Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of University of Hawaii Manoa
IRVINE, Calif.–The two-time defending Big West champion University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team was picked to finish first in the 2022 Big West Preseason Coaches’ Poll as voted by the conference’s 11 head coaches. The Rainbow Wahine edged out UC Santa Barbara by the slimmest of margins, one first-place vote to be selected as the 2022 league favorites. In the 10 seasons since rejoining the Big West in 2012 (the BWC did not play in 2020 due to COVID-19), UH has been voted to finish first eight times—including the last two.
Hawaii, who has won four of the last six Big West titles, received six out of the 11 BWC first-place votes for a total of 96 points. The Gauchos garnered five first place votes and tallied a total of 94 points. Cal Poly came in third with 79 points with Long Beach State close behind with 75.
On Monday, the Big West also announced their 2022 Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team. Hawaii’s two returning all-Big West first team players, Amber Igiede and Kate Lang, both were selected to the elite squad. Igiede, a 6-3 junior middle blocker, led the ‘Bows and finished fourth in the Big West with 316 kills and a .388 hitting percentage while coming in third with 135 total blocks. She also recorded 113 digs and was one of two Rainbow Wahine to start all 30 matches. Lang, UH’s sophomore setter, concluded her rookie season atop the Big West standings averaging 10.36 assists per set while dishing out 901 total assists. She finished with 12 double-doubles and issued 50+ assissts on three occasions.
