Rainbow Wahine take annual trip to face rival LBSU

Everything that’s happened on the floor suggests the Hawaii women’s volleyball team has made major strides over the past two weeks.

Tonight’s Big West Conference match at Long Beach State will determine if those strides are enough to stay on top of the conference mountain.

The Rainbow Wahine (9-4, 2-0) make their yearly trip to the Walter Pyramid to play the rival Beach (8-5, 2-1), who opened the season in that arena with a four-set win over preseason No. 1 and defending national champion Texas.

LBSU started Big West play last week with a win over Cal Poly in five before losing to UC Santa Barbara in four a night later.

The Gauchos (12-2 overall) are the only Big West team with a better overall record and better RPI than UH.

“It’s really just another test of what kind of team we are and what kind of team we’re going to be,” senior libero Talia Edmonds said Tuesday of UH’s first BWC road trip. “We’re used to having our fans and our energy, and I think sometimes it can be a little different, especially playing a rivalry game, but it also hypes us up in a different way, and it’s always exciting when we play Long Beach State.”

Hawaii, which has won its past 11 matches against the Beach, has won 12 straight sets since losing to TCU in four to begin its only road trip so far this season.

UH will continue this trip at UC San Diego (8-7, 0-3) on Saturday. Long Beach State swept the Tritons on Thursday.

“Especially after the TCU loss we really had a long talk in the locker room to sort of have tunnel vision when it comes to our assignments and what we expect out of one another,” Hawaii senior middle Amber Igiede said. “That’s pretty much the thing — tunnel vision and a strong, laser focus. That’s the goal for these conference games.”

Igiede won her third Big West Offensive Player of the Week award this season after hitting .558 with 25 kills and six blocks in back-to-back sweeps.

She leads the Big West in hitting percentage (.420), total points (23) and points per set (4.69).

She also has flashed her ability defensively at times, including an acrobatic dig in the win over CSUN that showed she can do anything on the court.

“She is the best defensive middle that I have ever seen,” Edmonds said. “Some of the coolest things and comments I see from people is how much this is Hawaii volleyball. To be able to showcase that in an era of volleyball where defense is more of a smaller player thing … it’s so fun, especially when Amber is back there defending balls.”

That’s the kind of team that coach Robyn Ah Mow has tried to build. UH has held its past four opponents to a .099 hitting percentage while also improving on offense.

Through nine matches, Igiede was the only UH player hitting more than .200. In the past four, UH is hitting .321 as a team, with eight players hitting better than .200.

“They are getting better each game,” Ah Mow said. “This game is another test, just like how the crowd is going to get into it and see if they can take that to another level with their play and their mental game.”

The Beach and the Rainbow Wahine have played two common opponents this season. Both were beaten by UCLA in four, while Hawaii swept Pepperdine, which beat Long Beach State in five.

LBSU sophomore setter Zayna Meyer ranks second in the Big West behind UH’s Kate Lang with 9,86 assists per set.

Tonight’s match against the Beach will be broadcast on ESPNU.