The University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team was picked as the preseason favorite in the Big West.
The Rainbow Wahine, entering their final season in the league before moving to the Mountain West in 2026, received 94 points in the voting of the Big West’s 11 coaches to finish two points ahead of Cal Poly for the top spot in the poll. UH and Cal Poly each received five first-place votes and were followed by UC Davis (75 points). UC Santa Barbara received one first-place vote and came in fourth.
UH middle blocker Bri Gunderson represented the Rainbow Wahine on the seven-player Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team.
The 6-foot-3 senior joined the ‘Bows for the spring semester as a transfer from Eastern Washington, where she led the Big Sky and ranked fifth in the nation with a school-record 1.54 blocks per set in 2024. She averaged 2.83 kills per set while hitting .311, posted three double-doubles, and was named to the All-Big Sky first team last season.
UH has won five consecutive Big West titles and 14 over 22 years of membership.
The Rainbow Wahine open the 2025 season with the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic set for Aug. 29-31 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. UH will faces Marquette on opening night and will also take on Utah State and San Diego in the tournament.
2025 Big West Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Rank Team Points
1. Hawai’i 94 (5)
2. Cal Poly 92 (5)
3. UC Davis 75
4. UC Santa Barbara 73 (1)
5. Long Beach State 68
6. UC Irvine 53
7. UC San Diego 50
8. CSUN 42
9. Cal State Bakersfield 23
10. Cal State Fullerton 21
11. UC Riverside 14
First-place votes in parentheses
2025 Big West Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Team
Name Year Position Team
Emme Bullis R-Sr. Setter Cal Poly
Ally Chandler Jr. Middle Blocker UC Davis
Bri Gunderson Sr. Middle Blocker Hawai’i
Campbell Jensen Sr. Libero UC Irvine
Chloe Leluge So. Middle Blocker Cal Poly
Jade Light Sr. Outside Hitter UC Davis
Eva Travis R.-So. Outside Hitter UC Santa Barbara