HONOLULU — The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team heads to Phoenix, Ariz., for a two-match series at Grand Canyon in its first Mountain West Conference road trip of the season.
The Rainbow Wahine and Lopes meet on Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3 at Global Credit Union Arena at GCU. Both matches are set for 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (3 p.m. Hawai'i Time).
The 'Bows opened their inaugural season in the Mountain West by sweeping a two-match series with New Mexico last weekend to improve to 10-3 overall in Joshua Walker's first season as head coach.
'BOWS NOTES
- UH's 10-3 start marks program's best record over the first 13 matches since going 12-1 to open the 2019 season.
- This week's series will feature a matchup of the Mountain West's stingiest defense and most efficient offense. UH ranks sixth among NCAA Division I teams in opponent hitting percentage at .149. Grand Canyon leads the conference and ranks 50th nationally in hitting percentage at .257.
- Libero Victoria Leyva averaged 6.5 digs per set in the series with New Mexico to jump to second in the Mountain West with 3.96 digs per set this season. Leyva had 21 digs in the series opener and 18 in the rematch.
- Setter Adrianna Arquette leads the Mountain West and ranks 66th in NCAA Division I with 9.60 assists per set.
- Panna Ratkai continues to lead UH and ranks third in the Mountain West with 3.49 kills per set. The senior has led the team in kills in nine matches this season.
- Middle blocker Miliana Sylvester ranks third in the Mountain West with 54 total blocks and 1.08 blocks per set.
- Freshman middle blocker Rachel Purser continues her efficient start to her college career. Purser leads the team with a .339 hitting percentage and hit .389 in last week's series with 16 kills and just three errors.
- In her return from an injury-shortened 2025 season, outside hitter Tali Hakas ranks second on the team with 126 total kills. Hakas tied her career high with 17 kills in the series opener against New Mexico.
- Sophomore Cha'lei Reid returned to the starting lineup last week after sitting out the previous eight matches. Reid put away 10 kills in 18 attempts and hit .333 in the series finale against New Mexico.
- Freshman defensive specialist Cameron Holcomb provided a spark off the bench with six aces and 16 digs in last week's series.
THE MATCHUP
Grand Canyon Lopes
Series Record: First meeting
- UH and Grand Canyon meet for the first time in this week's series.
- UH will visit Arizona for the first time since competing in the Starwoods Plaza Hotel Thanksgiving Invitational in Tucson on Nov. 26 and 27, 1999. UH earned wins over Arizona and Cal Poly on that trip.
- Head coach Kendra Potts is in her third season at GCU and has a record of 44-30. Potts has an overall record of 168-54 including five years at West Texas A&M.
- Grand Canyon enters the week at 7-6 overall and 1-1 in Mountain West play after splitting a series with Nevada last week in Reno, Nev. The Lopes fell in five sets in the opener then pulled off a reverse sweep in the rematch.
- GCU leads the Mountain West and ranks 50th nationally in hitting percentage at .257.
- Outside hitter/opposite Starr Williams leads GCU with 166 total kills and 3.25 kills per set.
- Middle blocker Aubrey Goodere leads the team with a .358 hitting percentage.
- Setter Bella Nunez has two triple-doubles this season.
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