AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team's first road trip of the season continues on to Texas for two matches against nationally ranked opponents. The Rainbow Wahine (6-2) take on the two-time defending national champion and eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns on Friday, Sept. 20 at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin. They'll then close the trip against No. 20 Baylor on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas to wrap up the nonconference portion of the schedule.
| MATCH 9: at No. 8 TEXAS |
| Date | Time |
Friday, Sept. 20 | 6:30 p.m. CT / 1:30 p.m. HT
|
| Location |
Austin, Texas; Gregory Gymnasium |
| Television |
None |
| Live Stream |
SECN+ |
| Radio |
ESPN Honolulu (1420 AM / 92.7 FM) — Tiff Wells (PxP) |
| Audio Stream |
espnhonolulu.com |
| Live Stats |
texaslonghorns.com |
| Game Notes |
Hawai'i | Texas |
HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (6-2, 0-0 Big West)
Head Coach: Robyn Ah Mow (Seventh Season)
Record at UH: 138-47
Big West Record: 93-13
No. 8 TEXAS LONGHORNS (4-3, 0-0 SEC)Head Coach: Jerritt Elliott (24th year at Texas)
Series record: UH leads 11-2
Streak: UH won 1
Last meeting: UH 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 27-25, 25-16), Aug. 30, 2013, Honolulu
No. 20 BAYLOR BEARS (7-3, 0-0 Big 12)Head Coach: Ryan McGuyre (10th season at Baylor)
Series record: UH leads 6-2
Streak: Baylor won 2
Last meeting: Baylor 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-22), Sept. 22, 2019; Waco, Texas
'BOWS NOTES
- The Rainbow Wahine opened the road trip with a five-set loss at UNLV on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
- UH outside hitter Caylen Alexander, the reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Week, has led the Rainbow Wahine in kills in each match this season and posted 20-plus kills six times this season.
- Alexander moved up to No. 1 in the nation in total kills (191) and total points (211.0) after posting 23 kills and 26 points against UNLV. She ranked fifth in total attacks (447), fourth in kills per set (5.03) and sixth in points per set (5.55) following the UNLV match.
- Fresh off of her first Big West Freshman of the Week award, middle blocker Miliana Sylvester posted the most productive match of her career with 15 kills on .636 hitting against UNLV.
- Libero Tayli Ikenaga leads UH with 147 digs and passed the 1,000-dig mark against UNLV.
- UH has gone to five sets in six of eight matches and is 4-2 in those matches. The 'Bows have played 38 out of a possible 40 sets this season.
- The Rainbow Wahine will play in Texas for the third consecutive year. They opened the 2022 season in the Texas A&M Invitational and played in the Fight in the Fort hosted by TCU last season.
- This leg of the trip will take UH senior setter Kate Lang (Keller) and freshman libero Victoria Leyva (El Paso) back to their home state.
- Texas and Baylor met on Wednesday with the Longhorns earning a sweep in Waco, 25-17, 25-23, 26-24.
- UH received five points in this week's AVCA/TARAFLEX Division I WVB Poll.
THE MATCHUPSTEXAS
- UH leads the all-time series with Texas 11-2, and Friday's match will be their first meeting since Aug. 30, 2013, a four-set UH win in Mānoa. It will also be the first meeting in Austin since 2005, a 3-1 UH victory.
- The Longhorns have won the last two national championships and entered the week at No. 8 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division I WVB poll. They entered the season at No. 1 in the preseason poll.
- Texas returned five starters off last year's title team. Madisen Skinner was named the 2023 VolleyballMag.com National Player of the Year.
- Skinner leads the Longhorns attack with 4.12 kills per set followed by Reagan Rutherford (2.71) and Jenna Wenaas (2.42).
- Mariana Singletary leads the team with 38 total blocks (1.52 per set).
- Skinner led Texas with 14 kills on .417 hitting in a sweep at Baylor on Wednesday. Rutherford added 11 kills and hit .529.
- Texas has three players from Hawai'i on the roster, senior libero Keonilei Akana (Honolulu), junior outside hitter Devin Kahahawai (Kailua) and freshman setter Rella Binney (Lanikai). Akana's older sister, Braelyn, played for UH from 2019-22. Their mother, Jocelyn also played for the 'Bows (1993-96).
- Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott, now in his 24th year leading the Longhorns, played for the UH men's volleyball team in 1990.
BAYLOR
- UH leads the all-time series with Baylor 6-2 with the Bears winning the last two meetings.
- Saturday's match will be the first meeting since Sept. 22, 2019 in Waco. The Bears swept that match 25-19, 25-23, 25-22. They also met in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament with Baylor rallying to a 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 26-24, 16-14 reverse sweep in Eugene, Ore.
- Baylor returned five starters from a 2023 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bears entered the week at No. 20 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division I WVB poll.
- Elise McGhee, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, leads the Bears with 3.17 kills per set and posted a season-high 20 against LSU on Sept. 12. McGhee also leads the team with 18 aces and ranks second in the Big 12 with 0.56 aces per set.
- Baylor associate head coach Joshua Walker was a standout outside hitter with the UH men's volleyball team (2006-11) and served as an assistant coach for seven seasons, helping the Warriors capture back-to-back national championships in 2021 and '22.
- Walker and UH assistant coach Nick Castello were teammates on the 2011 UH men's team.
- The design for UH's SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center was based on Baylor's Ferrell Center.
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