Beach Schedule Hunt 2016

Photo Credit: Hawaii Athletics

The Rainbow Wahine Beach Volleyball team are coming off their run to the first NCAA Tournament in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Now they will attempt to get back there for the postseason in a quest for their first National Championship. In order to get back to Alabama, they will have to go through tough 2017 opponents and a competitive Big West conference.

The 2017 roster has been posted listing remaining beach only players from last years roster including four seniors, two juniors, and two sophomores. Also listed are the seven freshman and one junior transfer. Returners crossing over from the indoor to the beach team are Clare-Marie Anderson, Casey Castillo, Gianna Guinasso, Emily Maglio, and Nikki Taylor. New players from the indoor team crossing over are Norene Iosia, Savanah Kahakai, Kirsten Smith, and Emma Smith while Tayler Higgins will return after playing beach her freshman season. However, All-American Taylor's decision to play beach is unsure due to her possibilities of playing overseas and resting her body after the indoor season.

Now the schedule hunt for the beach team has started as schools are releasing their 2016-17 schedules.

This post will be updated with the release of other schools schedules (Check my twitter for updates)

2017 Schedule

• March 3-4 - Grand Canyon Tournament (Teams: Grand Canyon, Colorado Mesa, LMU)
• March 3-4 - Arizona Invitational (Teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Jacksonville)
• March 10-11 - Hawaii Invitational (Teams: Loyola Marymount, Stetson)
• March 17-18 - Hawaii Tournament (Teams: Arizona, Utah, USC)
• March 26 - Stanford Tournament (Teams: Stanford, Irvine Valley)
• March 29 (1:00 PM PT) - at Pepperdine
• April 1-2 - Big West Challenge (Teams: Cal Poly, CSUN, Long Beach State, Sacramento State)
• April 7 (TBA) - vs Pepperdine, Cal Poly
• April 8 (TBA) - vs Pepperdine, Cal Poly
• April 13-14 - Outrigger Aloha Invitational (Teams: Florida Atlantic, Grand Canyon, Long Beach State, USC)
• May 5-7 (TBA) - NCAA Tournament - Gulf Shores, Alabama

GAME DAY: Hawaii vs UC Riverside (Wahine)

Photo Credit: (Hawaii Athletics)

Match-Up: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs UC Riverside Highlanders
What: Big West Women's Volleyball
When: October 28, 2016 (5 PM HT)
Where: Riverside, CA (SRC Arena)
Last Meeting: October 2, 2016 (3-0 Hawaii)

Coverage
Televised: ESPNU (Paul Sunderland and Laura Bush)
Live Stats: UC Riverside Stats
Radio: ESPN1420 (Tiff Wells)

Hawaii WVB Twitter | Hawaiivolleyball808 Twitter | Hawaii Release | UC Riverside Release

The Rainbow Wahine are on their third of four road trips this season as they travel to Southern California to take on the UC Riverside Highlanders. In their last meeting this season, Hawaii came out with a 3-0 win that went 25-15, 25-6, 25-17. That second set was the lowest set score Hawaii has held their opponent to this season. This is the last time these two teams will face as it is the start of the second half of conference season.

Tonight's game will be televised on ESPNU which is the first of this season for the Big West conference. No stream is available unless your television provider provides ESPNU, then it it is available on ESPN3. Live stats and radio are available in the links above along with the live coverage provided by the Hawaii WVB twitter.

2015 Big West All-Conference Awards

| Big West Release | Hawaii Release |

The Big West has released the 2015 Big West All-Conference Awards today and Hawaii picked up multiple accolades including some of the top ones. Junior opposite Nikki Taylor (Honolulu, HI) was named the Big West Player of the Year and head coach Dave Shoji was named Big West Coach of the Year. A few others received awards as well.

Senior middle blocker Olivia Magill (Shoreline, WA), senior outside hitter Tai Manu-Olevau (Hilo, HI), sophomore middle Emily Maglio (Coquitlam, Canada), and Taylor were named to the All-Big West First Team while sophomore outside hitter Kalei Greeley (Riverside, CA) and sophomore libero Savanah Kahakai (Kalihi, HI) were named All-Big West Honorable Mention.

Taylor received First Team for the third season while Magill and Manu-Olevau did twice. Taylor also received weekly conference awards five times this season which ties the UH record and she is the seventh Hawaii player to be named Player of the Year. This is Shoji's fifth Big West Coach of the Year award. Congrats to all members for these awards.