Robyn Ah Mow's seven seasons, and the 44th season overall. 
• With Friday's win over UC Davis in the semifinals, the 'Bows are 7-4 in five-set matches this season. UH's 11 five-set matches are the most since playing 12 in 1984.

THE MATCHUP — TCU

• The Rainbow Wahine and Horned Frogs met last year in the Fight in the Fort hosted by TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. The Horned Frogs won that meeting 25-27, 27-25, 25-15, 25-22 for their first win in the all-time series with UH.
• Caylen Alexander led UH with 21 kills in her first match with 20-plus kills in her career. Melanie Parra led TCU with 27 kills while hitting .453.
• UH and TCU met in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament in College Station, Texas, with the 'Bows winning in five sets (17-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-21, 15-13).
• UH and TCU met twice each in 1997, 1999 and 2000 as members of the Western Athletic Conference with the 'Bows sweeping all six matches.
• The Horned Frogs finished the 2024 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.
• Parra leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally with 5.06 kills per set and seventh with 531 total kills. She's third in the nation in total points (620.5) and points per set (5.91).
• Parra also leads the Big 12 and is 14^th in the nation with 0.52 aces per set and 16^th with 55 total aces.
• Sarah Sylvester ranks second in the Big 12 with 1.32 blocks per set.

BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP REWINDThe Rainbow Wahine extended the program's streak of NCAA Tournament berths by earning a repeat title in the Hawaiian Islands present the 2024 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship in Irvine, Calif.

• As in the inaugural championship in 2023, UH captured the title as the second seed in the six-team bracket.
• The Rainbow Wahine outlasted UC Davis in a dramatic five-set victory in the semifinals 25-22, 16-25, 25-20, 21-25, 15-13. Caylen Alexander led UH with 22 kills and Jacyn Bamis added 15 kills while hitting .448.
• UH claimed the title with a four-set win over top-seeded Cal Poly 25-19, 25-19, 27-29, 25-22. Alexander and Miliana Sylvester shared team-high honors with 14 kills each. Tali Hakas added 12 kills and 19 digs.
• UH senior libero Tayli Ikenaga was named the Big West Championship MVP after posting 32 digs over the two matches and anchoring a UH defense that held UC Davis and Cal Poly to a combined .192 hitting.

ALEXANDER'S HISTORIC RUN

UH outside hitter Caylen Alexander has put together one of the most prolific seasons in program history while ranking among the nation's leading attackers throughout her junior year. The Big West Player of the Year enters the NCAA Tournament with 602 kills in 117 sets (5.15 kills per set) and has led the UH offense in 28 of 30 matches this season.  She's posted at least 20 kills in 15 matches, has 17 double-doubles and earned a UH and conference record seven Big West Offensive Player of the Week awards this season.

• Alexander enters the NCAA Tournament as the nation's leader in total kills with 602 and also leads the nation in total points (667.5).
• She ranks third in the country in kills per set (5.15), and sixth in points per set (5.71). She leads the Big West in each of those categories.
• Alexander's 602 kills is UH's highest mark since the current 25-point scoring system was adopted by the NCAA in 2008, surpassing Emily Hartong's total of 527 in 2012.
• Alexander is the first UH player to exceed 600 kills in a season since Jamie Houston had 623 in 2007 under the 30-point scoring system.
• Alexander put away 22 kills against UC Davis in the Big West Championship semifinals marking her 15th match this season with 20-plus kills, the most since Houston had 15 in 2007.
• Alexander posted her 17th double-double of the season with 22 kills and a career-high 17 digs against UC Davis in the Big West semifinals.
• Alexander's career-high 38 kills in a five-set win over Texas State on Sept. 14 was the most for a UH player since Kim Willoughby put away 38 against Washington on Sept. 7, 2002.
• Alexander posted 36 kills at UC Riverside on Nov. 7 to become the first player with two 30-plus kill performances since Hartong had two in 2012.
• Alexander passed 1,000 kills for her career with a 28-kill performance at CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 22 and now ranks 17th in program history with 1,216 career kills. 

SETTING THE STANDARD

Senior setter Kate Lang was named the Big West Setter of the Year for the second time in her career and earned five Big West Setter of the Week awards this season, raising her career total to 16. Along the way, she has ascended into the top three on the program's career assists chart.

• As a freshman in 2021, Lang took over starting duties in the Big West opener against UC Riverside on Sept. 23, 2021. She has started 114 consecutive matches since and played in all 424 sets over that span.
• Lang enters the NCAA Tournament fifth in the nation with 1,287 total assists this season and 25^th with 10.55 assists per set.
• Lang raised her career totals to 4,517 assists and 1,068 digs to date and is the third UH setter to post 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs. The others are Kanoe Kamana'o (2003-06, 6,428 assists, 1,220 digs) and Martina Cincerova (1985-86, 4,637, 1,111).

DIGGING DEEP

UH libero Tayli Ikenaga has anchored the Rainbow Wahine back row for four seasons and was rewarded for her contributions to the UH defense with conference honors in her senior season. She was named the Big West Libero of the Year following the regular season then was named Most Valuable Player at the Big West Championship after coming up with 32 digs in UH's title run.

• Ikenaga had 19 digs in the Big West semifinals and 13 more in the final to raise her total of double-digit performances to 26 this season. She ranks first in the Big West with 473 total digs and is second with 4.01 digs per set.
• She leads the Big West with 486 total digs and ranks second in the Big West with 3.89 digs per set. Her total is 65^th nationally.
• Ikenaga earned the first two Big West Defensive Player of the Week awards of her career this season.
• She enters the NCAA Tournament fifth in program history with 1,352 career digs. Her current average of 3.34 digs per set places third on UH's career chart.