HONOLULU — Led by new head coach Joshua Walker, the University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team will make its 2026 debut in two in-state exhibition matches.
 
The Rainbow Wahine are scheduled head to Hawai'i Island on Friday and will join UH Hilo in hosting a keiki clinic at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. The 'Bows and Vulcans then meet in an exhibition match on Saturday with first serve scheduled for 2 p.m. The 'Bows return to O'ahu to take on neighboring Chaminade on Monday, Aug. 17 in their first appearance at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The match with the Silverswords is set for 7 p.m. and admission will be free.
 
The exhibitions are part of the run-up to the program's first season under Walker's leadership. The former UH men's volleyball standout and assistant coach was hired in June as the fourth head coach in the Rainbow Wahine program's storied history. UH officially opens the season in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic and faces Georgia Southern on Aug. 28 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.  
 

EXHIBITION MATCHES: HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE at HAWAI'I HILO | vs. CHAMINADE
Date | Time				UH Hilo: Saturday, Aug. 15 | 2:00 p.m. Chaminade: Monday, Aug. 17 | 7:00 p.m.
Location				UH Hilo: Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium Chaminade: Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Tickets				UH Hilo: hiloathletics.com Chaminade: FREE admission
Live Stats				HawaiiAthletics.com
Social Media				@HawaiiWVB  | @HawaiiWVB  | Facebook  | #HawaiiWVB #GoBows #SISTAHHOOD

UH HEAD COACH JOSHUA WALKERCareer Record: First Year

EXHIBITION NOTES
Hawai'i at UH Hilo

• The Rainbow Wahine last visited Hilo in the spring of 2019 for an intrasquad scrimmage and youth clinics.
• UH leads the all-time series with UH Hilo 24-0 in official matches. The 'Bows and Vulcans last met on Sept. 14, 1990. The last matchups in Hilo were played on Oct. 19 and 20, 1984.
• UH Hilo head coach Reed Sunahara is in his second season leading the Vulcans. He previously coached against UH during his stints as head coach at Cincinnati (2000-11) and West Virginia (2015-23).
• The Vulcans went 20-9 overall and 9-3 in PacWest play in Sunahara's first season as head coach.

Hawai'i vs. Chaminade

• Officially, UH and Chaminade have met just once with the 'Bows sweeping the Silverswords on Sept. 14, 1989 at McCabe Gym.
• UH assistant coach Kolby Kanetake worked at Chaminade for the last six seasons. Kanetake served as an assistant coach from 2020 to 2023 and as associate head coach for the last three years.
• Chaminade head coach Kahala Kabalis Hoke has a record of 258-145 over 14 years leading the Silverswords. Chaminade went 16-14 overall and 9-3 in the PacWest last season.

'BOWS NOTES
A New Era of Rainbow Wahine Volleyball

• The 2026 season marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Rainbow Wahine volleyball program with the hiring of Joshua Walker as head coach and UH's move to the Mountain West.
• Walker, a former UH men's volleyball standout outside hitter and assistant coach, returned to Mānoa this summer as the fourth head coach of the women's program after spending the last four seasons on the Baylor coaching staff. Walker was part of the UH men's staff for seven seasons and helped the Warriors capture back-to-back national championships in 2021 and '22.
• UH officially joined the Mountain West as a full member on July 1. The 'Bows competed in the Big West for the previous 13 seasons.

Leadership Team

• After being hired, Walker quickly assembled a coaching staff with impressive credentials with the additions of Heather Olmstead as associate head coach and Kolby Kanetake and Will McDonald as assistant coaches.
• Olmstead put together a 279-55 record over 11 seasons as BYU head coach and was the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2018. Olmstead is currently coaching the U.S. U17 National Team at the FIVB Girls U17 World Championship in Chile and will join the 'Bows following the tournament.
• Kanetake, a former All-America libero at UH, served at Chaminade as assistant coach and associate head coach for the last six years and was named the NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year in 2024.
• McDonald served as technical operations coordinator for LOVB Salt Lake this spring and helped the team reach the championship final. He also worked with Walker at Baylor for the last three seasons.

Experience Points

• The 'Bows return eight players off of last year's roster, including four who received all-conference recognition.
• Outside hitter Cha'lei Reid led the team with 3.35 kills per set and 44 service aces. The sophomore made the Big West All-Freshman team last year and was an All-Big West honorable mention pick.
• Setter Adrianna Arquette, libero Victoria Leyva and middle blocker Miliana Sylvester also made the all-conference honorable mention list.
• Tali Hakas returns to action after being limited to three matches due to injury last season. The junior outside hitter was an All-Big West honorable mention pick in 2024, when she started all 31 matches and averaged 2.07 kills per set. 

New Faces in the Gym

• The Rainbow Wahine also welcome seven newcomers to the roster for the 2026 season with the additions of three transfers and four freshmen.
• Pin hitters Maëli Cormier and Panna Ratkai enrolled at UH in January and took part in spring practices, including the exhibition series with Louisville. Cormier earned WCC All-Freshman Team honors at Oregon State last season. Ratkai was an AVCA All-America honorable mention pick at Purdue Fort Wayne in 2024 and played at Dayton last season.
• Marnie Ursem, a middle blocker from New Zealand, played at UNC Wilmington for the last two years.
• UH added two international freshmen in outside hitter/opposite Mano Antiga and setter Manon Baudrillard. Middle blocker Rachel Purser and libero/defensive specialist Cameron Holcomb also join the program coming off decorated high school careers.