HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball head coach Danny Alvarez announced his newest signees with five elite players who will join the program this fall. Making their way to Mānoa will be Stefania Alupei, Ella Gray, Sarah Holcomb, Skylar Gerhardt, and Summer Witherby.
 
Rainbow Wahine Beach Volleyball Recruits
Stefania Alupei | 6-1 | R-Fr. | Bucharest, Romania | UC San Diego 
Ella Gray | 5-11 | Jr. | Redondo Beach, Calif. | Florida International
Sarah Holcomb | 6-2 | Gr. | | Dallas, Texas | Wyoming
Skylar Gerhardt | 6-0 | Gr. | Manhattan Beach, Calif. | Maryland
Summer Witherby | 5-11 | So. | Huntington Beach, Calif.| Cal Poly

Stefania Alupei | 6-1 | R-Fr. | Bucharest, Romania | UC San Diego
Played freshman season for the UC San Diego indoor squad…appeared in 14 matches with one start at outside hitter…tallied 31 kills, five aces and two blocks…won two consecutive national championships for the CSM Bucharest U16 volleyball team in her native Romania…a silver medalist at the U19 national championship…played for numerous Romanian national teams, including twice at the European Championship (U17 &18) and for the U19 team at the 2021 World Championship…older sister Francesca was a middle blocker for the UCLA indoor squad…her mother was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing while her father was a two-time world champion rower. 

Alvarez on Alupei: "Stefania brings tremendous international experience and an unmatched athletic pedigree. We can't wait to see her progress as she transitions to beach full-time." 

Ella Gray | 5-11 | Jr. | Redondo Beach, Calif. | Florida International
Last played collegiately for Florida International during the 2025 season…appeared in 34 of the team's 35 total matches at FIU…recorded a 15-19 record playing at the top of the order…did not compete collegiately in 2026 but was active in numerous AVP events, including a 5th-place finish at the AVP Virginia Beach Open…has played in 10 AVP events overall with three top-10 finishes …prior to FIU, attended Arizona State for one season…in high school was named to the Volleyball Magazine FAB 50…part of the USA High Performance program and earned a No. 4 CBVA ranking.

Alvarez on Gray: "Ella is a big addition to our program. She competed against the nation's top pairs at the No. 1 flight at FIU and she has only elevated her game with her experience at AVP events. We are thrilled to add such a battle-tested player of her caliber to the program."

Sarah Holcomb | 6-2 | Gr. | Dallas, Texas | Wyoming 
Played four seasons of indoor volleyball Wyoming…one of the most dominant middle blockers in the nation…a two-time All-Mountain West honoree, including first-team honors as a senior in 2025…ranked second in the MW with a .353 hitting percentage in 2025…was the first player in league history to lead the conference in blocks for three consecutive seasons…ended her career fifth all-time at Wyoming in career blocks (538)…a standout athlete in both volleyball and track & field at Plano East High School in Texas…was an all-district honoree in volleyball as well as the district and area high jump champion.

Alvarez on Holcomb: "Sarah established herself as one of the elite blockers in the country during her four years with the Wyoming indoor squad. We're excited to see her physicality, instincts and net presence translate to success on the sand as a BeachBow."
 
Skylar Gerhardt | 6-0 | Gr. | Manhattan Beach, Calif.| Maryland
Played for Villanova and Maryland as an outside hitter…appeared in 45 total matches for Villanova in her first two seasons of college…as a sophomore made 31 consecutive starts at outside hitter for the Wildcats…led the team in aces, was third in kills, and fifth in digs…transferred to Maryland but was sidelined with injury the next two seasons…four-year letterwinner on Mira Costa High School in Southern California…key part of squad that was ranked 17th nationally…also played for Sunshine Volleyball Club in winning back-to-back girls junior open championships in 2021 and '22…father Michael Gerhardt was an All-American soccer player for UC San Diego.

Alvarez on Gerhardt: "Skylar has four years of collegiate indoor experience and growing up in Manhattan Beach has been exposed to the beach game early on. She's a dynamic player and we look forward to her making a splash with our squad." 

Summer Witherby | 5-11 | So. | Huntington Beach, Calif. | Cal Poly
Played two seasons for the Cal Poly beach program…as a freshman in 2025, posted a 2-2 record at both the No. 4 and 5 courts…did not appear in any dual matches in 2026…played three years of indoor and two years of beach volleyball at Edison High School…in beach, was a two-time all-league player and in 2024 was selected as the Surf League MVP…also completed for the Spiker Beach Volleyball Club…AVP U18 Junior National Champion in 2024…also named to the JAV Best in Beach Class of 2024, the AVCA Junior Beach All-America second team and to the Volleyball Magazine FAB 50.

Alvarez on Witherby: "Summer was a highly recruited athlete out of high school and is transferring from a very strong collegiate program. She brings a wealth of high-level experience to the sand and is ready to step in right away and make an impact for us."