No matter what challenges crop up for the Hawaii women’s volleyball team, the path forward begins with making sure to stick together.
Hawaii (6-9, 2-2 Big West) has flip-flopped wins and losses over the first two weeks of conference play entering a tough homestand this weekend against two of the top teams in the league.
Cal Poly (12-5, 3-2), which the Rainbow Wahine welcome to Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center tonight, lost to Hawaii in the final of the Big West Championships last November.
The Mustangs, whose quality wins this season include a sweep of then-No. 20 Utah, are coming off a five-set win over UC Santa Barbara (11-6, 3-2) on Tuesday.
Hawaii will have a day off before hosting the Gauchos on Sunday at 5 p.m.
The Rainbow Wahine’s struggles with injuries have been well documented. Hawaii has handled business against the bottom of the league in wins over UC Riverside and Cal State Bakersfield, but fell in four to UC Davis, which is tied for first place, at home.
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Last Saturday’s three-set loss to Cal State Northridge was the most concerning, as UH bottomed out down the stretch in a 25-12 set loss to the Matadors, who had lost their past 18 matches against the Rainbow Wahine going in.
“I think against CSUN we didn’t make quick changes during the game,” sophomore Adrianna Arquette said Wednesday. “We got shut down in some aspects of the game and we didn’t really make those changes quick, so we kind of let ourselves down in that way.”
Associate coach Kaleo Baxter pointed to the team’s inconsistencies from match to match on Wednesday, saying it’s something the teams needs to work through.
What won’t change is how the coaching staff continues to coach up the players every day in practice to get better.
“We haven’t given up on this team at all. They haven’t given up on the season. They know the season is very long and they’re grinding every single day,” Baxter said. “We push the ladies daily and that will never change. They know what they signed up for when they signed that dotted line to come and play at the University of Hawaii, so we’re pushing them daily.
We’re reminding them to quiet the outside noise and focus in on what Wahine volleyball is and stay unified throughout this process.”
Sophomore libero Victoria Leyva, who entered the week fifth in the conference averaging 4.07 digs per set, has had five matches of 20-plus digs this season.
Since UH’s first win of the season against Utah Valley, Leyva is averaging 22.2 digs per match in wins and 12.4 digs per match in losses.
“I still totally 100% believe we have the pieces to go out there and perform really well,” Leyva said. “I am learning how to handle some emotions out there on the court. I’m a person that I do get frustrated sometimes, but it’s part of the game. Also looking back at this weekend, that is something I am for sure I am working on — not letting that emotion overtake my game.”
Senior Bri Gunderson, who missed Friday’s win at Cal State Bakersfield, entered Saturday’s match against CSUN late in the second set and had three kills in nine swings with no errors.
Freshman outside hitter Cha’lei Reid, who also sat out against the Roadrunners, had six kills in 25 swings.
Reid, who has been dealing with a slight ankle issue, has hit more than .100 once in her past six matches.
“She takes a lot of swings for us every single night and even in our practice gym,” Baxter said. “It’s a lot for us and the staff to rely so heavily on a freshman when it comes to point production. It’s really hard for a freshman to be really good her freshman year and we think she is doing a good job playing six rotations and having so much on her plate.”
