LONG BEACH, Calif.—Led by reigning Big West Offensive Player and Setter of the Week—Amber Igiede and Kate Lang, the University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (9-4, 2-0 Big West) travels to California for their first Big West road matches. Hawai'i first takes on long time rival Long Beach State on Friday, Sept. 29th, followed by UC San Diego on Saturday, Sept. 30th. Both matches start at 4:00 p.m. HT. Friday's match vs. Long Beach State will be televised nationally on ESPNU
 

HAWAI'I VS. LONG BEACH STATE
Date | Time				Friday, Sept. 29, 2023 | 4:00 p.m. HT
Location				Walter Pyramid (4,200) - Long Beach, Calif.
Television				ESPNU
Live Video Stream				ESPN+
Radio				CBS 1500 - 1500 am - Tiff Wells (Play-by-play)
Live Audio Stream				cbssportshawaii.com  | Sideline Hawaii App
Live Stats				longbeachstate.com
Game Notes				Hawai'i | Long Beach State
Social Media				@HawaiiWVB  | #HawaiiWVB #GoBows | @HawaiiWVB  | Facebook

 

HAWAI'I VS. UC SAN DIEGO
Date | Time				Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 | 4:00 p.m. HT
Location				LionTree Arena (4,000) - La Jolla, Calif.
Live Video Stream				ESPN+
Radio				ESPN Honolulu: 1420 AM / 92.7 FM - Tiff Wells (Play-by-play)
Live Audio Stream				espnhonolulu.com  | Sideline Hawaii App
Live Stats				ucsdtritons.com
Game Notes				Hawai'i | UC San Diego
Social Media				@HawaiiWVB  | #HawaiiWVB #GoBows | @HawaiiWVB  | Facebook

HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (9-4, 2-0 Big West)Head Coach: Robyn Ah Mow (Seventh Season)
Record at UH: Overall: 117-40 | Big West: 81-9
Overall Record: Same

LONG BEACH STATE BEACH (7-5, 1-1 Big West)Series record: UH leads 41-18-1
STREAK: UH won last 11
Last season: In 2022, UH won both matches over the Beach. At the Walter Pyramid (Oct. 1), UH held off the Beach in four, 25-20, 25-21, 15-25, 25-19. Three UH players notched 10+ kills in the match--Riley Wagoern (16), Caylen Alexander (13) and Amber Igiede (10). In Honolulu, UH swept LBSU,  26-24, 25-18, 25-18 on Nov. 4, 2022 - Alexander led UH with 11 kills with Wagoner adding nine.
Head Coach: Tyler Hildebrand (Second Season)

UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS (8-6, 0-2 Big West)Series record:  5-0 
Streak: UH won five
Last season: On Oct. 8, 2022, UH needed four sets to defeat the Tritons in Honolulu, 27-25, 30-28, 23-25, 25-19. In the win Wagoner put down a career-high 25 kills while Alexander added 16 and Igiede 15. Talia Edmonds who stepped in as the libero at theh last minute, scooped up a career-high 28 digs. On Nov. 11 on the road, UH swept UCSD, 25-14, 25-19, 25-15 with Wagoner again leading UH with 14 put downs.
Head Coach: Ricci Luyties  (14th Season)
 LAST TIME OUT...Hawai'i began defense of their Big West title with a pair of sweeps, defeating Cal State Bakersfield (25-8,  25-20, 25-19) and CSUN (25-13, 25-14, 25-12) last week.

• Against the Roadrunners, UH got off to its best start of the season. Hawai'i jumped out to a 5-0 lead to start the match and kept their foot on the  gas the whole set, ending the frame scored the final eight-straight points. Kendra Ham started the scoring run serving then Jackie Matias served the final six points--starting with her first collegiate service ace to close out CSUB in UH's most lopsided set win of the season, 25-8. Hawai'i was led by Amber Igiede who had a match-highs of 12 kills and five blocks (two solo). Caylen Alexander was a kill and a dig shy of her sixth-straight double-double with nine kills and nine digs.
• The 'Bows pulled away from the Matadors to notch the team's fourth-consecutive sweep. Ten different players put down at least one kill while nine had at least one dig. A season-high 13 players saw playing time. Igiede led the match with 13 kills and a season-high .722 hitting percentage with no errors on 18 attacks.
• UH's match vs. CSUN was the quickest of the season at just 78 minutes
• After the two BW wins, UH vaulted to the top of the Big West standings in hitting percentage (.227) and kills/set (13.53). UH is also No. 1 in assists/set (12.67).
• Hawai'i comes into the week winning their last four all by sweeps after recording just one previously against Pepperdine. In the first nine matches of the season--which included a tough preseason--UH hit .195. With Amber Igiede being the lone Rainbow Wahine to hit over .200.  Over the last four matches, Hawai'i is hitting at a .321 clip averaging 15.83 kills per set while holding opponents to a .099 hit% with 9.50 kill/set. Eight Rainbow Wahine during that span are hitting .200 or better.

 NEWS & NOTESLANG EARNS SIXTH-STRAIGHT BIG WEST SETTER OF THE WEEK AWARD - For the fifth-straight time this season and sixth-straight time daing back to last season, junior Kate Lang earned Big West Setter of the Week honors.
• In UH's two sweeps, Lang dished out 51 assists averaging 8.50 assists/set after fellow setter, rookie Jackie Matias split time on the court in the last two matches.
• Against Cal State Bakersfield, Lang helped the 'Bows hit a combined .323 with 41 kills and a season-low nine errors in 99 swings. She had a .426 assist % (29-1-68) with six digs and a service ace.
• Against CSUN, the UH offense recorded a season-best .402 hitting percentage (43-10-85) while Lang had 22 assists and a .512 assist% (22-0-43).
• Currently, Lang leads the BW and is No. 20 in the NCAA averaging 10.67 assists/set and is No .1 in the BW and No. 19 in the NCAA with 523 total assists.
• It is Lang's eight Big West Setter of the Week award in her career and her 10th weekly award overall.

IGIEDE NAMED BW OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME IN 2023 - Senior middle blocker Amber Igiede earned her third Big West Offensive Player of the Week award after leading Hawai'i with 25 kills, 4.17 kill/set, a .558 hitting percentage, and six total blocks last week.
• Against Bakersfield, Igiede was the lone player with 10+ kills, putting down a match-high 12 with just one error for a .440 hitting percentage. She Added five blocks, five digs and an assist in the win.
• Igiede pounded a match-high 13 kills while hitting for a season-high .722 (13-0-18) against CSUN.
• Igiede currently leads the league and is No. 30 in the NCAA with a .420 hitting %. She also leads the BW with 230.0 total points and 4.69 points per set.

IGIEDE THE GAME-CHANGER - Igiede is a force at the net on both sides - on offense she is a constant threat and when she is not getting set, she draws so much attention that the pin-hitters can unleash. On defense, she forces opposing offenses to alter their shots to avoid the 6-3 middle from Baton Rouge, La.. She also just passed the 300 dig mark last week. Igiede has proven to not let balls drop when she's serving or in the front row.
• Currently, Igiede is ranked No. 10 in the NCAA with 460 total blocks, No. 10 in blocks/set (1.26), and No. 63 and the third highest ranked middle blocker in career kills at 1,120.
• Against Southern California on Sept. 2, Igiede became the 21st Rainbow Wahine to record 1,000 career kills. She was the first since McKenna Granato accomplished the feat in 2018. Currently, she is ranked No. 17 in UH history with 1,120 kills. She also is No. 6 in career blocks with 460.
• This season, Igiede has put down double-digit kills in 11 of 13 matches while recording at least one block in every match this season. Against Western Carolina at the Fight in the Fort tournament in Texas, Igiede put down a season-high 21 kills while hitting .625 in just three sets. In UH's most recent match vs. CSUN, she was uber-efficient, hitting a season-high .722 (13-0-18).
• For the second straight season, Igiede leads Hawai'i overall in both kills (184), kills/set (3.76), hitting percentage (.420), blocks (59), and points (230.0).
• In 102 career matches, Igiede has recorded at least one kill in every match UH has played over the last four years. She has also recorded a block in 101 out of 102 career matches.
• Last season, Igiede became the 10th Rainbow Wahine to earn Big West Player of the Year honors—and the third straight following Norene Iosia and Brooke Van Sickle. She is just the second middle blocker to earn Player of the Year honors—joining her former UH assistant coach, angelica Ljunqvist. Overall, Igiede is the 28th Hawai'i player to earn conference Player of the Year (Pacific Coast Athletics Association – 1; Big West – 11; WAC – 16).
 • This past summer, Igiede trained with the nation's elite collegiate players. She was invited to train with the U.S. Women's National Team led by head coach Karch Kiraly and his staff in March.
• Igiede is the only Rainbow Wahine to be named to all three all-tournament teams that UH played in this preseason.

LANG DISHING IT OUT - Junior Kate Lang currently is ranked No. 18 in the NCAA averaging 10.40 which also ranks her at No. 7 in UH's record book with 10.40assists/set. For her career, Lang is climbing up the ladder in career assists and is right outside the Top 10 with 2,526 assists.
This season, the Keller, Texas-native has recorded five double-doubles. In UH's most recent match vs. CSUN, she helped to distribute the ball around the lineup with 10 different Rainbow Wahine putting down at least one kill each. She and freshman setter Jackie Matias  helped UH hit a season-high, .402 with 43 kills, 10 errors on 82 swings.

 ALEXANDER RISING - Sophomore Caylen Alexander's hard work in the off-season is paying dividends now. She is second on the in kills (161), kill/set (3.29), digs (117), service aces (13) and third in total blocks (28).
• She has posted six double-doubles this season after three last season. Overall, she has notched 10 double-digit kill matches—including a career high 21 at TCU in Texas.
• Alexander has already recorded 28 total blocks this season—two more than she had all last year. She also has two more solo blocks than what she had when she was the BW Freshman of the year. Alexander has recorded double-digit digs in six matches thus far--including a career-high 16 in a three set victory vs. Western Carolina in Fort Worth, Texas.
• She is the only pin-hitter to record at least one block in every match this season, joining only middle blockers Kennedi Evans and Igiede to accomplish the feat.
• Alexander made two preseason All-Tournament teams for the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic and the Fight in the Fort (Fort Worth, Texas)

EDMONDS ANCHORING BACK ROW  - Last year, Talia Edmonds played in every match as a defensive specialist while getting three starts at libero when then starter Tayli Ikenaga was injured at the end of warm ups right before UH's match vs. UC San Diego.
• This year, Edmonds won the starting libero job and has quarterbacked the back row well. She leads UH with 176 digs and 3.59 digs/set and she is second on the team with 35 assists.
• This past week, behind the service line, Edmonds was able to string together a few scoring runs--including a seven and 11 point runs vs. CSUN. With Edmonds serving, UH scored 10-consecutive points late in the third vs. the Matadors extending a two point lead into a a 12 point lead at 22-9.

HAM MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT - Last year, Kendra Ham played a key role coming off the bench as a serving/defensive specialist in all 29 matches. She also saw spot duty rotating into the front row on occasion at opposite.
• This year, Ham bided her time early in the preseason seeing action in just two matches through the first eight. But beginning at TCU, Ham stepped into the starting role at opposite...and she did not disappoint. For the tournament, she recorded 26 kills, 37 digs, and five blocks. Ham notched her first career double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs vs. Western Carolina while hitting .476 against the Catamounts.
• She has started the last five matches contributing 36 kills, and seven blocks with zero reception errors. The six-rotation pin hitter has since steadied the team with her calm but fiery demeanor and will contribute whatever way she can to help the team win.

MĀNOA ROOFING COMPANY - EVANS HOLDING HER OWN - UH's middle blockers Kennedi Evans and Igiede have been solid, accounting for 99 of UH's 108 total blocks. Evans, who transferred from Utah last year, is second on the team with nine block solos and 31 block assists for 40 total blocks. On offense, Evans has proven to be a steady force at the net with 61 kills. In UH's match vs. Florida State, she tied her season-high with eight kills with a season-best seven blocks. In UH's most recent match vs. CSUN, Evans hit a career-high .571 (4-0-7). Over the last four matches, she has committed just one hitting error for a .613 hitting percentage.

SOLID CORE  - Returning starters Igiede, Lang, Alexander, Wagoner and Edmonds are the core of UH's team. Four played in all 107 sets last season while Alexander played in 106 sets as a rookie in 2022.
• This season, Igiede, Lang, Alexander and Edmonds have started all 48 sets. Las week, Wagoner started just the first set against CSUN Kendra Ham, who saw significant playing time last year, has started the last five matches and the last 19 sets.
• With Ham entering the starting role at opposite, UH's starting line up senior heavy with only junior Kate Lang and sophomore Caylen Alexander cracking the Starting 7.

GUERSCHING FINDING GROOVE  - Junior transfer Paula Guersching is starting to hit her stride. She worked through some injuries during double-days prior to the season starting, so she saw very limited court time through the first 11 matches.
• In UH's two BW matches, Guersching started clicking putting down 10 kills with just one error in 22 attacks for a .409 hit %.
• Against CSUN, she put down a UH career-high seven kills over the last two sets.
• Guersching transferred to UH this year after a prolific career at Youngstown State in Ohio. She took just two seasons with the Penguins to record over 1,000 kills, finishing her YSU career with 1,006. She became YSU's first AVCA All-America honorable mention and to earn Horizon League Player of the Year honors in 2022 after an amazing sophomore season. She finished her sophomore year ranked high in the NCAA statistics while setting Penguin single-season records. She finished ranked No. 3 in the NCAA with 5.24 kills/set and 5.87 points/set. Guersching was No. 5 with 12.84 attacks/set and 576 total kills. And she was No. 6 with 646.0 total points. She concluded her stellar season ranked at No. 5 with 576 total kills.

ADEYEMI MAKES UH DEBUT - True freshman Stella Adeyemi made her Rainbow Wahine debut this past weekend seeing action in both matches. The Papillion, Neb.-native made an instant impact, recording a diving dig-kill which was one of the NCAA's top plays of the week for her first collegiate kill. She posted four kills with zero errors in five swings for an .800 hit percentage in her debut against Bakersfield. Against CSUN, she put down one kill.