After an impressive run through the Big West Tournament, culminating in their fifth consecutive conference championship, the University of Hawai‘i women’s volleyball team returned home Sunday to learn their postseason plans on Selection Sunday.
The Rainbow Wahine, unseeded in the NCAA Tournament, will make their 31st consecutive appearance in the national championship bracket. Hawai‘i (21-9) opens play in the Pittsburgh region against fifth-seeded TCU on Thursday. The first-round match, hosted by No. 4-seeded Oregon in Eugene, is scheduled for 2 p.m. HST and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Hawai‘i enters the 64-team tournament riding high after a challenging season filled with ups and downs, five-set thrillers, and a determined push to claim the Big West crown on Saturday.
Kate Lang, the Rainbow Wahine’s senior setter from Dallas, Texas, expressed excitement about the matchup with TCU, a team from her home state.
“I’m so excited. You know, I get to play a team from my hometown. So I just see that as such a privilege, and I’m really excited,” Lang said. “I know every girl on the team is going to be locked in and ready to get it.”
Libero Tayli Ikenaga, named the Big West Tournament MVP, is motivated to make a deep run as a senior.
“Oh, we’re super stoked. I mean, just going into this NCAA Tournament, we’re really excited,” Ikenaga said. “Knowing that we’re going to play TCU, I think it’s a revenge tour for us. We just want to make it as far as possible, leave everything on the court, and push hard. This could be my last time ever playing, so I really just want to go out with a bang.”
The Rainbow Wahine’s first-round matchup marks another step in their storied history, as the five-time defending Big West champions aim to extend their season and pursue a national title.