HONOLULU — Dawn on Monday signaled a new beginning for the University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team.
 
The Rainbow Wahine reported for the first of two practices on opening day in the dark of morning as they began preparations for the 2025 season in full. They returned to Gym 1 for the  afternoon session with 25 days to go before the Aug. 29 opener against Marquette in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic.
 
The 'Bows welcomed eight newcomers to 16 player roster for their first preseason camp, including four who enrolled at UH in January and went through spring practices with the team.
 
"I explained to them in our meeting it's about the effort and the intent," UH head coach Robyn Ah Mow said. "What's your intent of being here? What's your intent of wearing the UH logo? Anytime you come to practice, or any time you do anything, go to school, you have to have an intent … and strive for it. You gotta come in here and you gotta work hard.
 
"There's a lot of new girls, it's definitely a young team, so you have to make sure we keep that culture going."
 
With legendary coach Dave Shoji in the gym for the afternoon practice, the 'Bows went to work to build on a 2024 season highlighted by a fifth consecutive Big West title and 31^st straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Much of the sessions were dedicated to defense and ball control, two of the program's foundational elements throughout its history.
 
"The standard comes long before us. There's a legacy of Hawai'i volleyball," sophomore middle blocker Miliana Sylvester said. "I think Hawai'i volleyball has always had the strongest defense and with that defense is 100% effort."
 
Three starters are back from last year's 21-10 squad with the return of Sylvester, outside hitter Tali Hakas, and libero/defensive specialist Victoria Leyva.
 
Hakas enters the season as UH's returning kills leader with 259 and averaged 2.07 per set in 2024. The junior is again playing in Israel this summer and will rejoin the team later in camp. Fellow junior Stella Adeyemi also returns to the outside hitter rotation after averaging 2.08 kills over 120 sets played last season.
 
Sylvester and Leyva played in all 125 sets as freshmen last season with Sylvester starting all 31 matches. Sylvester averaged 1.85 kills per set and led the team with 0.73 blocks per set while earning a spot on the Big West All-Freshman team. Leyva quickly established a prominent role in the back row as a starting defensive specialist and averaged 2.00 digs per set. 
 
"From our leaders last year, the biggest thing was pride — for the island, for the people — so that's something we want to carry into this year," Leyva said.
 
"On the court, it's giving 110%. We are Wahine volleyball and I think the biggest part that's always come from this team is the effort, the hustle."
 
With two-time Big West Setter of the Year Kate Lang completing her career last December, sophomores Adrianna Arquette and Audrey Hollis are in line to compete for the job in camp. Arquette saw action in 14 matches last season and Hollis transferred to UH after earning Big West All-Freshman honors at UC San Diego. The duo shared playing time during spring practices while also taking turns hitting on the right side as well.
 
Hollis was among the four newcomers who joined the team in the spring semester. That group also included senior middle blocker Bri Gunderson, who ranked fifth in the nation with 1.54 blocks per set last season at Eastern Washington, and defensive specialist Leilani Lopez, a transfer from Cal State Fullerton. Evangeline Zeyha was a late-summer addition to the roster as a transfer from Canada and joined a middle rotation that also returns sophomore Maddie Way.

Gunderson and returnees Tyla Reese Mane and Morghn Monahan comprise this season senior class.
 
Cha'lei Reid was the first of the freshmen to join the program after graduating from Kahuku High School early and enrolling in the spring. Her promising spring included a 12-kill performance against Wisconsin in an exhibition match on Kaua'i.
 
Ravyn Dash signed with UH in the spring following a freshman season at Houston Baptist in which she averaged 2.31 kills. Monday's practices were also the first for freshman defensive specialist Kahea Moriwaki and middle blocker Makena Biondi.
 
Season tickets are now on sale and may be purchased at www.etickethawaii.com or at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center box office (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).