After watching her team play a bad first set in both of Hawaii’s season-opening wins last weekend, Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach Robyn Ah Mow took her team into the tunnel for what is now being called a “tunnel talk.”
Whatever was said — and none of the players who were asked about it would provide any details — was a motivating factor in UH coming from behind to start the season 2-0 for the second straight year.
The obvious question heading into matches against West Coast Conference preseason favorite Pepperdine tonight and Saturday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center is how Hawaii can avoid getting off to such poor starts.
Many factors play into not allowing that to happen. One thing made clear before practice on Tuesday is that “tunnel talk” isn’t going to happen before the match starts.
“They should be ready before the game, before they come out,” Ah Mow said. “I have no words for that. I’m just glad that they are fighting, and I keep telling them, this whole season, you guys are going to have to fight. You can’t tell me you’re just going to come out and pummel teams 3-0. It’s going to go up and down.”
Ah Mow has stressed patience from her players and the coaching staff from the opening day of camp in early August. That also extends to a fan base that sat in stunned silence on Friday after the Rainbow Wahine suffered their worst set loss in the 25-point rally-scoring era when SMU took the first set 25-7.
UH rebounded to shock the Mustangs in five sets, which could end up being a pivotal win come November when the NCAA Tournament selection committee is poring over resumes.
SMU went on to defeat San Diego in four sets on Saturday and then flew to the mainland and swept No. 2 Nebraska on Tuesday.
Hawaii, which plays 10 nonconference matches before beginning Big West play at the end of the month, already has two quality wins.
A split, or even a sweep, of another NCAA Tournament caliber team in the Waves would really position the Rainbow Wahine to not only improve the resume, but potentially crack the AVCA Top 25 rankings next week.
“I think stepping out on the court for these first couple of matches really kind of opened up what we’re going to be facing in the future,” freshman back-row specialist Victoria Leyva said Tuesday. “We have a good level of confidence.”
The Waves’ size, like that of many of UH’s nonconference opponents, will be a factor, with starting outside hitters listed at 6-foot-2, 6-3 and 6-3 and middle blockers listed at 6-3 and 6-5.
Caylen Alexander is the only starting pin hitter for UH at 6 feet, with middles Miliana Sylvester and Jacyn Bamis both 6-1.
“We’ve got to be smart. SMU, San Diego was big too,” Ah Mow said. “The thing for Hawaii is we’ve got to make sure our serve-pass game is on point. Swing high, swing quick and serve smart. What else can you do?”
Pepperdine opened the season with consecutive losses to No. 21 Southern California. UH is the only team among the Waves’ first six matches that is unranked.
Scheduling difficult opponents isn’t anything new for coach Scott Wong, a Punahou alum who has guided the Waves to the NCAA Tournament in five of the past six seasons.
Pepperdine returns a special trio of pin hitters in reigning WCC Player of the Year Grace Chillingworth and fellow preseason All-WCC team selections Birdie Hendrickson and Riley Simpson.
The three combined for 60 of the 83 kills put down by the Waves in seven sets against the Trojans.
Hawaii played 11 of the 13 players on its roster opening weekend and nearly had a 12th substitute into a match.
Freshman Adrianna Arquette, who spends time at a variety of positions during practice, was called to the bench to sit down where eventual substitutes usually go to sit before entering a match.
She never made it onto the court, but there is the possibility each time out she could hear her name called.
“There are definitely thoughts about (playing her),” Ah Mow said. “Adrianna is like a utility, and I feel bad because she did some passing, she did some hitting, she did some setting, so she never really could in the two weeks (of camp) hone in on one skill. It’s a good thing you can give a team all of those different skills. There’s definitely a thought (of her playing), maybe.”